Teach Your Students How to Dumpster Dive

LA Dumpster Dive by Jim Fischer / CC BY 2.0

Most students think that using the Internet to search for information is as easy as using any search engine. We all know that there's much more to it than that.

I addressed this concept of digital research in my presentation,"Teach Your Students How to Dumpster Dive," at the San Gabriel Valley CUE Tech Fair. My session was on how to teach students to be expert researchers and great content creators. I also focused on the concepts of copyright, fair use, free to use, and public domain since most students (and even many teachers) don't understand that the Internet is not a free buffet where you eat without paying the bill. The goal is to teach students how to sift through the trash to find the treasure. In addition to explaining how to use Google Advanced Search, I also wanted to build a list of credible websites that teachers and students could use for their research.

Below is the list I'm developing. I plan to add to it if I come across anything new.

• Google Advanced News
• Google Books
• Google Scholar
• RefSeek
• Sweet Search
• Google Cultural Institute
• PBS LearningMedia
• Newsela
• PBS News Hour Extra
• KQED DoNow
• KQED The Lowdown
• American Experience
• ITVS for Educators
• National Geographic
• National Geographic Kids
• Time for Kids
• History Channel
• NPR
• History Matters
• Library of Congress
• National Archives
• National History Day
• Life Magazine Photo Archive
• Getty Images

I hope this list is helpful. If you have a great website to share, please add it as a comment.

Amplify the Learning with PBS LearningMedia

Why PBS Digital Innovators love teaching

Everyone loves summer - students and teachers alike. We can easily guess what students like to do with their summer, but what about teachers?  I, like many other teachers I know, actually spend a part of my summer planning for the next school year and working on professional development.

This past June I had an unique opportunity to take my learning to a new level when I was chosen as a Lead PBS Digital Innovator.  Earlier this year, PBS selected 100 educators from across the country to join their LearningMedia Digital Innovators program.  From this group, they then choose the top 16 educators to attend the PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Summit in Washington, D.C.  We were also accompanied by our local PBS station representatives for two-days of professional development in our nation’s capitol.

While at the Digital Innovators Summit, I learned a wealth of information and connected with some of the most amazing educators in the country.  I discovered that PBS LearningMedia weaves all forms of media - texts, images, videos, and interactive games - into a dynamic learning experience for all students.  Some great resources shared were PBS NewsHour Extra, a site created to teach current events in the classroom with accompanying lesson plans for teachers to use.  Another was a self-paced lesson on the The Powers of the Government where students can work independently at the speed that is customizable to them.  For hands-on learning, I was impressed with the Nova Elements interactive which allows students to build their own atoms to reinforce their learning.  There are also adventure games like Mission U.S. where a student can role-play to learn about an important historical event.  Lastly, what English teacher wouldn’t appreciate having a go-to place when teaching Shakespeare?

Not only has PBS LearningMedia created and curated great resources for teachers to use in the classroom, they also provide professional development collections like Professional Development for the Common Core, a rich resource for teachers who want to learn how to adapt their lessons to these new standards.  For those who want to create a 21st Century classroom, they need to visit the Digital Tools webpage to enhance their curriculum with technology.  PBS LearningMedia is also constantly evolving and many great additions like Interactive Quiz and PuzzleMaker tools will be added this fall.

PBS LearningMedia is a treasure trove of primary sources, interactive content, and lesson ideas.  Teachers, if you haven’t delved into this online resource yet, you need to start today.  My brain has been churning with all that I learned from the Digital Innovators Summit, and I can’t wait to try them all out when school starts again for me in August.

If you already use PBS LearningMedia in your classroom, please share your favorite PBS resources below.

This post originally appeared on the PBS SoCal Education Blog on July 24, 2014.

Oh, The Places We Will Go with Google’s Connected Classrooms!

What if you could take your students on unlimited field trips?  What if your class could visit Antarctica or speak with a NASA astronaut? With Google’s Connected Classrooms, this is now absolutely possible.

In recent years, Google has taken their video calling service, known as Hangouts, to a whole new level by introducing the ability to broadcast a live recording of it. These Hangouts on Air allowed anyone to create broadcasts on the Internet for free. Then, Google stepped up their game by launching a new educational outreach program called Connected Classrooms, in which students around the world can participate in virtual field trips via Hangouts on Air.

