Week Three-Google

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Last year was the first time I had really studied Google. I was amazed at all the features it has to offer. My two favorites are Google Reader and Google Earth.

Google Reader is something I use to keep up with all of the blogs I try to follow. It saves me so much time. Rather than going to each blog and opening up each one everyday to check for new postings, now I can have all of that information in one place on Google Reader. I love this feature! I have divided all of my blogs into specific folders: library blogs, just for fun,friends, and news.

Google Earth is another tool that I have recently used in the library. I went to the Technology conference this past year and went to a session on how to use Google Earth in your lessons. I incorporated it last year with my second grade library kids. We started by reading Flat Stanley. Then, I had each student create a Flat Stanley and I asked them to mail it to someone they know that does not live in Lake Jackson. As the Flat Stanleys came back to us, I would mark where they had been in a Google Earth file that I had created. As the second graders came to library we would show the Flat Stanley pictures and then find on the Google Earth map where each Stanley had visited. The kids loved it so much! In fact, they wanted to show it to their parents, so I had to learn how to create a kmz file (not hard at all) and post that on my library website. By doing so, the kids could access the Stanley map from home! This was especially cool because many of the places were historical landmarks (like our state capital)and Google Earth had actual pictures of the places that the kids could see! So fun! It was like we went on a field trip each library day!

I will try to copy that kmz file into this blog for you to see! Stay tuned!

Comments

  1. Michelle GriffithJuly 24, 2010 at 11:18 AM

    I would love it if you would share the lesson plans for the Flat Stanley project. I know my students would love to do it too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mrs. LewJuly 29, 2010 at 3:41 PM

    You have got to be the coolest librarian! What an experience for your students, one they are not likely to forget. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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