This week I learned about using Google in the classroom. I happen to use Google's array of tools in the classroom, but I found many of the ideas to integrate more skills into one assignment. For example, one of the sample lessons had students researching using multiple Google tools, like docs, places, maps, and more, to build a multi-media project, even incorporating creative writing.
I also learned about creating custom Google searches, a topic I feel I need to explore further. I believe many more digital experiences will be customized in the future, including our search algorithms. I liked how there were examples of how creating custom searches could assist students who were in grade school, and showed how a curated list of sites could build their early search skills. Also, I really liked the idea of limiting the search results to articles that were written in language the students would understand. I wonder if this could be automated, by having algorithms to identify the level of writing in search results. Or, the process could also be assisted by tags, or by mapping which users are using a source, to determine it's vocabulary or syntax sophistication by application of user histories.
The Berger reading on using digital mapping was great. I will definitely use some of the ideas, like making a "virtual trip" and exploring the many layers of Google Earth. I love how images and Wikipedia articles can be geo-tagged. Even Buffalo has many Wikipedia tags when the Wikipedia layer is turned on.
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