During every Connected Classrooms event, a few classes are invited into a special Hangout on Air where students can ask questions and interact directly with experts and distinguished guests. Other classrooms can follow along by viewing the live broadcast, submitting questions in the Q & A feature of Hangouts, or by accessing an archived recording at their leisure.

By partnering up with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses, and famous individuals, Google has created a fantastic program that will bring the world into your classroom. Below are some places where students have ‘been:’

• Seattle Aquarium – Classrooms everywhere were treated to a free field trip to the Seattle Aquarium’s Window on Washington Waters exhibit where a scuba diver in the tank took live questions from the audience and broadcasted this interchange to the world.
• Above the Arctic Circle – This hangout started above the Arctic Circle in Alaska and ended in Berkeley Lab in California. Students learned “how and why scientists study permafrost to better understand the vulnerable Arctic ecosystem — and what may happen to it as the climate changes.”
• Dogsledding Through Google Glass – Dave Freeman, a wilderness explorer and dogsled guide from the Northern tundra of Minnesota, took students on a “ride” on his dogsled. Students were able to experience this unique trip through the wilderness from his Google Glass perspective.

Those adventures sound amazing, don’t they? After learning about Connected Classrooms, I couldn’t wait for my class to participate. When when our turn came, I couldn’t have been more ecstatic.

To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Connected Classrooms partnered up with Peace Jam, and they invited three classes to speak with Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee. My students and I couldn’t believe our luck. Then, a couple of weeks later, we received another special invitation. The White House, in partnership with Connected Classrooms, was looking for one middle school class to speak with Education Secretary Duncan. I am proud to say that my students conducted themselves with poise and maturity as they presented their questions to these distinguished guests.

Google+ Hangout with Education Secretary Duncan

All my students were absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to participate in these two wonderful Connected Classrooms events. Not only did they learn from the wisdom of our special speakers, they also learned how to conduct themselves professionally in front of a live camera. The students who presented their questions practiced their public speaking skills in an authentic environment. They also became the superstars at our school that day and were the subject of their classmates’ envy. What student doesn’t want that?

To participate in a Connected Classrooms event, you will need to join the Connected Classrooms Community on Google+. By joining this community, you are also tapping into a global network of educators which was never possible before. Are you teaching Spanish and want your class to chat with other classrooms in Spanish-speaking countries? Are you teaching social studies and want your students to actually talk to their peers who live in the country you are studying?  Connected Classrooms is the place to find these contacts. Feel free to reach out to the other educators in this community. Everyone is very welcoming and quick to respond, and I’ve witnessed many fantastic connections formed through this community.

Join the Google+ Connected Classrooms Community if you haven’t already. I look forward to interacting with you there!

This post originally appeared on the CUE Blog on June 10, 2014.

Reaching New Heights in Learning

How do you deal with that anticlimactic lull that you inevitably feel after spending three fantastic days at the Annual CUE Conference in Palm Springs? The answer is simple. You stay for the CUE West Coast Summit Featuring Google for Education (GIEWC), of course!  

Circle of Friends #selfiewithselak

The GIEWC Summit, which took place on March 22-23, was a high-energy, fun-filled conference hosted by CUE, and it was one of those must-attend events of the year. CUE, co-producer of the Google Teacher Academy, sure knows how to satisfy your desire to become a Google Apps ninja in the classroom.

On Saturday, the GIEWC Summit kicked off with a keynote from the amazing Vint Cerf, one of the founders of the Internet. Cerf is the reason why we use the phrase “surf the Internet” when going online because “Cerf” is pronounced “surf.” Vint Cerf showed us a map of the Internet, and it was so intricate that it left me in awe of how much we take for granted.

(L to R) Beth Fisher, Kara
Lawler, and Kimberly dos Santos

After the keynote was the shred sessions, where all the speakers gave a 90-second pitch of their presentations so that attendees could more accurately plan out their schedule the next day. All presenters enthusiastically showed off their talents and kept the audience engaged with their various styles. One particularly humorous moment occurred when Scott Moss asked, “Do you like to party?  If so, then you might not make it to my hangover session tomorrow,” as he jokingly referred to his 7:45am session on Sunday.

The next day, all sessions were in full swing as attendees filled the rooms, fully ready to embrace more new knowledge. You really have to applaud these educators who were so willing to give up their Sunday to soak in more professional development. These are the real rock stars in the education world!

