Google & Images July 27, 2011
Posted by Wendy Wolfe in Google.Tags: Google, Images, Searching
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These are fun. The first, “Guess-the-Google” is a timed game that shows a collection of images and gives the viewer 20 seconds to
accurately guess what search term was entered to get the given results. Enter as many guesses as you are able in the 20 seconds. Fun and, potentially addicting.
The second is called “Montage-a-Google.” This webtool allows the user to create a photo collage from a Google image search. The images are hyperlinked to their sources. Users can download their montage if they like what they see. At left is part of a Congress
montage I created (it is a screenshot of one section). This could be useful to create things like podcast cover art or a customized image in a presentation. A teacher could also use it as a set on the screen, create a montage us
ing a key term from the homework assignment or current unit of study, then, as students enter the classroom, ask the question (like Guess-the-Google), “What term was searched for which gave these results?”
Important to
note, both require flash (sorry, no iPad option at this point)
And we searched March 5, 2011
Posted by Wendy Wolfe in Google, On Teaching, Uncategorized.Tags: Google, Searching
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My students have a habit of typing entire sentences into search engines, even Google (Ask Jeeves would be so proud). With that in mind, I set out
to try to help them learn some tips for searching. I created this initial exercise. Most of the students did a nice job copying the questions into Google and hitting search. Their next task was to complete a reading focusing on the types of searches they were just asked to conduct, and followed up with this exercise which is almost identical to the first but asked them to utilize the search techniques addressed in the reading. Would you like to see the results? Many of them are posted here. I also asked my students to blog about the exercise. One of my students is really getting into blogging, you can read her thoughts about the exercise here.
I think I am going to incorporate an exercise like this into this spring’s classroom technology graduate class I teach for Saint Mary’s. Effective searching can help us all.
Teaching about searching February 23, 2011
Posted by Wendy Wolfe in Google.Tags: Google, Lesson Plans
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Our students do not seem to be very good searchers. I am not sure if it is because they haven’t learned to think in key word terms, think about synonyms, or if they are simply in a hurry. Our school is offering its first technology course in about 6 or maybe 7 years and our tech department has split up the instructing duties. While it is fun to be able to teach to personal strengths and interests, I find myself with a unit now that investigates the many aspects of Google. As our school “made the switch to Google” last spring, it is important for our students to understand the tools at their disposal, so the unit will explore Google docs, Picasa, Sites, Labs, and more, but we are starting with learning about the company of Google and then will move into searching.
I made this little activity for students to explore Google’s company history as an introduction and we will watch parts of CNBC’s Inside the Mind of Google today, but tomorrow I need to find a way to make searching and Google’s cool search features like site: searches and how to exclude key words engaging and memorable. I have found several lesson plans from Google’s resources, but am not yet comfortable with a plan. Any ideas?
A busy first quarter… November 19, 2010
Posted by Wendy Wolfe in Educational Resources, Google.Tags: Google, Google Docs
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So our school is now a “Google school.” It has been a good experience so far. All of our students have their own email now, and according to our recent stats check, just over half of them are using their email accounts daily. Our faculty seems to have taken to the Gmail-format email, and Google docs are permeating the landscape. With few exceptions, things have been smooth for such a broad-scoped endeavor. Our technology class (a new endeavor for our Tech Dept) is blogging, some with greater fervor than others, but several have amazing blogging voices and are truly fun to read. Some students from International Marketing/Business used Google Sites for a hypothetical business project, and one of our English teachers is piloting threaded discussions with his English Classes through Google Groups. Unfortunately I can’t share the discussions as they are private groups, but their teacher is encouraged about the depth of discussion he is seeing, especially with his seniors.
The seniors taking to the threaded discussions is interesting to me as they are (collectively) the class least likely to check their school email accounts (ninth grade is the most likely). Students using the Google Docs has greatly freed our Tech Department to focus on things like training, professional development and strategic planning as opposed to converting files and flash drives that were put through the wash or run over in the parking lot. Refreshing.
We held our first (and successful) training for our staff during lunch last week, addressing some “beyond basics” points on our email and Google Docs. We were pleased with overall attendance. We will be doing a second training in two weeks on iMovie and FLIP cameras (more on that later). I hope that training is well received also.
Busy but good.
