Google Time Savers

While you are probably used to using Google as a search engine, you may or may not have noticed the cool, quick tricks you can use on Google.  Do you need to find an article at a specific reading level?  How about using a quick online calculator or dictionary?  Are you looking for a PowerPoint presentation to teach contraction in your classroom?  You can do all of these things quickly and easily through Google's search engine.

Below are some screen shots to give you an idea of how it works:


Finding a PowerPoint Presentation:

Finding a definition:

Here are some tutorials to help you get started.  Get excited!  These are real time savers once you know the key words to type into your Google search bar.

Searching for specific reading levels:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1_Cp33rFBY

Finding Definitions:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2roYjVMFTw

Google Calculator:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoTu1MjsN9g

Find a file type:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zIZzCsuzk0

Google Search Tools:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtirDMfcOKE#t=82

'Till next time,
3rd Year 3rd Grader

Pinterest and Facebook

Pinterest:
Prepare to be addicted...to the world of Pinterest!  If you have not yet discovered this pin board full of ideas and inspiration, let me show you what you're missing...

This is a screenshot of my education board, "Classroom Organization".  Pinterest is like your scrapbook full of ideas from clippings of magazines, except it's online and you can use its search engine to find what you are specifically seeking.  You can use this for many things other than education (I have home ideas, recipes, workouts, and wedding pin boards as well, just to name a few), but for education I even have three different boards.  My first board is the one you see here, "Classroom Organization."  I also have a board for "Technology in the Classroom" and "Teachery Things", which is just a compilation of anything I might use for lessons, projects, etc.

To get started, go to the link below.

www.pinterest.com

For more information on how to get started and how to use your Pinterest account, click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61OBpkGSFxg

Facebook:

Another tool people use to share educational ideas is social media.  While many use social media networks like Twitter and Facebook for personal use, others see it as a way to include technology in the classroom.  Sites like Facebook could be used to raise student engagement in class and projects, provide research articles and tools, or have a class conversation online.

Obviously there have been many objections to using Facebook in schools (online safety, distractions, inappropriate content...).  Therefore, many districts do not allow access to sites like Facebook at school.  While I see the pull and attraction of using social media to engage students, in my third grade classroom, I do not see Facebook as being the best way to engage my students through technology.  I use other online resources provided through the curriculum I use that allows students to participate in online learning in a safer way.  However, if you would like to look into this yourself and have not yet explored Facebook, you can create an account at the link below.

www.facebook.com

'Till next time,
3rd Year 3rd Grader

Google Drive

Now that you've created a Google account, I bet you're ready to see what else Google has to offer (and for FREE!  That's always the best part).  For all of those presentations, documents, and spreadsheets, why not use a tool that allows you to create them, access them from anywhere you have internet access, and share them with others.  (Oh, and did I mention it's FREE!!)  When you come across free resources as great as this, don't pass them up!

Google Drive is the tool where you can create these documents.  After you've created a Google account, you can access Google Drive by clicking on the icon that looks like a tic-tac-toe board at the top right corner of Google's home page (once you are logged in), and then clicking on "Drive".  From here, you can create new documents, spreadsheets, etc.

You might use these documents to collaborate with coworkers, create a signup sheet through Google  spreadsheet, or create a presentation to use in your classroom.  You also might use Google Form to create an online survey/questionnaire.  Below are some helpful tutorials to get you started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ZvYRU1Y5Y&list=PLs7zxED4oCeqRgLjLzoVShif5RoDEIOSC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ZvYRU1Y5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtHjhJ_350

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ox-r7qAdvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq4cRctukSM

'Till next time,
3rd Year 3rd Grader

Diigo and Google Calendar

Today I will be sharing some organization tools that can help you schedule or organize your documents.  The main tools I learned about are Diigo and Google calendar.

