My Favorite Search Tips and Gmail Tips

I had never thought about why there were custom search engines, or why they would be helpful, until now.  I have learned there are multiple ways to guide your audience in the direction you choose. With so much information at your fingertips, its nice to know there are ways to lessen frustration, and guide viewers to the intended points of interest.

Custom search engines can be created using specific websites to glean content from.  I love the ability to customize the sites and kinds of sites information comes from, without the viewer knowing. When you want to add a custom search engine, you simply go to www.google.com/cse/ while you are logged into your Google account.  This will present you with spaces to add desired websites to choose or even .edu, .com, .net, .gov.  You can customize whether you'd like thumbnails to appear or keep them hidden also.  There are so many options perfect for teaching.

I chose to create my custom Google search on Famous Artists, titled Art History Artist Search.

Links to Art Videos in Action from the Custom Search

As students learn art history, it's imperative to give students multiple ways to understand the interesting lives of the artists, including photographs, videos, and presentations relating to the artists.

This link directs you to a common teaching site, Khan Academy.  This was found as a result of the customized art history search.

The History of Visual Art

Here's a sample of Mati and Dada's biographical art videos for children.  I use these for my K-2 students to learn deep meanings and study of familiar paintings.  I've had great success with my students connecting images from these videos, to the real paintings and sculptures.

Defining Searches

I also learned new ways to define searching for images, key words, quotes, and formal names by modifying the search slightly.
By using quotation marks, one can search for specific phrases and names.
For example:  "Van Gogh"  "impressionist painter"  "Eiffel Tower"

By using file types in searches, one can find usable, editable files shared for usage online.
For example:  ppt, mp3, xls, pdf

By searching for ppt files below, I was greeted with many excellent options of files I can use, modify, and stem from for my own lesson creation. Teaching simplified.

Gmail Tips

One of the most interesting features of Gmail I have learned, is the ability to use one email to send and receive emails for a large group of people.  In the linked article below, you can follow simple steps to set up your classroom or other mailing lists for best safe, confidential usage.

How to Create Student Accounts Using One Email

Another interesting tip I learned is how to chat on Gmail!  I had no idea this option was available until I learned these simple steps located within a hilarious tutorial below.

 

One Last Tip for Today

Here is an amazing list of apps you should download onto your phone.  You just might need this one day.
Google Apps to Download