My friend Pam (shout out PAMIP!) told me yesterday that I "must have more hours available in [my] day... That or [I] don't sleep". And, while one of those statements is true (I don't get as much sleep as I should), I try to maximize my time awake. Here's one of those tricks to maximize my time...
One of the nerdy things I like to do during my prep period (or grading, or TOSA time) is to listen to podcasts while I work. For those that are able to juggle two stimuli at the same time-- this is for you! Sometimes, I need pure silence (or music without words) while working but in the times that I am able to entertain two mediums, I like to listen to edtech podcasts while working. I find that I can open another tab, click on whatever the subject matter is and play a little in the new material. This keeps me updated on all things tech while I am assembling a presentation, planning, or grading a few papers... Just a tip to maximize your time!
Some of my favorite podcasts for keeping up to date with Google add-ons:
Google Teacher Tribe with Matt Miller (Ditch That Textbook!) and Kasey Bell (Shake-Up Learning).
TOSAs Talking Tech - Tim Covington and Michael Jephcott, great for TOSAs in Technology (also can search categories)
Instructional Tech Talk - Jeff Herb makes access to technology simple for both teachers and administrators. Pretty cool stuff, hoping he posts more soon!