Yes, the image above is my Chrome browser. What’s more embarrassing is that this is my work Chrome profile. My personal profile is in a completely different window with a similar amount of tabs. Some may say I’m busy. Most of you reading this would say I have a problem. I am ashamed sometimes when I am showing someone my browser and their eyes go wide. “Wow, that’s a lot of tabs!” they say. I tell them “don’t tab judge me! I know what they all are.” But if I’m honest with myself, I don’t really need to have 5,462 tabs open at any given time. I like using Pin tab in Chrome (right-click on a tab and select Pin) for my regulars (mostly Google), but is there a better solution? Well, of course there is. And thankfully, Shannyn Romero, our Cole Career and Tech Education teacher, and Dr. Ginger Dodge-Quick, our RTI and 6th grade ELAR teacher, found Toby at TCEA.
So for our second entry for our TCEA 20 for 2020, meet Toby. Toby is a Chrome extension that allows you to organize your browser tabs into collections that create a one-click system of tab management. In true Google style, adding new tabs is as easy and dragging and dropping them from the right hand side menu into the collection you want. Collection titles are editable and movable providing better work-flow and information organization. Another cool feature is the embedded to-do list from within the extension bar. No more having to swap to my Google Keep tab! (Although, I’m going to keep using Keep!).
One application for students would be those that need to manage certain websites for certain classes. Create a collection for each of your core-classes and voila! you’re back to your session from first period, even though you’re in tutorials at the end of the day and you’ve had 4 other classes since then!
In 2020, we need better information management. Stop being a tab hoarder like me and give Toby a try!
To learn more about TCEA, visit their website at www.tcea.org, follow their Tech Notes Blog , or subscribe to their new Ed Tech Club podcast!