The Google Research Tool within Google Docs

 You've been there.   The open books, magazines, and resources spread out on the table, head snapping between the key words and quotes from the text and the notepad (or better yet, index card) on which your notes (and citations) will be stored for the research paper you will need to write eventually. 

With a little help from technology, at least one part of that equation can be eliminated -- the painstaking (and often inaccurate) handwritten copying of research resources, quotations, and key elements. 

With the update to Google Drive (formerly called Google Docs), a few other key updates were made.  The Google Research Tool is one of those updates.  The Research Tool (available when you are in a Google Document by clicking on Tools --> Research Tool) keeps your Google Document open on the left side of the screen, and then place a fully functional research window on the right side of the screen. Search Google from right within your Google Doc, find resources, images, quotes, or even use Google Scholar. 

The beauty is that resources, citations, images, and quotes can all be dragged into your document with LIVE LINKS to the resources for later exploration.  It's kind of like turning the world of resources available on the web into a stack of selected resources from the stacks of a library, all sitting right there on your research resources piles. 

Pretty impressive, but more importantly, very efficient.  Have your students regain their focus on the reading and selection of the resources instead of on the handwritten copying of that research (and citations, if they remember to do so) on to note cards or pads, to later re-write or type those citations into the actual paper.  Imagine the efficiency!

Are you a Google Chrome Ninja?

Old habits die hard.  That means that you have to have a pretty darn good reason for changing those old habits.  Based on what we are learning about Google Chrome, switching your preferred web browser is one of those habits you may soon want to consider taking on.

Some teaser "killer apps" for Google Chrome that may get you considering a change:

• Easily switch between multiple Google accounts without logging out and back in
• Never type google.com in to your address bar again -- search Google right from the OmniBox (address bar) in Chrome
• That same Omnibox (address bar) in your browser can also serve as a calculator -- just type an equation in and see
• Easily bookmark your favorite sites, and have those bookmarks appear on any device with a Chrome browser that you log in to with a Google account 
• Add incredible apps and extensions to the browser and make your working (and personal) life more fun and efficient (a timer extension that allows you to have a stop watch for group discussion sessions with students -- an image editing extension that allows you to screen shot and draw on/annotate photos from the web -- many more)

My personal Google Chrome Sensei, Molly Schroeder, has put together another masterful presentation/resource featuring some of the incredible tips and tricks that make Google Chrome a dynamite web browser.

Visit the resource here: https://sites.google.com/a/flippededucation.com/flippedevents/home/google-apps-summit-presentations/chrome-ninja-tips-and-tricks

If you want to take a look at some of Sensei Schroeder's favorite Google Extensions and Apps, look here -  https://sites.google.com/site/chromebookclassroominthecloud/chromebook-training/extensions-and-web-apps

*Warning - The possibilities may blow your mind!

**If you need additional Chrome assistance or questions, feel free to contact any member of the Instructional Technology Coordinator team for help.

Dig Deeper into Culture and History -- Exploring the Google Cultural Institute

Being a humanities teacher at the core, I understand that there is little as fulfilling as watching kids genuinely dig into original manuscripts and source documents.  There is something so rich about allowing them to authentically connect with the past.  Not the Reader's Digest version of the past we endearingly call text books.  No, the imperfectly perfect documentation and images of the past that can best be highlighted in the authentic, original documents and photographs.

However, from experience we know that many of our students tend to struggle with nonfiction reading, tend to shy away from the challenge of working through the language barriers created by the passing of time and the change of society, and far prefer the nicely summated Wikipedia version of history and culture (at least when we ask them to regurgitate that history and culture back to us for the purpose of a project or report).

All the while we are fully aware that these rich source documents and images are sitting in collections we know we could never afford to take our students to see (and wonder if the risk would be worth the reward if we could).

Leave it to Google to merge the world of modern day technology with the wealth of resources that demonstrate and define our rich cultural history. 

Google's Cultural Institute is a media rich experience where viewers (turned historians) get to dig deeply into these source documents on focused topics.  From high resolution images that can be zoomed and panned, to first-hand accounts and interviews, to original source documents, the Google Cultural Institute is a must-see resource for educators encouraging their students to explore and connect with culture and history.

While the Google Cultural Institute teams are still building this resource and are creating new exhibits, the diversity of exhibits that presently span the previous century are enough to keep a wide variety of interests engaged.

Check it out and let us know if you decide to put the Google Cultural Institute to the test with your students.  http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/#!home