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Sam: This is Pedagogy Now!: the student-run podcast about helping students succeed in the classroom.

Ming Ming: Hello, and welcome to the pilot episode of a mini-tech review. I'm MingMing, your host for today's podcast. Well then, shall we just jump right into it? 

Ming Ming: The first one I want to talk about is Time Warp. It's a free chrome extension and according to Google, it is possible to put chrome extensions on other browsers…but why? You put in the websites that you want to limit yourself from (so like YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter.com, etc.). There are three different kinds of ways to remind you to stay off of distracting websites: the Redirect option makes it so that whenever you try to go to the website, Time Warp will automatically redirect you to another one that you've specified beforehand. So for example, it can redirect you from Facebook to your Google calendar. The second option is a Quote, so whenever you try to go to a website with the Time Warp code option, a blank page with the quote will come up instead. So I use this for Twitter to remind myself that if I wanted to hear other people's opinions, I should probably go to class. The third option is a Timer, so you can have it such that a little timer will show up on the page constantly keeping track of how much closer you are to dropping out, or you can have a countdown timer that will bring you to the Redirect or Quote option when the time runs out so you can give yourself 10 minutes to mess around on forkknife.com (or whatever it is the kids are into these days…am I right?)

Ming Ming: The second productivity tool I use is a Kanban board. It's pretty much a to-do list on steroids. So it splits things up into three categories: things to do, things you're doing, and things you're done with. I then further split up the to-do category into cold, warm, and hot to make sure I put high-priority items first. I personally use a Google spreadsheet, but Trello is an excellent option too. Trello is a list-managing application that lets you customize each item with pictures, bullet lists, due dates, other people's comments, and more. My workplace, ASSETT, uses Trello, and it is a really helpful tool for staying organized and seeing where everyone's projects are coming along. I recommend trello for collaborative work as everyone's actions are logged down—it's a little bit harder to find out who deleted your memes on a Google sheet. Either way, both programs help set up a Kanban board, which is personally one of the best ways to stay organized.

Ming Ming: The last tool is Forest. It's a cute app with a clean user interface for breaking phone addiction. You set a timer for how long you want to work and as the timer ticks down, a little seed will sprout and grow into a tree. If you give in and open another app while your timer is still active, then your tree will die. If you hold out for the entire time, then the app rewards you with some coins to spend on a new tree animation or whatever. Forest will occasionally show ads, which is a bit of a downer but understandable. And if someone calls you during a countdown timer session, your tree will not be affected, so don't let Forest hold you back from explaining your GPA to your parents. The full ad-free version costs two dollars and can let you collaborate with your friends such that if anyone messes up, everyone's tree dies. You can also spend your coins to have the organization plant a real tree in sub-saharan Africa. That's pretty nifty! There is a Chrome extension version where if you visit a blacklisted site then your tree will die, but otherwise it is the same as Time Warp. It's a nice little productivity app for preventing you from checking Instagram every five minutes.

Ming Ming: So to recap, we discussed the Time Warp extension for blocking distracting websites, making a Kanban board using a spreadsheet or Trello for staying organized, and the Forest app for breaking phone addiction. If you are interested in any of these, you can check out the links and pictures in the show notes. Please let us know your thoughts and if you use any other tools. I'm MingMing, and thanks for tuning into the podcast! Bye.

Sam: Hey, this is Sam. I hope you enjoyed the episode. Pedagogy Now! is a student-run podcast produced at the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder by the Student Technology Consultants. We're part of a group called ASSETT. That's a-s-s-e-t-t, and it stands for Arts and Sciences Support of Education Through Technology. ASSETT integrates technology with pedagogy to promote impactful learning. If you have any comments, suggestions, or topics that you'd like to hear on the podcast, you can reach us at ASSETT—again that's a-s-s-e-t-t—at colorado.edu. And finally, if you enjoy the podcast, please rate us and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts! This will make it easier for others to find the show and to help us grow our community. Remember, we put the “student” in “student success.”