Overview:
How many times have you walked your students through a clear, step-by-step process, only for someone in the back of the classroom to remark,
“Wait, what are we supposed to do?”
I recently discovered the Tango Chrome Extension and it’s a game-changer for teachers or anyone that needs to create quick how-to guides which include clear screenshots which are perfect for your visual learners!
Tango is especially helpful when used to create guides for independent-work activities, stations, centers, or remote-learning assignments. (Click here for more ideas for center-based activities!)
Note: Tango only works on web-based software/sites. If you want to add steps that involve software that’s installed on your computer or other devices, you can add a “manual” step by taking a screenshot of the software and then uploading that to your Tango guide.
Here’s how Tango works…
Step 1: Visit the Chrome Web Store and Install the Extension
The first thing to do is to visit Tango inside the Chrome Web Store.
Read over the Privacy Policy and install the Tango Chrome Extension. This will add that extension to your Google account.
Step 2: Create an Account, Visit a Website & Start the Capture
After you have installed the extension, it may appear in your Chrome browser bar automatically.
If it doesn’t appear, at the top right of your Chrome browser, you can access it by clicking on Extensions (
) and then “Tango.”
Before you can capture a workflow, you’ll need to create a free account inside of Tango (where your work will be saved).
Once you’ve created your account, you’ll create a capture.
To begin your first capture, go to the website you will be using in your guide (in my example, I’m using Youtube to create a guide that shows how to save a Youtube video to “watch later”).
Begin recording steps by clicking the big “Record” button in the Tango extension menu.
Step 3: Perform the Steps One-By-One
After you click, “Record”, a menu pop-up will appear that allows you to pause, complete, or delete a workflow.
What I really love about Tango is that it is not a video recorder. You can move as quickly or as slowly as you need to create your workflow.
Tango will then highlight buttons you click on, captures screenshots, and orders the steps numerically for you.
Once you have completed a process, you’ll just click the green “Complete” button which will take you to a draft of your workflow for polishing and editing.
Step 4: Edit Your Workflow
Once you have completed your workflow, you’ll be sent automatically to the Workflow Editor.
Inside of the Workflow Editor, you can adjust your guide however you’d like.
You can edit the title of your guide, add hyperlinks, rename the steps, and even adjust the captured screenshot by zooming in or out or dragging the image to a different portion of the screen.
On the left portion of the editor, you will see a list of your workflow steps. You can drag-and-drop steps into a different order if needed or delete unnecessary steps.
If there are any steps that require additional screenshots, you can upload images to the editor at this time.
Bonus Tip: Resize Your Window
Once your workflow is complete, you can share your guide!
There are two ways you can share your guide. You can either share a ‘View-Only’ link with your students to paste into an email or virtual classroom, or you can download the guide as a PDF.
How cool is that?
Final Thoughts
Want to learn about some more of my favorite Chrome Extensions? Click HERE to watch the “Super-Useful Chrome Extensions for Music Teachers” webinar and claim your free PD certificate!
Do you have any Chrome extensions that have changed your teaching life? Leave a comment below!
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Looking for More Resources for Music Teachers?
Hello! I’m Katie Argyle – an Australian music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers through my business Midnight Music.
I’m a qualified teacher but no, I don’t currently teach in a school. I help teachers through my online professional development space – the Midnight Music Community – where there are tutorial videos, courses, links and downloadable resources.
I like to focus on easy ways to incorporate technology into what you are already doing in your music curriculum through a range of creative projects. I also run live workshops and have presented at countless conferences and other music education events.
If you want simple, effective ideas for using technology in music education, I would LOVE to help you inside the Midnight Music Community.
