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Google This or Google That
Read, Write, Think & Investigate

Google is not a verb nor a library but can help you investigate, find information, and now even collaborate online. Google Certified Teachers will help you get set up with Google collaboration tools and share simple tips to inspire investigation. Come away with strategies that promote comprehension with digital text, a Google Personalized Homepage and sample uses of Google Docs and Spreadsheets for online collaboration.

The purpose of this workshop is to:

  • gain technology skills to learn to use Google writing and search tools for educators
  • learn how using Google tools in the curriculum meets a number of English language arts standards for reading and writing.
  • explore and examine a sample poetry lesson, Race In Me, that integrates several technology resources that utilizes Google collaborative reading, investigation, and writing tools. Click here to view the entire poetry lesson for students.
Workshop Activities for Teachers

Pre-Workshop Activity
 Things you can do before the workshop starts

  1. Infinite Thinking Machine ...read, listen, watch and view the archived materials too.
  2. Use your cell phone and text messaging to search. Learn more about how to text Google for quick results.
  3. Google for Educators is a website designed to support the classroom.

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Activity 1- Overview Of The Digital Landscape and Education
Introduction to the new web collaboration tools and how they are being used

  1. Who are you? In today's digital landscape what group do you identify with?
  2. What is Web 2.0? How will these new tools change the way we think about teaching and learning?
  3. The bridge to 21st century learning What will students need to know and be able to do to be 21st century literate?
  4. Presentation slides for this workshop

Materials

Link: Our Digital Landscape
Link: Web 2.0...Machine is Us/ing Us
Link: 21st Century Skills

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Activity 2 -  Get a Google personalized homepage and services
Get started using Google tools right now

  1. Create a google account
  2. Add tools. Learn to use Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
    (Learn more: http://services.google.com/apps/resources/overviews_breeze/DocsSpreadsheets/index.html)
  3. Share your account name and get invited to Docs
  4. Teams introduce yourselves in a shared document

Materials

File: Create A Google Personalized Homepage
File: Create and edit documents with Google Docs and Spreadsheets
File: Get all the Google Tools Education Guides
File: Team Document Activity

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Activity 3 - Hidden Treasures In A Box
Search the "killer" application

  1. What treasures await you when you look into the Google search box? Learn more by reading and practicing searching for answers to life's greatest questions.
  2. Librarian Central is your blog source for official tips, news, updates
  3. Learn how to unlock the Google search box and discover the hidden treasures. Tips can be found at Google Search – the Essentials
  4. Reading digital text strategies for students. Making Sense of Online Text by Julie Coiro. Published in Educational Leadership, October 2005
  5. Digital note taking

Materials

Link: Librarian Central
Link: Google Search – the Essentials
File: Digital note taking

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Activity 4 - Search The World with Google Earth
Explore the earth via satellite imagery and the unlimited potential this application has for the classroom

  1. Find your house and your school. Calculate the distance.
  2. Google LitTrips is a project by Jerome Burg. Using Google Earth, students discover where in the world the greatest road trip stories of all time took place. Use this guide to make place markers for your Google earth.

Materials

Link: Google LitTrips
Link: Google Earth lesson ideas 
Link: Google Earth Guide


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Activity 5 - Final Reflections

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Homework!

  1. SketchUp  - online 3D modeling
  2. Blogger - online web writing
  3. Google Calendar - get organized
  4. Google Groups Beta - connect people and ideas
  5. Google Video - search for visual content
  6. Picasa - web based and/or desktop photo management
  7. Google Librarian Central - stay up to date with Google
 

 

 

last updated on 10-Dec-2007
CTAP IV · (510) 670-4166 · Fax (510) 670-4161
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