It’s school vacation week here in Maine. I have a long list of things that I want to accomplish on this blog and on Practical Ed Tech. To get that list done and still have time for fun things like riding bikes with my kids, I have to be focused when I’m online and resist the temptation to open Twitter or Facebook for “just a minute.” To do that I’m using a combination of the Stay Focusd Chrome extension and a Pomodoro timer.
Productivity Tools I’m Currently Using
StayFocusd is a Chrome extension that I’ve used for years whenever I feel like I’m falling into the bad habit of chasing rabbit holes on the internet. StayFocusd lets me specify the sites that I want to block from myself or limit my time spent viewing them. After specifying the sites and the amount of time I’ll allow myself on them, a countdown timer appears whenever I view those sites. The timer resets every 24 hours.
Pomofocus is a task timer that is based on the Pomodoro method of getting things done. On Pomofocus I create a list of tasks then start the timer. Each task is allotted 25 minutes (you can adjust that). After 25 minutes there is a five minute break timer that automatically appears. After the break the next task timer appears.
Other Productivity Tools
Dayboard is a free Chrome extension that opens your daily to-do list every time you open a new tab in Chrome. When you open a new tab for the first time Dayboard will appear and ask you to enter your to-do list for the day. After creating your to-do list for the rest of the day whenever you open a new tab you will see your list. You can place a checkmark next to items as you complete them.
FlashTabs is a free Chrome extension that will display flashcards whenever you open a new Chrome tab. The thing that I like about FlashTabs is that it is easy to create your own flashcards to have displayed in your new tabs.
Google Keep can be an excellent to-do list and reminder tool. You can color code notes, make lists, and share notes. Google Keep reminders can be set to pop-up on your desktop or mobile device. My video embedded below illustrate the features of Google Keep reminders.
