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Technology Tips: Google Toolbar for Firefox

There are many different ways you can configure your web browser Toolbars to optimize your work while surfing the web. All web browsers have Toolbars, but the specific options for configuring them vary from browser to browser. Because Firefox is the best option that works for BOTH Windows AND Macintosh, this Technology Tip is about configuring your Toolbars in Firefox. So, in order to complete this Technology Tip, you will need to have installed the Firefox browser on your computer.

Because there are so many different ways to configure your Toolbars, I am just going to walk through a specific set of steps that you can follow to install a "Dictionary.com button" from Google on your Toolbar, which means that you can highlight a word on any webpage, click the Dictionary.com button, and your browser will go fetch the Dictionary.com article for the word or phrase you have highlighted. Of course, you can use these same techniques to configure your Toolbars in many other ways, too!

STEP ONE: Install Google Toolbar. Install the Google Toolbar for Firefox. In addition to the default Toolbars which come with Firefox, you can install a Google Toolbar to give you better searching and allow you to add many useful Toolbar buttons. (If you want to Uninstall the Google Toolbar later, you can do that from the Tools-AddOn menu in Firefox. To install the Google Toolbar, go to the Google Firefox Toolbar page and follow the instructions there.

I'll just be introducing you to a few of the Goolge Toolbar features, but you can see the whole range of features at the Google Toolbar Features List.

STEP TWO: View Toolbar. After you install the Google Toolbar, you want to make sure you know which of your Toolbars you have visible. So, in Firefox, go to the View-Toolbars menu in Firefox, and check (or uncheck) the Toolbars you want to have visible. Make sure the Google Toolbar is checked as visible.

If you choose Customize, you can configure the Toolbars, dragging and dropping buttons onto the Toolbars, removing buttons, etc. You can also move the Toolbars, dragging them up and down to put the Toolbar you want on top, on bottom, etc. For now, just make sure that the Google Toolbar is checked as visible.

STEP THREE: Add Dictionary.com button. Now you will add the Dictionary.com button to your Google Toolbar. There are all kinds of buttons you can add from Google from the Google Toolbar Button Gallery. You will find the Dictionary.com button on this page of Google Toolbar Reference Buttons.

Click on the "Add to Toolbar" button which appears to the right of the Dictionary.com button description. That should automatically add the button to your Toolbar! Perhaps you will also see some other useful buttons to add. (Hint: The good buttons for the Toolbar are the ones with a little icon in the left column; if you see just a blue ball, and no icon, in the left column, this is a feature better used in iGoogle than on the Google Toolbar.) The icon for the Dictionary.com button is a small blue dictionary.

After you have added the button, you can highlight a word on a webpage, click on the Dictionary.com button, and view the definition of the word. Here's another tip: to go back to the webpage you were viewing, just hit the Backspace key. (Firefox has LOTS of great keyboard shortcuts like that: Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts.)

STEP FOUR: Customize Toolbars (optional). If you want to move the button to a different location on the Toolbar, go to the View-Toolbars-Customize menu option in Firefox (see screenshot in Step Two), and drag and drop the buttons and other Toolbar features in whatever order you want!

STEP FIVE: Send screenshot. You need to take a screenshot of your Firefox browser screen showing your Toolbars, with the Dictionary.com button visible. Here's a screenshot of my Toolbars; you can see the Dictionary.com button icon on the second row towards the left.

Send the screenshot to me via email. Here are the instructions for taking a screenshot. It should look something like the screenshot image shown above, but showing the full screen - there is no need to crop it to just show the Toolbars. Just make sure the Toolbar with the Dictionary.com button is visible.

If you are in the Myth-Folklore class, use the Subject Line Myth-Folklore Google Toolbar; if you are in Indian Epics, Indian Epics Google Toolbar; or for World Literature, World Lit Google Toolbar.

After you have sent me the email, you are done with the assignment! When you have sent in the email, you can do the Gradebook Declaration for Extra Credit.