Diigo:
Diigo is a social bookmarking tool.  One way to use Diigo is as an online bookmark tool to mark your favorite websites and have a handy toolbar to select them from.   You can also "sticky note" or "highlight" things from the web you want to go back to and look at later.  Another way you can use Diigo is by following people to share resources you may find useful.  A third way is to join groups - another place where you can share resources and stay connected.  The tabs at the top of Diigo make it easy to find each of these tools.  Below are links to Diigo as well as tutorials:

www.diigo.com

How to use Diigo for Education:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RC3uvzv4_8

How to Stickynote and Highlight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23d8Fv-TcMw

How to Search Diigo Bookmarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y04XTiafEBE


Google Calendar:
Google calendar is a convenient tool to help people keep track of their schedule in a paperless way.  I found I could input items from either my phone or my Google account online.  This makes the tool even more user-friendly.  Teachers could use this to keep track of personal appointments, their school schedule, or professional development schedule.  They can even follow other people's calendars when they are made public.  This can help with scheduling meetings between multiple colleagues more easily.  It is simple to keep these schedules separate too, as you can create a different calendar for each aspect of your life.

To sign up for a Google account, visit:
www.google.com

From there, you can create an account and use Google's tools, which include the calendar, email, and more.

'Till next time,
3rd Year 3rd Grader

Edmodo

A new week, a new resource for making connections!  This week I explored Edmodo and learned how I could use this site both in my classroom and for my own professional development and networking.  The first thing I noticed when I created an Edmodo account is that it looks a lot like Facebook...a trait that makes it very attractive for students and comfortable for me to use.  I could easily find the tools to attach links, files, and to browse communities to join.  Many communities are formed by subject, and when you "follow" these communities, their posts will begin filling your home page.

The easiest way to use this site, in my opinion, is as a tool for you to collaborate with other teachers in your same subject and grade level range.  However, you could go a step further and use this site to create a class group for your students to use.  It is definitely a step towards creating assignments and a writing platform that will appeal to students in the 21st century.  I know my students would much rather blog about a writing prompt than write it down with pencil and paper, and I also know how important it is to motivate students.  I hope you take a look at Edmodo and consider using it for your own classroom!  You can create an account at the link below:

www.edmodo.com

A full tutorial for getting started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZHB6FfRjnQ

'Till next time,

3rd Year 3rd Grader

PLNs and Twitter

This week I learned about using Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) and Twitter to help me become a better educator.  Sometimes trying new online tools is challenging for me...not because it is difficult but because I just don't like to take the time to learn them or how they would be beneficial for me.  That is exactly why I am glad to be taking a course where I will be held accountable for trying out new online tools.

The PLNs I discovered provided educational resources, news, tips, and even printables - let's be honest, that's the first thing all teachers (especially us elementary school teachers) LOVE to look through!  Below are some of the PLNs I found useful:

1. http://theedublogger.com

Teachers who want to create a blog for their students to use would benefit from using Edublogger, especially when using it as a whole-classroom blog.

This network provides tutorials for blogs, examples of classroom blogs, and even resources for other ways teachers can incorporate technology, such as Skyping with other classrooms.  You can sign up if you want to receive emails of blog posts giving helpful tips for incorporating technology in the classroom, especially blogging.

2. http://www.classroom20.com

All educators would benefit from this network: teachers of all grade levels and subjects, principals, etc.  This network provides so many resources and seminars for incorporating technology into education and would be applicable to a variety of job positions, depending on the type of technology you are trying to incorporate into your position and your school community.

This network sends regular emails with information and updates and hosts online trainings and live seminars.  There is also a huge forum where educators post their ideas and suggestions for using different types of technology in education.

3. http://www.eledblog.com

This blog is geared toward elementary school teachers.  However, many resources on this site would be beneficial for educators at the secondary level to follow as well.

This network offers links to other resources, forums, polls, and news for educators.  It also has some unique features that I did not see on other sites, such as groups where teachers can join a forum based on their needs and specific interests.  This site also provides lesson plans and printables, which I always find helpful and an attractive feature of education website.

I also finally created a Twitter account...follow me @mallorymd4.  I found some great ways to use Twitter as a teacher.  Below are some links that helped me realize the value of using Twitter as an educator.  They also gave me ideas to ponder how I can incorporate Twitter into my teaching.

1. http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom

2. http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/06/18/60-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-classroom-by-category/

Hope you enjoy checking out these technological resources!

'Till next time,

3rd Year 3rd Grader