Get more out of your planning time

Raise your hand if you love the admin side of your teaching job?  …  No?  While I LOVE researching new ideas & teaching, all the other admin stuff that comes with running my own business?  Not so much.  A couple years ago, I finally opted to extend my screen in an effort to be more efficient when I am doing computer work.  My husband has used multiple screens at work for years and had suggested it might help me out as well.  He was right!

Disclaimer:  Since originally posting this how-to guide,  I had to replace my laptop.  At that point I splurged on a massive monitor that I segment into multiple ‘mini’ screens that let me see even more info at once.  That being said, adding a monitor is a cost-effective solution to getting the most out of your laptop/computer.

4 reasons to extend your work space

Space can be at a premium depending on the size of your desk or office area.  Trust me when I say that this will be space well spent.  The best reasons to extend your screen are:

Reduce time jumping between windows: 

It’s common to have multiple programs & browser windows open at the same time.  While ALT+Tab doesn’t take much time, it adds up over the course of the planning session.  Especially when you need to scroll through multiple tabs. I typically have the following programs open during any office session.

• Amazon Prime … great tool for listening to new music.
• YouTube … many weeks I include videos for my students to watch, whether they are concepts or songs they are working on
• Planboard … check “Lessons Wherever You Are” for why I am such a huge fan of this online app.
• Research tabs … everything from new sheet music & background info for students or myself.

Easily stay focused on the current task: 

This was an unexpected benefit.  Before, as I cycled through the windows I would either get frustrated I had once again passed the window I wanted or decide that I really ‘needed’ to focus on an article rather than just moving on.

Moving between extended screens just got a whole lot easier:

• Need to move text?  Highlight text on one screen.  Hold the selection with the mouse & move it to the next screen.  Done!  If you want to copy & paste … just press CTRL+C before moving that mouse.
• Want to open a new tab in your browser but move it over to the other monitor?  Open a new tab, hold it while moving it to the next screen.  Boom!  A new browser tab (or window) opens up.  The day I accidentally found this out, well it was a game changer!
• Done working with a program for the moment, but know you’ll need it pretty soon?  Move it to the screen that is further away so you aren’t distracted.  That way you aren’t wasting time waiting for a program to open when you really need it.

Easy on the eyes: 

Another unexpected benefit.  I have the extended screens set back to the far side of my desk.  With an external keyboard hooked up, I place my student planning binder in between the screen & keyboard.  This lets me use my desk space most efficiently & protects my eyes from strain.

How to extend your screen

Extending your screen to another monitor is incredibly easy.  There are many tutorials online … which I was prepared to read through.  Turns out I didn’t really need to do much research or invest much time to get set up (less than 30 minutes including research).  And, this is going to be much faster for you with this quick guide!

Materials:

• An extra computer monitor
• Cord to plug it into a computer (comes with monitor)
• Monitor power cord (comes with monitor)

Steps:

1. Place the monitors where you want them.  Take the time to experiment with where the extended screens works best for you.  This honestly was one of the longest parts of the process.
2. Plug in the monitor to your computer & grounded serge protector.  Chances are there will only be one spot that fits the monitor cord, whether that is your laptop or computer.  It’s just a matter of matching the plugs.
3. Change your screen settings.  Your computer may pop up with a box on its own which mine did, but if it doesn’t no worries.  In Windows, you follow these steps:
   • Right click anywhere on the screen.
   • Select “Screen Resolution”.
   • Select the #2 Screen then choose to “Extend these Displays” from the Multiple displays section.
   • Press “Apply” & try it out!
4. Test it out!  Does it feel intuitive & easy to move between the screens?
   • I discovered quickly that I could only move windows to the left.  This was rather annoying when I had no choice to move a tab off into the ether & it would seem to jump through the air only to appear to the right.  Needless to say as Star Trek as it appeared, it was NOT intuitive.  Thankfully, it is a simple fix of changing which monitor is the main screen with a simple click of a button..

Get ready to see your mouse & keyboard fly!

Extend your screen for a whole new world to open up.  Once you get into a rhythm with simple keyboard & mouse shortcuts, planning goes from fast & turbo.

• Want to pause a song?  Fling the mouse over to the Amazon Prime  tab & press the space bar. No need to click.
• Want to move the current window over within the monitor?  Press WIN+left or right buttons.  Press them again so that it moves over to the other monitor.

Feel free to check out these keyboard shortcuts for Windows (while these are specifically for Windows 7,8, & 10 they work just fine in Window 365 as well) to make the most of your office time.

What are your top tech productivity tips?

We all have our ways of making the most of our time.  I would love to hear what yours are!