There are many times that we come across tips, tools and resources that we simply want to share with others. I find myself in exactly that position and thought the best way to do so was through a short blog post.
Accessing Unread Messages in Gmail: Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you’d leave that email message for later? Over the last year or so, I have been doing that. And I know that many of you are thinking, “What’s wrong with her?” I know! Anyway all of a sudden or not so sudden, I find myself with over 300 unread messages spread out over 18 months.
I was in a mellow mood so I was going page-by-page in Gmail trying to find these unread messages. It struck me that there had to be a better way of doing that so I did a search on Google and found out that all I had to do was type in is:unread in the search box in Gmail and voila you have all your unread messages together so you can easily go through them. It also shows the unread messages you filed away in folders that you may have forgotten about.
Google Lit Trips: I have mentioned that I plan to have the first Virtual Literary Tour Around the World. As I have been preparing for the tour, and wondering how I can make it more interesting, I discovered Google Lit Trips. The premise behind Google Lit Trips is to make reading literature more interesting by mapping the travels of the characters in a story. I do not plan to use Google Lit Trips the way it was intended, but instead use it to map the countries where the authors are from.
How can you use Google Lit Trips? At the site, you can check out Lit Trips for stories like The Grapes of Wrath
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Speed Reading Apps: In another blog post, I wrote about my new Android powered phone. I have been experimenting with it, and learning how to use it productively. Although I read faster than the average person, I need to read faster if I’d like to read all the books I have chosen for my Virtual Literary Tour Around the World. I came across Speed Reading, an app for Android, and have been using it for a few days now, and I really like it. One drawback is that they use only a couple of chapters from a book and leave you thirsty for more. The average person wants to know how a story ends.
The reviews for the app have been really good ,but the app loses points for the drawback that I mention. The reviews also say that you can see a difference in your reading speed in two weeks. I have been using the app for only four days. I’ll let you know more after I’ve had more time to work with it. If you have a smartphone, this is a great way to increase your reading speed while waiting in lined.
One Book, One Day, For 30 Days Challenge: Iris Reading, the speed reading guys are hosting this challenge. Their intent is to get you reading faster at the end of 30 days. They have done five days already, and I had already read four of the five books prior to the challenge, but am still participating. When speed reading, a big part is to read more than one word at a time. The pace of reading for the challenge is 500 words per minute, reading three words at a time.
I’ve found that I’m inconsistent reading more than one word at a time, so for the challenge, although I have read most of the books so far, it’s great practice for me to see three words at a time. I take off my glasses and watch the words on the screen. This takes the pressure off me trying to read a word at a time out of the three words. The words are a bit blurry, but I’m very relaxed and in the Alpha state, which is where you want to be when you want to learn and remember things. For me, I think it’s a great way to develop the habit of reading several words at a time.
What tips, tools and resources can you share with us?
BrainRead – Effective Speed Reading – Reading like the Swedish
Speed Reading with the Right Brain: Learn to Read Ideas Instead of Just WordsSpeed Reading: Double Your Reading Speed in a Day. Memory – Comprehend – Study – LearnUnlimited Speed Reading: Accelerate Reading, Comprehend better, Enhance VocabularyLEARNING: How to Learn Faster, Become a Genius And Have Unlimited Memory with Real Learning Techniques (Accelerated Learning – Brain Training – Memory … – Study Skills) (GENIUS INTELLIGENCE)New Age Learning and Reading Skills
