Free Tech Tools That Increase Productivity: A Hands‐On Day to Make Life Easier

If you are a reader in Quebec, I hope you will join me on November 1 for a hands-on day that will change the way you work. The Internet offers us many free tools. We will focus on a few that make a huge difference in terms of increasing productivity, decreasing stress, and having more fun along the way.

To register, you may download this form.

McGill Distinguished Educators Seminar

We are looking forward to returning to Montreal at the end of the month. Thanks to McGill University for inviting me back to be a part of the "Distinguished Educators Seminar Series."

McGill is sponsoring a full-day workshop for teachers. The following day is a full-day workshop for principals, assistant principals, and their administrative assistants.

We are looking forward to sight-seeing before and after the seminars. Pictures will be forthcoming!

McGill University Distinguished Educators Seminar Series

Davonia and I had an incredible time this week in Montreal as a part of the McGill University Distinguished Educators Seminar Series. Welcome to teachers who are visiting this blog for the first time as a result of attending the seminar at the McGill Faculty Club and to the administrators who attended the Wellness and Leadership retreat at Mont Gabriel. A special thanks to Sylvia Sklar for extending the invitation, Donna Wilkinson for the outstanding job of handling the many details, and Mary Stewart for driving us from McGill to Mont Gabriel. To Dr. Lynn Butler-Kisber and Dr. Ted Wall, thank you for making us feel so welcome and being an active part of the seminar. Of course the biggest thanks goes to the teachers and administrators who attended the seminars.

During our time together, we explored ways to handle the papers, the importance of having a "signature tool" to trap everything in one place (with special insight on how to use a digital tool to do the job), how to put repeating tasks on "autopilot," strategies for handling the incoming flood of information, and how to handle multiple projects. We examined setting up a logical filing system on the computer, backing up files easily, how to organize the internet through the use of an iGoogle page, communicating effectively through paper or a blog, using Google Docs to replace paper forms, helpful yet little-known capabilities of Google, and the productivity boost offered through the use of dual monitors.

We enjoyed good food, made new friends, and discovered that we all face many of the same challenges. Pictures will follow in the next several days!