Mac OS X Tips for Your Classroom

Several weeks ago, I attended an event at Apple that included a demonstration of several features built into OS X, the operating system that runs Mac laptops and desktop computers. Although the presentation was about the Mac's "Accessibility" features, I found many of these features to be useful for any teacher, student, or staff member.

You will find eight of my favorite features below:

Add to iTunes as Spoken Track
Create an iTunes audio track of selected text.

• Open a document
• Services > Add to iTunes as Spoken Track

Favorites Bar in Safari
Access websites quickly.

• Click the web address in the address bar
• Add items: click the favicon and drag to the Favorites Bar
• Delete items: click the shortcut and drag from the Favorites Bar
• Edit items: click and hold on the Favorites Bar

Summarize Text
Highlight text and summarize it.

• Apple > Systems Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts
• Select Services (left column)
• Click the checkbox for Summarize (under Text)
• Close System Preferences
• Open a document
• Select text (highlight it)
• Application menu > Services > Summarize

Dictionary
Look up a word in a dictionary.

• Open a document
• Highlight a word
• control+command+d

Help with Spelling
Get spelling suggestions for a word.

• Open a document
• Type a few letters of a word
• Press the esc key

Take Screen Captures
Take a picture of all or part of a screen.

• shift+command+3 (takes a picture of the entire screen)
• shift+command+4 then drag a rectangle on the screen (takes a picture of a part of the screen)
• Images appear on the Desktop

Make Screen Video Recordings
Take a video of all or part of a screen.

• Launch QuickTime Player (in the Applications folder)
• File > New Screen Recording
• (Use the down arrow next to the red record button to select microphone)
• Press the red record button
• (Follow the on-screen directions)
• Stop the recording by clicking the stop button in the menu bar toward the right

Reader View
Remove distractions from web pages in Safari.

• Visit a webpage
• Click the tool below that looks like stacked horizontal lines (appears only when available):