Stop using email signatures

Stop Using Image-Based Email Signatures

Dale Leave a comment

I’ve noticed a growing trend of image-based email signatures created using templates from places like Canva. These images include contact information, social media links, and logos all wrapped up in what looks like an attempt at an aesthetically pleasing package. I think it is overkill. While they might look impressive at first glance, they create more problems than they solve.

Accessibility Nightmare
The biggest issue with image-based signatures is accessibility. When you embed contact information in an image, you’re essentially locking that information away from anyone using a screen reader. Phone numbers can’t be clicked to dial. Email addresses can’t be copied and pasted. Even if you’re not using assistive technology, trying to transcribe contact details from an image is unnecessarily frustrating.

Mobile Misery
Remember the last time you were on a slow mobile connection? Those signature images either take forever to load or don’t load at all. Without proper alt text (which most people forget to add), your contact information simply disappears.

Storage Bloat
Email chains with image signatures become bloated quickly. Each reply adds another copy of the signature image to the email. I recently saw an email thread where the actual message content was less than 1KB, but the chain had grown to over 5MB because of repeated signature images. This isn’t just wasteful – it can actually prevent emails from being sent when they hit size limits.

The Template Trap
Those Canva templates might look professional, but they’re creating a sea of sameness in our inboxes. Everyone’s signature looks like it came from the same cookie cutter. Worse, many of these templates prioritize style over substance, using fancy fonts and graphics that can break in different email clients.

A Better Way
Instead of image-based signatures, here’s what works better:

  • Use plain text for all contact information
  • Keep formatting simple and consistent
  • If you must include a logo, make it small and optimize it properly
  • Use HTML to make phone numbers clickable on mobile
  • Ensure all information is accessible to screen readers

The most professional email signature is one that works for everyone, every time. It doesn’t need to be flashy – it needs to be functional. When someone needs to reach you, they shouldn’t have to wait for images to load or struggle to copy your phone number.

Our inboxes are cluttered enough without adding unnecessary images to every message. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways: plain text, properly formatted, gets the job done every time.

Three Things I Wish Google Would Copy From PowerPoint

Dale

As a longtime user of both Google Slides and PowerPoint, there are some key features in Microsoft’s presentation software that I really wish Google would add to Slides.

Wipe Animation – This is the one I miss the most! I used this animation extensively when I taught physics because vectors, diagrams, and graphs are a core part of the subject. With the wipe animation in PowerPoint, you can make objects look like they are being drawn on the screen. This creates a fluid, natural motion like you’re illustrating on a whiteboard. It allowed me to break down concepts step-by-step, revealing each part of a diagram or graph sequentially.

PowerPoint: Use the WIPE animation to draw objects on the screen

Add Sections – Another useful feature in PowerPoint that I wish Google Slides would adopt is the ability to divide a presentation into sections. PowerPoint allows you to break up your slides into logical subgroups by using the Add Section option. This provides a clear visual outline of your presentation flow. You can collapse and expand the sections to get a high-level view or quickly navigate to a particular part. The section feature helps organize complex presentations with many slides. Without sections, long presentations in Google Slides just turn into an endless grid of thumbnails that are difficult to manage. The section functionality is a real time-saver and keeps things tidy even in lengthy presentations.

PowerPoint: Add Sections

Timing Controls – PowerPoint also provides superior timing controls over Google Slides. In Slides, you can only adjust the animation and transition duration using a slider, making it hard to precisely review or enter times.

Why does Google Slides hide the duration?

PowerPoint lets you directly type in a custom duration and even add delays before animations and transitions begin. Another limitation in Slides is the maximum 5 second duration for animations and transitions. PowerPoint has no limits – you can add any duration. This is helpful for creating countdown timers that can run for minutes while your audience is completing an activity. Google Slides unfortunately lags behind in enabling such fine-tuned timing editing and flexibility.

PowerPoint: Easily review and enter times

While Google Slides offers simplicity, I think its shortcomings have limited our presentations. Without the robust controls and capabilities present in PowerPoint, more and more Google Slides presentations are becoming static pages that deprive presenters the opportunity to ease an audience toward an idea or to tell a story. I hope Google Slides adds more presentation-centric features soon. If it doesn’t, our Google Slides are slipping closer and closer to resembling PDFs.

