Getting the Most Out of Your Google Search

Getting the Most Out of Your Google Search was another great session at the Midwest Google Summit.  I liked this session because it provides many great suggestions to make a Google search more efficient and effective with tips, tricks and search techniques.  Guiding students to learn how to search: 

• keywords or questions, 
• images, 
• considering punctuation or not, 
• how to do an advanced search, 
• use search operators (AND, OR, NOT)
• how younger students can search by using the microphone icon to verbally speak what they want to search
• how tricks to use Google to access a timer, provide a definition or spelling, the temperature or weather conditions,  time in another region, convert currency, use a calculator, research travel attractions, translate to another language, compare nutrition and more!

Check out this presentation to learn more!

Midwest Google Summit - Focus on Close Reading and Mapping Resources

Midwest Google Summit

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Midwest Google Summit.   This post is jam packed with resources.  I have tried to break things down so you can choose which linked tools you may want to view and use.  

1. Close Reading - This session focused on preparing the lesson with Close Reading, other strategies to support students in making meaning in close reading including using a survey to guide reading for during reading questions, and apps that are great tools to use for close reading. A few to highlight are the Read, Write app extension, and current event tools such as Dogo News, Newsela, Youngzine, and TweenTribune.

2. The Motherload of Mapping Resources - Motherload is a well organized stockpile of mapping resources for Google Maps and Google Earth:  
Galleries of Google Maps - Highlighting a few resources, check out World of Wonders, Google Art Project, Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Underwater Streetview for World Ocean's Day
Tools & Educational Content - Indoor Maps is great for students mapping their environment at home or at school
Fun & Games with Google Maps - Build with Chrome is a Google Maps with Legos
Expeditions Pioneer Program - Google - Teachers can take classes on virtual journeys to the bottom of the sea to the surface of Mars and more!
Help Tips with Google Maps
Google Earth
Earth Tools and Educational Content - One World Many Stories is one of several terrific Earth tools.
Fun With Google Earth 
Help Tips with Google Earth
Curated Resources of Google Maps and Google Earth - If you want easy access to all of the mapping resources above, save this link to the curated site.

Folllett Destiny is here!

Follett Destiny (click to explore) is here!

This week begins transformation, new learning opportunities, a new gateway to 21st Century learning, and excitement. The library media assistants will attend and participate in Follett Destiny   training Tuesday morning.  In the next weeks, I would like to meet with grade level teachers before or after school to provide logins and passwords, and a brief introduction to Follett Destiny's features. I will also be scheduling lessons with your class to open the doors of Destiny's access both at home and at school via an updated library media website.   I look forward to working with you and your students! 

Media Literacy Week and Follett Destiny is coming...

Media Literacy Week

Let's celebrate and embrace   

National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is celebrating the first U.S. Media Literacy Week Nov. 2 - 6, 2015   CyberWise Media Literacy Hub explains What Is Media Literacy?  In conjunction with Media Literacy the new library media resource Follett Destiny is coming this month.  Diana Knight made the video below to share more information as to what this means for students, teachers and staff at SDSM.  I look forward to working with you and your students to teach Follett Destiny, an integral part of becoming media literate through active inquiry and critical thinking.