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Google Tools, Tips and Tricks
January 11, 2010
Agenda:
· Searching
· QuickFinds
· Tools
· Books
· Docs
· Reader
Searching
Basic Search Help: http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479
Keyword Searching:
Tips:
· Think how the page you are looking for would be written.
· Use the words that are most likely to appear on the page.
· Describe what you need with as few terms as possible.
· Choose descriptive words.
Try This: In the Google search bar type in the keywords: Statue of Liberty history and facts
Minus Sign (-)
Tip:Adding a minus sign (-) immediately before a word indicates that you do not want pages that contain this word to appear in your results. (Make sure there's no space between the minus sign and the word to exclude). Thinking about which keyword to exclude is as important as thinking about which keyword to use. If used correctly the minus sign can help you get exactly the results you want.
Try This: In the Google search bar type: jaguar -cars -football -os -computer -boats
Plus Sign (+)
Tip: Adding a plus sign (+) immediately before a word indicates that you do want pages that contain this word to appear in your results. (Make sure there’s no space between the plus sign and the word).
Try This: In the Google search bar type: jaguar +cats Compare your results to: jaguar +cars
Quotation Marks
Tip: Put "quotation marks" around words to do a phrase search.
Tip: Put "quotation marks" around words to do a phrase search.
Try This: "character counts lesson plans"
And/OR
Tip: Use the Boolean default words AND and OR in capital letters
Try This: Character Counts AND middle school lesson plans will find more specific results compared to Character Counts OR middle school lesson plans
Parenthesis ( )
Tip: Use (Parenthesis) to group additional terms into a search.
Try This: character counts (middle school AND lesson plans)
Tilde ~
Tip: Use a tilde ~ to include a search for synonyms.
Try This: ~feline will also find results with cat and kitten
..Number Range
Tip: Use two periods .. before, between, or after numbers to set a specific number range for a search
Try this: Eisenhower 1953..1961
Quick Finds
Explore the Quick Find Tools listed. Think about how these tools might be used to support instruction.
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Tool
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Type This
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Type This
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weather
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weather 21701
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weather Frederick, MD
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stock quotes
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GOOG
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time
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Time Sydney Australia
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sports scores
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Pittsburg Steelers
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Boston Bruins
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calculator
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10 + 3 + 26
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10 (320 - 60)
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Books
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Jane Austen
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Earthquakes
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Earthquakes California
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Earthquakes Alaska
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Unit Conversions
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100 years in minutes
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10 gallons in pints
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Synonyms
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~horse
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~ape
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Spelling
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praggmatic
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pistashio
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Local information - restaurants
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Thai food 21701
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pizza 21702
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Local information – movies
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movies 21702
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Convert Currency
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100 dollars in pesos
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1000 dollars in euros
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Match area code to location
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240
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305
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More search features
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google search features
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Google Tools
· Log into your Google Account.
· Explore the Tool assigned to you (ABCDEFG). As you explore think about the following questions.
1. What features of the tool did you like best?
2. What did you not like about the tool?
3. How might this tool be used to support instruction and/or professional development?
· Write your responses on the Google Doc posted at: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AaM4PZNU8bWjZGNwcHJzNnNfNTc2bjQ0ODdjMw&hl=en
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Group
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Tool
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URL
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Try This 1
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Try This 2
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A
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Blogger – Use this tool to create a class or professional development blog
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Go to Blogger.com. Click on Quick Tour (right side). Complete the Quick Tour
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Check out this blog - http://redraidermathspot.blogspot.com/
Or watch the video tutorials for using blogger at: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/sites/default/files/How%20to%20create%20a%20blog%20with%20Blogger_1.mov
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B
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Calendar – use this tool to track important events. Calendars can be embedded into web pages and wikis.
Getting Started with Google Calendar: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/sites/default/files/Getting%20Started%20with%20Google%20Calendar.pdf
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Click on Create an Event, Add Martin Luther King's Birthday on Jan. 18th. For time write 8:00 – 4:00. Under description write “schools are closed” Chose public for privacy and click on Save at the bottom of the page.
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Click on Settings in the upper right hand corner. Explore the various settings. Note there are 4 tabs – General, Calendars, Mobile Set Up, Labs.
