I have two Google accounts — a personal one and one for work.
You probably do, too.
Don’t you hate switching back and forth? It’s not pleasant.
No matter how much Google says it is making it easier to manage multiple accounts, I still find it bothersome. That’s why I’m happy I came across a recent tip from teacher Kevin Brookhouser, who suggests using a lesser-known aspect of the Google Chrome browser: the sign-in feature.
This is how it works: You open Chrome, click on the settings wrench, sign in with your Google account, and then you’re able to create different user profiles. You can name them and select different icons to represent each user. All you need to do to switch between profiles is to click the icon at the top of your screen. That’s it. It’s easy.
Better yet, you can have different bookmarks and extensions on each profile. For me, that means that I can keep personal and work-related websites separate, which increases my productivity. I’m no longer as distracted. When I’m on my work profile, I’m doing work, and when I’m on my personal one, I’m enjoying.
Check out Mr. Brookhouser’s quick and clear explanation. It’s about three minutes:
See how easy? It’s quick to set up, and I think you’ll appreciate the clarity it’ll bring to your workflow. I’m very interested in decreasing multi-tasking and distraction, so I’m thankful I found this tip.
(Yes, this feature works only on Google Chrome. And don’t use it on a shared computer.)
Please let me know if you try it and whether it works for you.
This sounds really cool, except it seems that my school isn’t using the *latest* version of Google Apps, so I can’t sign in with my school Google Apps account.
🙁
Really? That’s really weird. Do you mean that you can’t sign it at all, or you can’t sign in as the first user when you open up your Chrome browser? (I didn’t know that there were different versions of Google Apps.) Keep me updated! Thanks, Laura!
Oh wait! So it wouldn’t let me sign on, and when I googled for info about signing on using a Google Apps account, Google’s page said to make sure I was using the latest version of Google Apps. But then your comment made me go and check. And it turns out I just forgot what my new name is (and hence what my new address is). Problem fixed – tada!
Great job, Laura. I’m happy that you were successful. Today I’m doing more work because I’m less distracted by all my Google extensions and personal bookmarks.
Hmmm. I’m on my mom’s laptop right now. Should I not try this until I get on my computer? I’ll figure it out. If I don’t I’ll write back. Thanks for the tip. I was tired of signing in and out of gmails.
I’m really getting a lot of mileage out of my website. I’m really excited and continuing to develop ideas.
My new school is really amazing. It’s what I wish all schools could be. Respectful kids who want to learn, supportive team oriented faculty, a genuine desire to help kids be their best selves. Sports are considered co-curricular and not extra-curricular. It’s an ideal place. But, alas, it costs $19,600 per year. Ugh. (Unless you qualify for financial aide using the FAFSA.)
I’m really enjoying my teaching. It’s a welcome change of pace.
Chris
Hey Chris, it’s OK to try it on other computers. You just have to make sure you sign out or else others can get on your user profile (and make changes).
I’m happy to hear that you like your new placement. It’s good to get a different perspective. That’s partly why, after 15 years in the classroom, I made my move this year. I look forward to hearing more updates from you.