Following the entertaining shred sessions, CUE really brought out the white-gloved service as we all meandered over to the East Lawn for some appetizers. It was a wonderful way to unwind and socialize with other attendees after spending three mind-blowing days at the CUE conference.

The sessions at GIEWC Summit were all taught by Google Certified Teachers and/or Google Apps Certified Trainers. The sessions offered ranged from Kate Petty’s fantastic smorgasbord of Project-Based Learning ideas to Diane Main’s “Drawing: No Longer Drive’s Ugly Stepchild.” Some super cool hacks were also shared, like when Danny Silva showed how to create a QR code for a Google calendar event that will automatically add that event to your own personal Google Calendar. Everyone oohed and aahed over Brandon Wislocki’s trick of adding hotspots in Google Drawing.  If you wanted to learn about Google scripts, then JR Ginex-Orinion had you covered, and if you want to fully utilize YouTube’s many functions then Lisa Highfill showed you how to do it right. I presented on “The Google-Powered Classroom,” showing how I use Google Apps to meet the literacy and technology standards required by the Common Core.

I heard many compliments from the attendees on the concurrent sessions I missed that I truthfully wished I could’ve gone to every one. Where’s Hermione Granger’s Time-Turner when you need one? Even as a Google Certified Teacher, I don’t presume to know every hack, and I’m always pushing the boundaries of my own knowledge. To me, it isn’t just about the technology tools, but how different educators apply them in a classroom setting.

After a full day of intense learning, we all gathered for Demo Slams from the presenters. Bill Selak showed the audience how to find and curate artwork, historical events, landmarks and digital exhibits with the Google Cultural Institute. Sean O’Neil demonstrated how to use the Color Picker Eyedropper Chrome extension and in his words “… how it makes us designers instead of just ‘posters’.”

Then the conference ended on a high note as Jaime Casap, Google’s Global Education Evangelist, shared his wisdom in the Closing Keynote. He challenged us with the question, “When did collaboration become cheating?  Working together is important.” Casap also stated, “Technology is not the silver bullet.  It’s there to support and enable students.” Before he left the stage, he graciously took questions from the audience. Mike Lawrence, in true geeky-style, threw out a Catchbox, a wireless microphone enclosed in a soft cube, to audience members so that they could participate effortlessly.

The GIEWC Summit definitely left you with many brain-overload moments that all educators should experience. Not only was it very fulfilling in a geeky sort of way, it was also way too much fun, as evidenced by the candid photos that surfaced from this event. Conferences should never be dull. If the GIEWC Summit returns next year, I’ll be there. Will you?

This post originally appeared in the CUE Blog on April 20, 2014.

Validating Data in Google Forms - Truly Brilliant

I love using Google Forms in my classroom to collect student work, and I know many others do as well. However, did you know that you could validate the data that you collect?

For example, as an English teacher, it drives me crazy when students don’t capitalize the first letter of their names. I believe that it's important for students to remember that proper nouns start with a capital letter. I also believe that it's important for them to be able to move fluidly between informational writing (texting) and academic/professional writing. It doesn't matter to me if they don't observe grammar and mechanics when texting or composing anything personal or informal. However, in the professional word, the rules of grammar and mechanics should absolutely be observed, and I want my students to realize that.

Here's what happens when my students try to fill out a Google Form in my class.

So how do you set this up? You may notice that when creating forms you have the option to choose "Data Validation." Here's a screenshot of the back end of my Google Form and what formula to use. You can write whatever you wish for the "Customize error text" box. (Unfortunately, in this screenshot my message is cut-off, but you get the point, I'm sure.)

So simple, and yet, so brilliant!

Below are some other ways you can use data validation in Google Forms.

Validating Numbers

Validating Text

Validating Word Count

You can require a minimum word count for entries. My students turn in their blog posts on a Google Form, and I require my students to write a minimum of 100 words. The expression for this requirement is below.

Validating Character Count

You can have student practice writing more succinctly. Twitter has made it necessary to convey our ideas in 140 characters or less. This would really force students to consider what's important and what's not.

Validating Regular Expression

(You create the formula and the parameters.)

You can require phone numbers to be in a certain format or passwords to contain a certain number of capital letters, numbers, and special characters. With regular expressions, the possibilities are endless.

Do you use data validation in other ways? If so, please share in the comments below.