Three Wish Men carrying AI logos

3 (not so) wise AI chatbots stumble on the 12 days of Christmas

Dale

Over the winter break, we watched Candy Cane Lane starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy was unexpectedly more serious in this movie while sillier characters swirled around him. Tracee Ellis Ross, known for her role as Rainbow Johnson in Black-ish, essentially reuses her familiar character as Eddie Murphy’s wife. The movie unfolds around a neighborhood where a spirited competition for the best holiday decorations takes center stage. Soon the movie jumps to a bit of Gremlins meets Jumanji meets The Twelve Days of Christmas. All these themes get a little messy. For me, this made Candy Cane Lane just an okay movie. I don’t think I’d ever re-watch it.

However, there is a scene in the movie that presents a math problem based on The Twelve Days of Christmas. This math problem kept me thinking about the movie more than anything else!

The question boils down to this:

In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas 5 golden rings are received on the fifth day. Write an equation where y equals the total number of golden rings that are received at the end of the song. Use x to represent the number of golden rings received on a single day.

That was the prompt, along with several other iterations, that I gave ChatGPT, Claude and Bard. All three of these AI chatbots had difficult with the problem. They gave me totals of 5, 78 and 75 respectively.

SPOILER ALERT: They figure out in the movie that it is 40 golden rings.

Since I do all my algebra in spreadsheet, I set this up to solve the problem for any of the gifts:


Cell C2 is:

=(12-(A2-1))*A2

I SO wish spreadsheets were part of more math classes.

In math class, this would be:

y = [12-(x-1)]x

That was good enough for me to get the answer but my mother-in-law is a retired HS math teacher and visiting for Christmas, so we HAD to reduce it:

y = -x2 + 13x

Hey! This looks like something we can graph!

While the AI chatbots couldn’t deliver the equation I was looking for, one did help me along the way. I made Claude spit out the list of gifts for the drop down in cell B2. Claude also gave me the formula for cell A2 so it would change according to what was in B2:

=IF(B2="partridge in a pear tree",1,IF(B2="turtle doves",2,IF(B2="french hens",3,IF(B2="calling birds",4,IF(B2="golden rings",5,IF(B2="geese a-laying",6,IF(B2="swans a-swimming",7,IF(B2="maids a-milking",8,IF(B2="ladies dancing",9,IF(B2="lords a-leaping",10,IF(B2="pipers piping",11,IF(B2="drummers drumming",12))))))))))))

There is no way I wanted to type all that on my own.

As a matter of fact, I asked Claude “How many total of each gift were given after this?” and gave it the lines of The Twelve Days of Christmas. It delivered a table of correct answers.

So, out of the three wise AI chatbots I tested for this task, Claude brought the gold!

Rimac vs. Porsche

This Video is a Physics Teacher’s Delight!

Dale

Marques Brownlee’s new video featuring the Rimac Nevera and its impressive acceleration has surely caught the attention of car enthusiasts and physics teachers alike.

The quad motor all-electric supercar’s outstanding performance is particularly evident when it goes head-to-head in a drag race against the Porsche 911 Turbo S, even giving the Porsche a two-second head start and still emerging victorious in the quarter mile race.

The inclusion of a beautiful aerial shot (at 4:36) of the drag race adds an extra layer of excitement and makes the video even more appealing for analysis with video tracking software like Tracker.

Rimac vs. Porsche

This footage provides physics teachers with an excellent opportunity to delve into a full analysis of the race. (Does Rhett Allain have a bat signal?) It will be fascinating to see the analysis unfold and discover the insights that can be gleaned from studying the position data of both cars. Overall, it’s an exhilarating video that combines high-speed action with a potential educational angle for those interested in physics and car performance!

script to Forms

Import AI generated questions to Google Forms

Dale

As someone who frequently conducts surveys to gather insights and feedback from teachers, I found myself facing the tedious task of manually entering survey questions into Google Forms. I knew there had to be a more efficient way, so I turned to ChatGPT for help.

