10/9 Keyboard Shortcuts

A Few Keyboard Shortcuts that'll save you time and your sanity!

  @MrKimDHS/ @LisaBerghoff



I'm currently typing this blog on an immense, mechanical keyboard with RGB lights pulsing with, you guessed it, Halloween colors. If you've ever asked yourself before if you need LED lights under each key that responds to your touch, first of all the answer is yes, and second - please do yourself a favor and go out and buy an RGB keyboard. With Microsoft reporting that the average American worker spends 6.5 to 7 hours a day on a computer, your fingers will thank you for the added luxury. 

Until then, try some of these keyboard shortcuts that will save you precious time, as you work on your computer day after week after month after year. 

Recovering accidentally closed windows/tabs on your internet browser.

Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows)

Shift + Cmd + T (Mac)

If you're like me, at the end of the day you will anywhere between 10 and 20 tabs open on your internet browser. Ever accidentally close the wrong tab? Or close a window and realize too late that you still need it? To recover press the "control" and "shift" button at the same time. Then press "T" as many times as you need to recover your closed tabs. It will recover them in the order that you closed them. On Chrome, this will also work after a full restart of your computer. Ctrl + Shift + T will open all of your tabs before you restarted your computer!

Extending your desktop through a projector

Windows + P (Windows)

...No shortcut for Mac

Showing a movie in class using your laptop, but still want to be able do something on your own screen? Pressing the Windows button and "P" gives you the option of having two screens: one on your laptop, and another on the projector. After extending your screen, click and drag over the window you wish to be shown to the class.

Copy/Pasting without formatting

Control + Shift + V (Windows)

Cmd + Shift + V (Mac)

Ever copy and paste text, only to find that the text you've copied over is a different font, color, size than what you're working on? Copy your text the normal way by pressing "Control + C" or right click to copy. But when you go to past, hold down the "Shift" button and it'll paste the information with the same formatting as your destination text. 

Quickly minimizing your windows

Windows + D (Windows)

Cmd + H (Mac)

As educators, we are privy to sometimes sensitive information on our computers. We have to be careful with e-mails and student grades. If you have something up on the projector, or a student comes up near your laptop, Windows + D will quickly minimize all windows on your screen and will take you to your wallpaper. If you press Windows + D again soon enough, all of your windows will come back up. 

You do not have to memorize all of these shortcuts at once! Write your favorite shortcuts on a sticky note and post it on your desk, and after a few weeks, it'll be like second nature. Have any other awesome keyboard shortcuts to share? Or need any RBG mechanical keyboard suggestions? Post below!