You will learn about Chrome extensions. The Google Chrome browser allows users to install browser extensions. What's a browser extension? It is a small piece of software that layers additional functionality onto the Chrome browser. Chrome can perform many tasks as it is, but extensions give it extra capabilities. Some extensions improve the browsing experience by reading text aloud, like ReadMe does; others facilitate new tasks, like screen sharing for your Promethean panel. Extensions can be located through the Chrome Web Store.

Let's see how simple it is to locate and install extensions within the Google Chrome browser. I can navigate to the upper right corner, near my icon, and select the vertical ellipsis. From that menu, I can see extensions listed here. If I want to add extensions to my browser, I'll visit the Chrome Web Store. Knox County has some suggested tools that can be layered onto your Chrome browser. There may be others, however, that you would like to seek out.

If I would like to add a translation tool to my Chrome browser, I would first go to the Learn Platform to see what translation tools have been approved. From there, I can find out that Google Translate is a tool approved by the Knox County Schools. When I search for it, it appears at the top of my list. I'll click it, and now I have the option to add it to Chrome. I'll be asked to give some permissions in order for the extension to install properly, and now Google Translate has been added to Chrome.

To see all of the extensions I've added to my Chrome browser, I can click my puzzle piece in the upper right corner and see an alphabetical list of the extensions I've added. If I want to pin an extension to my Chrome interface so that I can get to it handily, I would simply select the push pin near the extension, and now it will reside very visibly in my Chrome browser.

In Knox County, staff and students may have different levels of access to some extensions. Staff may have permission to install extensions that students cannot install. When an extension has a "blocked by admin" tag instead of an install button, you'll know that the extension is not available to the user who is attempting to install it. If you have extensions that you would like to delete from your Chrome browser, simply open your extensions menu, locate the extension, hover over the vertical ellipsis, click there, and simply remove it from Chrome.

Explore Chrome extensions in the Chrome Web Store to enhance your browser's capabilities!