Google Externship March 20, 2009
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Conference Sessions, Tools.trackback
If you ever get the opportunity to participate in a Google Externship (field trip for teachers) do yourself a favor and do it! These are bright people who spend a lot of time thinking about how the Internet should work, and how they can support teachers and learning. Below are my notes from my visit to the Google building in Boulder, Colorado, yesterday.
Google Teacher Externship
Google Boulder
3-19-09
Google Earth
Navigation skills are important. N resets compass orientation. Google Earth Outreach can assist with creating your own layers. A Gray building has all of the building data (Sketchup model) included. The ruler tool lets you choose points to measure distances. Google Earth Pro is free for educators and students. You can customize your own content. Add points, paths, polygons, etc. The language for your own content is kml. Export allows for kml and kmz files. You can also add image overlays with your own images. Here is a link for a tutorial for KML from Google:
http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/kml_tut.html
Google Sketchup
Click-release-click to draw. Called the rubber band effect. Look for the colors to identify the axis. Typing in a length allows you to draw with accuracy. Escape is your friend to stop. It took just a few minutes to get used to how the tools worked, so if it doesn’t seem obvious at first, give it a little time.
Advanced Search
Three basic parts to a search results page. Top ads along the top, right side ads on the right, and the search result for the main portion of the page. There is a lot of AI used by Google crawlers when they search through the Internet. Context is part of the consideration. Suggested searches appear when you type in your search query. Start with a simple search. If it isn’t right, modify it. Double-check the results. [ define:philtrum ] How about searching for information on something that is visual media? From the results, try defining the word to verify. Use the snippets (search result descriptions) to get more terms to use to refine the search. What about synonyms? How much context do I need in my search? Is there another phrase for the context that could be tried? For specific types of results, include the term in the search, like wikipedia, image, video, forum, overview, tutorial, FAQ, etc. Include the ~ to include a word and its sysnonyms. Check out a book through my own library using Google? Books.google.com, search for a book, select a result, select “Find this book in a library” and check it out.
Google Maps
Started with directions. There is a link for public transportation or walking if available. The ’show options’ link allows you to set an arrival or departure time. You can also create your own walking tour to see distances. A ‘one box’ search provides a specific response, for example, a flight number provides information about that specific flight.
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