Try This…click the down arrow beside the name of your calendar. Choose the color you want your calendar to display.
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C
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Sites – this tool can be used to create classroom, group or professional development web pages.
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Go to Google Sites. In the upper right hand click on Help. Explore the various features of Google Sites.
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Log into Google Sites with your Google Account. Click on Create Site. Explore the various templates/options. Begin creating a class or professional development site. Be sure to save your work.
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D
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iGoogle – create a customized start page by collecting content from across the web. Include: current events provided by numerous news providers, local weather, your school's calendar, you can select any number of customized items.
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Explore the features of IGoogle by watching the video - Sign In To Save Your IGoogle page at: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/sites/default/files/Sign%20in%20to%20save%20your%20iGoogle%20page_1.mov and Add Gadgets and Themes to IGoogle at: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/sites/default/files/Add%20gadgets%20and%20themes%20to%20iGoogle_0.mov
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Sign into IGoogle and begin creating your page - http://www.google.com/ig
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E
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Translate – this tool can be used to translate text, web pages and documents
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Go to http://sites.fcps.org/trt Copy some text off of the page. Paste the text into the translate box. Chose English to Spanish and click on Translate.
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Click on Translated Search. (left side) Type in the search bar fcps.org Change the language from English to Spanish. Click Translate and Search. Frederick County Public Schools webpage will be the first listing. Click on this site. What happens to the web page?
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F
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News – use this tool to find the latest news information
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Explore the various new sources.
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Scroll to the bottom of the page and check out Google Fast Flip
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G
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Scholar – find articles, patents, legal opinions and journals
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Explore the advanced features.
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Explore Scholar settings.
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Google Books: http://books.google.com
Go to Google Books. In the search bar type: Call of the Wild. Note there are 132,329 entries listed for this book. The first entry should say “full view”. Click on this entry. This will show you the entire text of the 1917 edition of the book. Note the various features available for reading, saving, and downloading the book. Click on Add to my library to add this book to your personal library collection.
Advance Features
1st choose: All Books, Limited Pre-View and Full View, Full View only, Public Domain
- Search by Title
o Sample: Little Women
- Search by Author
o Sample: Charles Dickens
- Search by Subject
o Sample: hurricanes
o Sample: Type subject:"hurricanes" into the search bar
- Search by ISBN number
Google Docs:
This is an online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor that allows you to create, store and share instantly and securely, and collaborate online in real time. Create new documents from scratch or upload existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. There's no software to download, and all your work is stored safely online and can be accessed from any computer.
Short video on the rationale for using Google Docs: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9618&title=Google_Docs_in_Plain_English
Using Google Docs in the Classroom: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dcdn7mjg_72nh25vq
Take a Tour of Google Docs: http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
Tasks for today:
* Logging in: http://docs.google.com
* Using the fcps.org domain in Google
* Creating documents
* Uploading documents
* Organizing documents
* Sharing documents
* Publishing documents or making them public
* Embedding documents
* Using the fcps.org domain in Google
* Creating documents
* Uploading documents
* Organizing documents
* Sharing documents
* Publishing documents or making them public
* Embedding documents
More Google Docs resources: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/googleapps_docs
Using Google Docs in the Classroom: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dcdn7mjg_72nh25vq
Take a Tour of Google Docs: http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
More Google Docs resources: http://sites.fcps.org/trt/googleapps_docs
Google Reader
· Use Google Reader subscribe to your favorite news sites and blogs – any site that has an RSS feed. Google Reader will constantly check for new content.
· Use Google Reader's built-in public page to easily share interesting items with your friends and family.
· Google Reader is totally free and works in most modern browsers, without any software to install.
Try This: Subscribe to FCPS Insider @ http://insider.sites.fcps.org/rss.xml
· Open your Google Reader account.
· Click on ADD A SUBSCRIPTION
· Paste the link
· Click on ADD
Take a Google Reader tour at: http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlereader/tour.html
Resources
Google Apps for Educators: http://www.google.com/educators/index.html
Google Classroom Posters: http://www.google.com/educators/posters.html
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| How to create a blog with Blogger.mov | 4.75 MB |
| Add gadgets and themes to iGoogle.mov | 5.07 MB |
| Sign in to save your iGoogle page.mov | 1.7 MB |