You Can't Just Google It!

Those of you who know me well have heard how much I dislike when we teach students to research by sending them directly to Google.  Beginning with a Google search is not an effective research strategy nor does it always lead students to high quality academic resources.  Below is a fun video shared by a fellow educational blogger explaining why students should not be using Google as a primary research tool.

What should students use then?  They should begin with our high quality, reliable educational resources: academic databases, library print materials, and a search engine made especially for students, Sweet Search.  Using these resources will not only lead to the highest quality information, but it also teaches students how to conduct academic research in the appropriate manner.  This is a 21st century skill that students need for success in future jobs and education!

For a good laugh and a good lesson, here is a video created using the website xtranormal. 

You Can't Just Google It!
by: SweetSearch

Resources for Finding Web Tools

There are so many cool tools, but so little time!  How do we know which tools are the best out there to use in our classrooms?  There are many great sites out there that organize web tools by topic.   Here are a few of my favorites:

Teach Web 2.0-  http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/

Cool Tools for Schools-  http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/

 ICT Magic- http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ 

 

WebTools4u2use-http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/home

Web Resources for Schoolwork- http://learningtechno.weebly.com/index.html

Great Tools for the 21st Century Classroom

Below is my presentation from the School District of New London's April 4 teacher inservice. There are so many great tools to share; it was difficult to limit it to 21!

Classconnect: Share and store lessons, websites, and more

Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to store all of your lessons, videos, SMART Notebook files, and favorite websites all in one space? Wouldn't it be better if this space was also accessible to students, parents, and colleagues? Classconnect does all of this for you. By creating a free account, you now have a space to store all of your teaching resources. The other perk is the ability to search for others' lessons and files by various topics. Check out the video below to see how it works.

Engage Teens in Writing with Figment

I am excited about the potential Figment has to really engage students in writing. By signing up for a free Figment educator account, you can give your students a space to connect to other teen writers and professional authors.  Students complete their writing in their own private space and publish it to the Figment database once completed.  What I love is the potential Figment has for online collaboration and instant feedback.  Let's say your student has a moment of writer's block.  Through Figment your student has a community of writers waiting to give him or her some ideas.  Want to connect your student writers to professionals?  They can also do that through Figment.  Are you looking for examples of different types of student writing?  You can search Figment for many different examples. 

I wish Figment was around when I was teen. Even though I loved to write, I would have been even more inspired by this site.  Figment provides a great tool to motivate students to write through instant feedback and connection with teen writers from around the world.  View the video below to learn more about Figment educator accounts.

Looking for an idea?

If you are interested in trying something new, here is a nice list of digital tools that may give you the inspiration that you need. It's a good list of tools that work across subjects and grades with a few subject-specific resources sprinkled in.

http://learningtechno.weebly.com/index.html

What Was There: Explore History Through Photographs

What Was There is a simple, but fascinating site.  Type in a location and find historical photos linked to Google Maps.  My search for Boston, MA yielded 362 photos from some important historical landmarks such as Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church.  Once I select a photo, it gives me the option to use Google street view or view the photograph's details.  What a great tool to bring history to life for students!