If you give it some parameters, ChatGPT is good at generating survey questions. I decided to see if I could take it one step further and train it to generate questions in a defined format. Once I got ChatGPT to give me the format I wanted, I asked it to name this the “Baslery” format so I could use it for future question generation.

"Baslery" format
“Baslery” format

To use this format in your own ChatGPT account, I have shared my chat so you can continue the conversation and generate your own questions that are pre-formatted for the next step.

With my question format in place, I worked on a script that imports survey questions from a Google Doc into Google Forms.

Script imports questions from Google Docs into Google Forms

The script takes advantage of my pre-formatted questions that I pasted into Google Docs and parses the data so it can be imported into Google Forms.

To use the script, follow these steps:

  1. Use this template to get your own copy of the Google Doc.
  2. Add your own questions to the doc (use my format)
  3. Click the Extensions -> App Scripts menu item.
  4. Click the Run button.
  5. Follow the steps to authorize the app starting with selecting your account.

After the script is run, you can find a link to the new Google Form in the Execution log or just go to Recent in Google Drive.

There are a couple of caveats when using this script:

  1. The script only works for multiple choice questions.
  2. Double-check your questions before running the script to make sure each one is formatted correctly.
  3. Watch out for True/False questions. ChatGPT likes to forget to list “true” and “false” as options.

Happy surveying!

    Cells to Slides

    Script copies data from Sheets to titles in Slides

    Dale

    A few times each year, I need a Google Slides presentation where every student in a class has their name set as the title of each slide. This is usually done so we can share the presentation with the class, and each student can contribute to their respective slide.

    I always have the list of student names in Google Sheets, so why not automate the slide creation!

    After an exchange with ChatGPT, I settled on the following script to get the job done:

    To use the script, follow these steps:

    1. Use this template to get your own copy of the spreadsheet.
    2. Change the data in column A to your own or use the example class list.
      (Note: A1 is the header. It will not be copied to a slide.)
    3. Click the Extensions -> App Scripts menu item.
    4. Click the Run button.
    5. Follow the steps to authorize the app starting with selecting your account.
    • Click “Review permissions” button.
    • Choose an account.
    • Click the “Advanced” link.
    • Click “Go to CellsToSlides (unsafe)” link.
    • Click the “Allow” button.

    After I made this script, I had an exciting realization! It became clear to me that its potential goes far beyond just class lists. This script can be utilized for ANY type of presentation!

    More Random Class List Tools Created with AI

    Dale

    Earlier this year, with the assistance of ChatGPT, I created a Random Name Picker using HTML and CSS.

    Now, I know that random name pickers are nothing novel. I actually created my name picker after seeing another teacher share the name picker at www.flippity.net. To be fair, I still like the one at Flippity better (its got a spinner!) but by creation was more about seeing what I could learning using ChatGPT.

    To continue exploring the possibilities, I made two new randomizers with the help of ChatGPT.

    Pick Canvas User

    The first one is a handy bookmarklet designed specifically for people who use Canvas for their Learning Management System. It works when you’re at the “People” section of Canvas. Click the bookmarklet to run the script and it will randomly select the first name of a student and display it in an alert box.

    Here was my exchange with ChatGPT and below is the code I used for the final product:

    javascript:(function() {  var elements = document.getElementsByClassName("roster_user_name student_context_card_trigger");  var firstWords = [];  for (var i = 0; i < elements.length; i++) {    firstWords.push(elements[i].innerText.split(/\s+/)[0]);  }  var randomFirstWord = firstWords[Math.floor(Math.random() * firstWords.length)];  alert("Random Name: " + randomFirstWord);})()

    To install this bookmarklet, follow these steps:

    1. Start by creating a new bookmark in your browser.
    2. Give the bookmark any name you’d like. I used “Pick Canvas User” for mine.
    3. Paste the code listed above into the URL or “Location” field of the bookmark.

    With this tool, you can effortlessly select a random name from your student roster, making the process of choosing an individual for a specific task or participation seamless and fair.

