Hats Off to Google's Dan Russell!

I am a big fan of Google's Senior Research Scientist Daniel M. Russell. As per his own job description, "I write. I analyze. I experiment. I do field studies and I try to understand what makes Google users tick.  Why do they sometimes query Google for [ first ], and then not click on anything?  Why do some Google users only ask one query, while  others can go on and on?  What's different about their search experiences? Why? " Dr. Russell's blog, SearchReSearch offers readers searching challenges which go way beyond the typical Google search. You are thrown into advanced searches and learn so much beyond what you thought you could do. What a great way to expand your knowledge so you can teach your students about REAL searching on the web!

Sites involving Dr. Russell's instruction include Google Search Education, Power Searching and Advanced Power Searching online classes, and Live Training videos. Dan Russell is an engaging and interesting teacher. He is soft-spoken and obviously passionate about his work. Upon completion of each of his courses, you can download a certificate for PD credit. A Google a Day challenges students to practice their searching skills by answering a posed question, i.e. GEOGRAPHY: "What two northernmost territories of India lie 1,100 km southeast of Calcutta? (in alphabetical order) The longer it takes to answer a question, the fewer points are awarded. Kids love competition, so this could be a cool game to play every day.

I love being challenged, don't you? I highly recommend that all teacher-librarians take a look at SearchReSearch and Power Searching and Advanced Power Searching. Knowledge is after all, power.

Doodle 4 Google Voting Has Begun

Finalists for the Doodle 4 Google have been posted! Students representing the 50 states in grades K-12 are competing for  a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for his or her school. Voting ends on Friday, May 9, 2014, and the winner's doodle will appear on Google's main search page. Place your vote HERE.

Google has announced the winners of the state contests for the Doodle 4 Google contest. Students from grades K-12 participated, by drawing their answer to the question: "If I could travel in time, I'd visit…".  The winner of the national contest (vote here  for your favorites in each grade category) will see their design on Google's home page as well as on a Crayola 64 crayon box! Here's a listing of all the prizes which will be awarded to the various winners.

You Can't Just Google It.....

My students seem to think that as long as they have Google, they don't need any other assistance with their research. When I meet with classes I show them how their results can change when they know what tools to use when on the Internet. Thanks to my colleague Nora, I have a new video to use in my presentations. Created with the wonderful site Xtranormal, this video is called "You Can't Just Google It".(It's funny, and we all know that will keep their attention)

You Can't Just Google It!
by: SweetSearch