How Can We Use Google Crome Extensions for Teaching and Learning?

I have been searching, installing, and using some of the Chrome extensions to see how can they use in the classroom. The results exceeded my expectations. But first, let me show where they can be found and how can be installed.


First, Google Chrome should be installed on your computer in order to access to the extensions. As some of you were saying, Chrome is user-friendly and faster, well why not use it! After opening the Chrome browser, a quick search for chrome extensions will take you to a long list of different possibilities. I chose the first one: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions?hl=en and it took me to an endless list of extensions for multiple uses.

My idea with this blog is to gather together tools that can be used in the classroom, therefore a filter tool, located at the top-left corner, made it possible. It is important to leave the extensions option chosen, otherwise, it just piles many things that are not for this purpose or are not free. Yey, FREE! Yes, I like free and good stuff to try in my class before making any long-term decision. Anyways, you can always surf through all the extensions and you will be amazed. This is how it looks:

In my search, I found interesting tools that I am already using in my classes. Grammarly, Screencastidy, Office Editing, Translation, Screenreader (VoiceInstead), G Suit Trainings, and Dictionary among some others. Getting information about the extension or installing it is very simple. Once you find what are you looking for, with a click, you will be able to watch a video of how to use it, read a very simple explanation of how to install it, and if you do, the icon will be automatically available in the top-right corner. This is how it looks when you click on an extension:

The next step will be to install it and use it. One of the extensions that is helping my students with their English is the VoiceInstead (screen reader) because they can activate it everytime they would like to practice their listening skills. So the word that they are reading get a pronunciation connection right away, not talking about the possibility of listening to it as many times they would like to! This feature is a great help. 

For example, let's say that there is an important reading they have to do as part of an assignment; VoiceInstead will help them with the pronunciation. 

On the right-top corner, there is the Voice Over icon. It is activated all the time, but you will need to let it know that you want to use it. To do it, you will need to right-click over a selected area you want VoiceInstead read for you. 

 For ESL students is has been a blast!

If you try this one or any other extension for you of for your instruction, please let me know.

Thank you.

----Kennia.