Using Google to conduct searches has become so commonplace, modern English speakers now use Google as both a noun and a verb. I often hear others or even myself say something like "I'll have to google that later" or "You should google such and such." Most people are fairly familiar with basic Google search procedures such as using specific keywords, but not everyone (including myself before tonight) knows how to use Advanced Searching, Image Searching, Google Custom Searching, and Google Alert.
Google users may use a number of operators to restrict or better define their search results. For instance, one well known operator is the use of quotation marks around exact phrases or lyrics. Operators that I had never heard of before include using a dash before words or websites you want excluded from your search results (e.g. memoir -samsung), using an asterisk in place of unknown words (e.g. "to be or not to be, that is the *"), and using two periods to indicate a number range (e.g. wikis in the classroom articles 2006..2012). If you are unable to remember these search operators or are uncomfortable with their use, you can always select the Advanced Search option to the side of the standard Google search box, which will guide you through an advanced search checklist for narrowing or specifying your search query.
Advanced Search can also be used for image searches. For instance, I performed an advanced image search for pandas with the following restrictions: colors in image-full color, type of image-photo, and region-china. If using an iPad, users may also use Google Goggles to take a photo of an image and search for other related images based on that photo. For instance, I used Goggles to take a photo of my keyboard and Google pulled up search results showing other Apple keyboard images and related websites. This neat iPad feature only makes the little greedy voice in my head shout louder "I must have an iPad of my own ASAP!"
Google Custom Search is another tool that teachers may be interested in using if they wish to create a Google search specific to their website (if they have one) or a custom search that restricts students to specified web information sources. I am interested in this Google feature, but will need to explore it more in depth before I would be comfortable setting it up in my own classroom.
Google Alert was my most exciting discovery of the night. I had never heard of this Google feature before; essentially, the Google Alert feature allows users to sign up to receive email notifications when new search results are found for a specified query. For instance, I created two Google Alerts this evening; I should now receive email alerts when Google finds new news for the searches "dyslexia high school" and "common core state standards initiative," both of which are the general topics of research papers I am currently developing. Google Alert has great potential for aiding teachers in continual professional development by assisting them in staying on the cutting edge of teaching strategitis, technology, and educational reforms.
As always, I am very pleased to have learned the above new tips and tricks that will help me to better use Google in the classroom and for professional development.
Very well done!
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