How to put Google in Your Classroom

By Chris Yukna

How to put Google in Your Classroom

• Google Jockey

• Google Poetry

• Google Battles

• There is an App for that! Google Classroom.

• Pilot your class with keyphrases

• Sending everyone on a Quest

• Google Gmail acts like Audioboo

• Google Voice for dictation

What is a ? Definition: Google jockey is a student in the classroom who queries google for

terms, images, concepts, or resources mentioned or demanded by the teacher

& fellow students or something related to the topic. These searches are

displayed on a large screen as the class progresses thus helping to extend or

clarify the subjects discussed.In an ESL context, this is a great way to test an individual’s oral comprehension. The jockey (usually rotated every 15 minutes or so ) will often be asked to type something like “ oral bacteria and arterial plaque” or “ put in quotes take a decision then open a second tab and again, in quotations make a decision”. This is similar to the tried an true method of dictation, except it teaches all the students how to better use Google, the importance of synonyms, even how putting a word in plurals can completely change the results.

Tools Needed:

Why?

• We all learn! (teacher too)

• Students copy the jockey and progress remarkably.

• Engagement: everyone gets a chance to be put in the hot seat.

• Mistakes are made but not punished

• Everyone gets to input

• Classroom intelligence system

Pretty as a … picture in a fixture

Most of my students ignore Google’s suggestions, not only do they offer serendipity to searches, Google poetry is often a window to what everyone thinks. It is important as teachers to point out the possibilities.

Google Battles

You do not have to go to a battle website to perform a Google battle. The principle is simple the more pages indexed by GoogleThe more likely the phrase is correct or in common usage.It makes sense.However, quotation marks are normally essential.

There is platform & an App for thatGoogle has made a teaching platform similar to but a lot more extensive than say PBWorks.One draw back is that you have to buy into Google. Either use their Google Edusystem at your school or install Chrome and then download and install Classroomon the browser. There are all sorts of ways of scheduling homework and giving out marks.The real advantage is that things like Google Docs and Google Drive can be embedded into “Classroom” fairly easily.Another plus is that there are quite a few education and collaborative Apps at Google Chrome Web Store which can then be installed on chrome as plugins.

Some examples of apps:

Movenote for Education

Other Apps:Phonetically Intuitive English (PIE)Dictionary InstantThe 70 Best Apps For Teachers And Students

Proper Queries can take you anywhere

• Google Talk still has enormous advantages

Get your students in the habit of creating a Google Logbook. These notes are the combination of keyword that got them to interesting sites.Note: a diary or journal of search queries. The logbook keeps a record of key phrases that took the surfer to interesting sites and is used pedagogically to analyze the syntax

and progression of fruitful search..

Pilot a computer room with Google: In the past, for most schools, the problem was to have enough information. Textbooks were the solution and everyone needed to be on the same page. This is possible but hard to do in an internet classroom. However with the proper keyphrase you can pilot a group of students to any particular page on the web.

• evolving english quiz

• early american english true

• harrycards

• sex quiz dummies

• innovation for dummies emse

• advanced webpage workshop

• Ensorcelled TOEIC

• Fairy TOEIC

• Fiendish TOEIC

Here are some examples of keyphrases that will take you to some of my pages via google:

In the fight against plagiarism it was discovered that with English, and any language, there are so many different ways to combine words, that it took very few, six or usually less words in quotes to find the source of a text anywhere in the billions of pages on the web.

Therefore, you can direct your students to any specific page on the web with just a phrase. Test this with the key phrases on the left or just click if you are lazy. (Hey some times the result is second or third but you get the picture.)

with

Send them out into cyberspace!

There is some truth in saying thatWith the internet and all the connected devices etc that no one needs to be on the same page as another.In addition, student capital and sharing in the classroom are new mantras .The webquest combines self learning and exploring on a collaborative endeavor. The teacher chooses a complex subject and “decomposes” the task into bite sized pieces.

(Okay this is only weakly related to Google)

First example: Sahara mega engineering project

Process:The students are free to choose among 16 mini topics related to irrigating the Sahara or create their own.They spend time researching. Special emphasis is placed on e-mailing or contacting experts or concerned parties.(writing polite letters is a dying artform)Then a powerpoint presentation is created and published on line at sites like SlideShare. Finally, each student or groups of students has a set period of time 5 to 10 minutes to present

Nota bene: publishing on line saves lots of time, and students ask often if their English is acceptable.

Second example: poisonous animal webquest

First this is far more complex. A hypothesis is stated: There are no poisonous or venomous multicellar animals on the planet. All venom is produced by symbiotic bacteria that live with scorpions, snakes, spiders etc.

Second, none of the pictures is named and using reverse image search or their own intuition students must find the name of each animal.Third, few websites state empathically that this or that animal uses bacteriaTo produce its toxins there is a lot of evidence that this is the case from similar animals that do.Finally, after presenting, the class is broken down into to groups to debate if the hypothesis is true.

Decomposing endeavors is teaching by project.Any number of topics can be broken down and distributed to your pupils. Don’t worry you do not have to be an expert in engineering, risk analysis, or American Literature. You will be as your students teach you.Individually, you may not be impressed with your students or how savvy you have become. However, collectively over time they will surprise you and you yourself. This works with any subject that you and your students agree upon.

Google voice combined with Gmail can be used as an answering service. Your students can call an leave up to a three minute message. See How To Use Google Voice In Education by JenRobertsAnd there are good and bad things about being constantly available on line to yourstudents. But it is a way to get mobile phones involved in language teaching.

Google dictation: voice recognition has been more or less solved in the last couple of years or so. Combine Chrome, Google Docs, with Google Voice recognition and you have the most amazing language lab ever. Students can dictate their homework to a word processor in English, French, Spanish, German etc. and students print their articles.

It is not hard to imagine in a few months Google Voice Recognition with be able to subtitle a ESL Classroom & provide a pretty complete text of everything that was said in class.

Some pertinent sites

• Escape the Google Ghetto

• Wordelizer

• Edudemic

• If google was a guy 3.

• Google Scholar

• Internet archives

• Google Basics for Teaching

About the author:Chris Yukna was bornin the antediluvian 50s, had a paper route at 9, sold Christmas cards doorto door at 11, and washeddishes at 14. All theseenriching work experiences convinced him earlyon that he was totally unsuited to working and therefore should become a space cadet, madscientist, or teacher.He has three websites that he tries to update periodically:Science General (fun with science)Business Emporium (Esl business lessons & quizzes)Totally Unorthodox (where he puts everythingelse)

Outtakes:Google is full of…

Just to leave you smiling