If This Then That... (IFTTT)

If you're like me then you always come up with a bright idea right when it's needed most and wish you had the foresight to put something in place ahead of time. If you haven't checked out IFTTT.com yet then you are doing your productivity a disservice. If This Then That is a web tool that allows you create "Recipes" for a multitude of processes including web services, apps, android and iOS notifications, and email. I was introduced to this tool from James Sanders when he was presenting a GAFE session on how to create problem-based learning for students. 

Countless numbers of recipes can be created when you sign-up for an account with IFTTT.com and then let the fun begin. On the site they are divided into DO and IF recipes. DO recipes let you create a process you control like quickly adding events into your calendar. IF recipes let you create processes that run in the background like automatically saving Instagram posts into a dropbox folder. The site provides an easy search function as well as galleries and channels containing hundreds of suggested recipes you could spend all day browsing. Once you get the hang of the process you can even start to create your own recipes that are tailored specifically to your exact needs.

One recipe that I use all the time is creating an email alert when iOS or Android educational apps go on sale or become free. One thing I think all educators are looking for is great, FREE tools to help them and their students. It's so convenient to have a daily digest sent right to my inbox and then be able to vet the app and share it out with other educators. 

Recipes can be made to retrieve photos or information on NASA activities, you can collect and read current event headlines from NPR, even keep track of the U.S House and Senate voting record. This list goes on and on and they are adding new ones all the time.

Do yourself a favor, create an IFTTT account and start finding amazing recipes to make your personal and professional life more automated, organized, and productive.

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