Embed Frequently-Accessed Info on Your Wallpaper

All of the useful things that people do with their real desktops are still useful on your computer’s desktop.  For example, some people use a desk calendar so they can quickly check dates.  Personally, I’m always checking my calendar to plan due dates for student projects or to adjust my unit plans for re-teaching of concepts.  Also, teachers often post the bell schedule on their classroom walls (I also kept a copy taped to my desk), but you’re not always in your classroom.  Something that you use so frequently should really be easily and quickly accessible.

So, why not add the calendar and bell schedule to your computer’s desktop wallpaper?  There are a lot of programs that you can download (desktop widgets) that will embed calendars on your desktop, but they use up computer memory and are often not as customizable as you’d like.  (Of these, I personally like the very customizable Rainmeter)

Let’s make this a lot simpler, though.  Just use an image editor and overlay text on top of your favorite wallpaper with the bell schedule.  Save the file and set it as your background.

For the calendar (which changes every month), you want to be able to update it monthly.  I found this website, Big Huge Labs, that will add a calendar to your image and let you save the resulting image.

After you’ve set the image as your desktop wallpaper, whenever you want to quickly check the calendar or bell schedule, just show your desktop (on Windows, use the keyboard shortcut: Windows-key + D) and there it is!  Here’s my current wallpaper:

My desktop wallpaper on my school computer has the schedule and calendar embedded

Easy Scheduling

You want to collaborate with your fellow teachers, but it’s sometimes a pain in the butt to coordinate a meeting time.  Or maybe you’re trying to decide on when to have that Spring Extravaganza.  Rather than sending 5000 emails back and forth between all of the participants to make the decision (Can everyone meet at this time? No? How about this time? etc.),  Doodle.com makes it easy.  It’s free, and there are no sign-ups.

1. Go to Doodle.com and create a poll for the meeting.
2. Email the poll link to the participants.
3. Participants click on the link, enter their names, and check off which days/times they are available.
4. You pick the best time.

I did this recently to schedule a collaboration meeting with the other Sophomore teachers, and it worked out very well.  As you can see, we picked May 1 for the meeting time.