    Create Random Groups

    The second tool is a Random Student Grouping page that simplifies the task of distributing students into groups. (Again, Flippity can do this too, but I had fun making my own.) By simply entering a list of students and specifying the desired number of groups, this tool randomly organizes them, ensuring each group is balanced and unbiased.

    Give it a try.

    Okay, that’s enough random AI tinkering for now but here is one last thing I thought I’d share.

    A few days ago, I was testing out Bard’s new image upload feature. The screenshot of my Random Student Grouping page was sitting on my desktop so I thought I’d give it a try and ask Bard to describe it.

    Below is what I got:

    Whoa!

    The Hunt for a Sticky Notes Generator

    Dale

    I’ve been searching for a simple way to transform spreadsheet cells into digital sticky notes that I can drag and sort. While the search for an add-on or tool that accomplishes this proved challenging, I discovered a workaround with the help of ChatGPT.

    My quest began with a bunch of internet searching. This feels like one of those tools that should already exist so I was hoping to find an Excel or Google Sheets add-on that could automatically generate sticky notes in Microsoft Whiteboard or Jamboard.

    Despite my efforts, I couldn’t find the perfect fit. Disappointed but undeterred, I turned to AI chat bots for assistance. I tried to work with Google’s Bard but it kept hallucinating and suggesting tools that didn’t exist.

    ALL LIES!!

    ChatGPT couldn’t help me find exactly what I was looking for but it did provide something that comes closer to the results I am seeking.

    With ChatGPT’s help, I developed an HTML form that allows me to paste lines of text and instantly transforms them into draggable sticky notes. You can give it a try for yourself.

    While the HTML form is a step in the right direction, I’m aware that it’s not the perfect solution. I am still on the lookout for a seamless integration between spreadsheets and digital sticky notes within existing whiteboard software. If you have any knowledge or insights about a true text-to-whiteboard sticky note tool, I’d greatly appreciate your input.

    The Decay Rate of Gift Cards

    Dale

    After staring at some gift cards that we received back in December, I started thinking about their decay rate.

    If you didn’t know, many gift cards can charge an inactivity (or dormancy) fee if they are not used within 12 months of activation. The 12 months waiting period is actually the result of a federal law, and some states have additional rules that protect the consumer. For example, some states do not allow inactivity fees while other states require the cards to have an activation or expiration date printed on the card.

    In my state (Wisconsin), we only have the federal laws to rely on. So, if you wait too long, then that $10 card for Kwik Trip can disappear. This is also something to consider when giving gift cards — don’t buy them too early or re-gift an old one from the drawer.

    To better appreciate the impact of gift card decay, I made a spreadsheet that illustrates the loss for a variety of gift card values. I set up the spreadsheet in Google Sheets using two functions that I’ve never worked with before: ceiling() and ArrayFormula(). These two functions allowed me to limit the displayed rows based on the gift card’s initial value.

    You can get a copy of this sheet if you’d like to explore these functions for yourself.

    Trading Cards Template in Google Slides

    Dale

    I’ve used different trading cards with students for many years. Famous physicist, astronomers, and even Springfield residents from a deck of Simpsons cards were all in rotation at one point.

    galileo_card | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Usually, I would shuffle the cards and pass them out as an easy way to create groups.

    “All the Galileo cards please go to lab table three.”

    Earlier this month, I stumbled upon an article in an email from PBS titled, Ten Black Scientists that Science Teachers Should Know About. I thought these would make great trading cards.

    After a little searching, I found several great looking trading card templates from John R. Sowash. (He’s got some great stuff; you should check it out.)

    I used John’s Google Slides template and the information from the PBS post to make my new trading cards. For my cards, I’ve added the option to place content on the back. I used the back for a QR code that takes you a short video for each person.

    To get the front and back of the cards to match up, you need to tinker with the printer options and the order of the slides a bit. Below is a video I made that explains it all.

    I gave the new trading cards to my neighbor – she’s a forth grader. She has read through all the cards, scanned the QR codes to watch the videos, and now taken them to school to share with her class. Mission accomplished!

    Use my template to make your own trading cards.