Could Your Students be Smarter Searchers?

It's about that time of year when students are researching various topics for projects that will be shared in digital portfolios and displayed at Open House. When it comes to searching for information, do you teach your students techniques for getting better results?

Check out this meme:

If you've ever found yourself on page 8 of a search, then you know there must be a better way. 

Do you still have students that type full questions into the search box? If so, that's a red flag letting you know that they probably have never been taught how to search. Kids love shortcuts, so let's start teaching them that there is an easier way! As teachers, it's our responsibility to make sure that they learn search strategies that will make them more effective and efficient. Open the Smarter Searching Slides to start learning simple, time-saving tips! You may make a copy of the slides and modify them according to your students' interests. For more ready-to-go Search lessons, visit the Google Search Education website. Happy Searching!

Here's a quick list of Search resources:

• Smarter Searching Slides
• Search Tips and Tricks YouTube playlist by Google Help
• USD Digital Citizenship Lessons
• Google Search Education

Go on a Google Map HyperDoc Adventure

Meia (2nd Grade): "I can control the world!"

Introducing Google Maps to Students

If you've never used Google Maps in your classroom, now's a great time to start! I have created an easy lesson to get students excited about using Maps.

A quick intro activity includes 3 challenges that help give students the basic map skills that they need for success as they explore on their own. Take a look at the Google Maps Introduction. If you would like to use it with your students, feel free to make a copy and modify it in any way the you see fit for your class.

HyperDoc Adventures

After students learn the basics, they are ready to start exploring on their own using the Google Map Adventures HyperDoc! Knowing that Google had some incredible Street View expeditions, I had a feeling that I could find some related inspirational videos. Sure enough, the Google Maps YouTube Channel was exactly what I was searching for! I used ViewPure to take out the distractions of related videos. Trust me, you will want to Purify your video because inappropriate videos about Google Maps are likely to appear on the page.

I created this lesson for 2nd grade students, so I had them share their observations on a Padlet. Students were encouraged to do their best guess spelling and in the end, every student participated. Click here if you would like to see what the 2nd graders came up with.

Modification for Older Students

If I were to do the lesson with older students, I would have had them submit their information into a Google Form. After all of the students complete the survey, you can import that data directly into Google My Maps. If you would like to know how to do that, I created 2 quick video tutorials:

• Creating a Google Form to Record Observations
• Importing Data into Google My Maps

Sample Google Map Adventure HyperDoc with Google Form.

Google Cardboard Option

All tours created in Google Street View can also be found in the Google Street View mobile device app (Android/iOS) and can be used with Google Cardboard. Even if you only have 1 or 2 mobile devices with Cardboard, students could take turns experiencing the virtual reality while the rest of the class works from the HyperDoc. Google Cardboard can be found and purchased on Amazon.

Share your Google Map Ideas

This is just one Google Maps introduction lesson and once students are excited about exploring the world, the possibilities are endless. If you have any Google Map ideas, lessons, HyperDocs, or resources that you would like to share, please share on the Google Maps Padlet.

Created with Padlet

If you have any questions, or would like any help implementing this lesson, please email me,

Looking for LOVE? A fun, creative, tech photo project for Valentine's Day

 

As Valentine's Day approaches, you may be looking for a cool project you can do with your students to keep you all motivated until vacation starts. Here's an idea that combines technology, creativity, collaboration, and higher order thinking skills. It will give your kids the opportunity to enjoy the unusually warm February weather and sunshine while engaging in a fun Valentine's Day holiday activity.

This is the "Looking for LOVE" photography collage project. It is fun and easy enough that you can get it done on Friday afternoon, and it doesn't even cause cavities.  You can have them do it individually, collaboratively with Buddies, or in small groups if you are short on iPads or Chromebooks.

Here is how you do it:

Feel free to use this Google Presentation to post in Google Classroom or make a copy to modify for your particular class. If you would like some help with this project, email Nicole Dalesio or any of the ToSAs, and we will come out to help you.

We would LOVE to see the creative collages your students make. Please share them on this collaborative Google Photos LOVE collage album and or tweet them out using the hashtag #usdlearns and #pics2love.

Most importantly, have fun!