Google's Docs, Earth and Sketch Up: Cool Tools and Possible Projects

This session was presented by Rushton Hurley, HS teacher, trainer, and nonprofit guy who teaches Japanese and is determined to try and save the world from ignorance. You can see the slides from his presentation by visiting here. His non-profit website hosts reviewed videos of lessons and projects and can be accessed by visiting here. You can visit here to sign up to recieve free classroom resources via email.

Mr. Hurley ran throught the following free Web 2.0 tools that could be used to engage 21st century learners.

1) Why Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations and Forms? It's free, on a server somewhere that can be accessed from anywhere on any computer connected to the internet. It 's collaborative nature in general makes it the perfect vehicle for group and team work on documents, projects, and presentations. You can also invite others to just view the work. Forms are a great way to get back data quickly, you can even create self grading quizzes.



2) Google Sites - This is Google's wiki-like space allows for collaborative webpage building.

3) Google Earth - This is an interactive 3D atlas. Be sure to check our Lit Trips on Earth to see the lanmarks from great literary works already cataloged.

4) Google Maps - On Maps you can load information and pictures linked to placemarks. It is way more than just directions and street man can even give you a street view of many places.

5) Sketch Up - This is a CAD-like, but free 3D modeling program that can be downloaded and used to create INCREDIBLE, customized models. You can download models others have created as well. MUST SEE!

6) Google Books - This site offers a limited preview and/or full view of books in various genres.

7) GoogleAdvanced Search - This is a great way to narrow down a broad search with specific words, file types, sites, domains, etc...

8) NextVista.org - This is a free site featuring student-audience videos for use in lessons. All are invited to contribute to the site and all items are screened prior to posting.

9) Zamzar.com - This site converts files and more. You can even download videos from YouTube by entering url of desired video and convert. This site converts them and then sends you a message to download it for viewing.

10)PodSafeAudio.com - This site offers copyright friendly music that can be used for movies, slide shows and student projects. All you must do is give credit to artists at the end of the presentation

11)Creative Commons Search - This site porvides copyright friendly stuff for use in shows and projects including thousands of pictures.

12) CoolIris - This site is used in combination with Flickr. You can choose pictures and put them in favorites in flickr then create a photo wall for easy reference when teaching.

13) Tag Galaxy - This site also works in conjunction with Flickr to create a photo globe. By the way, this is by far the coolest thing I have seen - I couldn't possibly accurately describe it - see for yourself.

12)Fresh Brain - This site is a place for collaborating and finding resources for online projects

13) Urban Dictionary - This is not a site to show kids while teaching but will help you understand what they are REALLY saying.

Why do we need to embrace technology in our classroms and with students - technology is attention grabbing! But just using technology for technology's sake is not the asnwer it needs to help the kid learn better and save us time. That's the key!

Tech Tips for Teaching About a Greener Tomorrow

This session was presented by Discovery Educator, Lance Rougeux.

He reminded us that kids spend approximately 6 1/2 hours a day consuming different types of media - usually more than one at the same time. This means, of course, that we need to know what they know so we can use it to further our own goals for them. There is even a site called transL8it! where you can translate "normal" language into IM text lingo!

Lance's main focus was on introducing us to several powerful tech tools that could be used by teachers and students to help sustain and promote conservation of our planet.

1) Blackle - the "Dark Google" is the energy conserving way to search Google. It's black and white screen offers no plug ins or flash and saves monitor usage.

2) Text Google - You can actually text Google at 466453 if you need to search without turning on a computer. As an example: If you wanted to sesrch energy conservation you would simply type web energy conservation in the message field and wait on the return text with links to internet sites you can access right from your phone!

3) Digital Storytelling - allow kids to create tips/commercials using a Flip video and green screen technology, movie maker, photostory, etc... Adobe Premier Elements is great for editing with green screen and MOONK is a free website for creating slideshows and videoshows. You upload there and then get link to embed to blog, website, or wiki.

5) Fodey - This site allows a student to create a newspaper like headline clipping for projects. Challenge students to create a headline and lead to story and type it in - you'll have a jpg of it in moments.

6) Glogster - The free education version can be found at glogster.com/edu. On this site students can create online posters or splash pages by simply dragging and dropping. The posters allow for the insertion of photos, video, text and links to blogs or websites. These posters can be printed or embeded in blogs or websites.

7) Google Earth - In the free version you can create content or find layers already created on global awareness with links to information about topics of interest. When creating layers you can customize placemarks with text, photos or video, and save it to your desktop for later. If the end result is really good you can even upload the layer to Google Earth for others to use.

Lance encouraged us to have students take the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge where kids submit plans designed to sustain our planet. You can find out more by visiting wecanchange.com. This site also has multiple resources, including virtual labs, for teachers to use.

For more great tips and ideas for student projects designed o promote conservation visit Lance's blog.

Tech Tips Green

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10 Things that Google has Found to be True

In our opening overview session, Mark talked about how the 10 things Google has found to be true relate just as well to the classroom.   

1.  Focus on the student and all else will follow.  

We can plan amazing things to do with our class, but if they're not engaged...does it matter?  They have to be engaged in what we are doing, not passive.
2.  It's best to teach a few things really, really well.  

The content we must cover grows daily.  It's rare that a teacher says they have covered everything they wanted to in a year.  We're going to have to be masters of integration and choosing what to do really well instead of doing it all.  

3.  Fast is better than slow.
I really don't need to say much about this do I?  We've all sat in trainings where we were bored because it was going so slow, it could have been summarized.  Get through the lesson and work with the kids that need more of your time.  Kids will tune out, just like you will!
4.  Democracy in the classroom works.

Give kids choices about what they will do, they'll do better if they buy in.

5.  You don't need to be at school to need an answer.
Learning happens 24/7, so questions will come up that kids need to know HOW to find the answer to.  Self directed learning is what you are preparing them for.  Think of the last few things you learned how to do.  Did someone show you or were you self-taught?  How did you find out the answers to your questions?  Prepare you students for this.  

6.  You can teach without doing evil. 
(Google's version of this is:  you can make money without doing evil)  I'll let you draw the parallels here.

7.  There's always more information out there.

There is always more to know, there is always someone new to learn from...never stop learning.

8.  The need for information crosses all borders.

The world is no longer round, it's flat - we're all connected.  Reach out and collaborate, connect and share with others around the world.

9.  You can be serious without a suit.  

Not to be slovenly, but it's what you know not how you look.

10.  Great just isn't good enough.

Keep pushing, trying, learning....the best is yet to come.

Which ones do you find to be true?