G is for Google(GTG's #GETABC Series = Green, Education, & Tech*)
Holy guacomole...It's a jungle out there! Or rather, a Google out there.
Google's become a known noun AND verb in our dictionary, thanks to the wonders of cyberspace and everyone's knowledge of Google. "Google" is well-named because "googol" is a mathematical term than mean a number that starts with 1 and is followed by 100 zeroes...which sometimes feels like what's out there when you do a Google search!
There are a gazillion goodies galore out there on the Internet...and tons having to do with teaching with Google alone. It is far more than a mere search engine!
To educate yourself, Richard Byrne (our favorite tech-master & Google Certified teacher over at the FreeTech4Teachers site) has some great online google eBooks he has created. There's a wealth here, and this is where you need to start your Google education:
In pouring over the googol of Google items, some of my favorites include:
- Using Google Maps for their "Math Maps" (where they have maps layered with color-coded questions for different grade levels--granted, more math than "eco" but very cool!). I also love that you can use the maps to place mark certain sites & embed YouTube videos (which will be perfect when my 3rd graders study "Rivers & Bridges"). You can also use them to investigate their climate change data.
- You can also build customizable, kid-friendly searches--check out Byrne's Beyond Google for details on that!
- You can use Google Docs to create flashcards, word games, word clouds, quizzes, surveys, and more!
*Note: In an attempt to meld my pursuits of green, education, and technology, "GET" and this ABC series began...as did my twitter thread #GETABC. To see the inception of #GETABC and give yourself a tidbit of background, go to GTG's True Confessions & Whirling Dervishes.
New addition for Google Reader and its merit in the classroom: http://www.edgalaxy.com/storage/Crib_Reader.pdf
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