Megan's Rewind

This week we're on the road with Google Drive ! Google Drive offers so many possibilities for its users. The most basic ways to utilize Google Drive are to store files that can be accessed from any computer (with internet connection) or to share files with other Drive users from any location. However, the world of Google Drive is almost endless -- there are so many other features that can be useful for educators or people working in any fields. Google Drive offers many collaborative opportunities, allowing users to create and share documents that other users can edit or contribute to. Google Drive includes free online programs similar to Word (Docs), Excel (Sheets) and Powerpoint (Slides) that are user-friendly and have wonderful customization features. Additionally, Google Drive offers other collaboration tools such as Forms, where you can create surveys or other forms to gain feedback from users; Google Drawings, where you can create graphic organizers or illustrations to share...

Let's face it. When you want to get online to search for something, what do you say? "I'm going to Google it." Right? In my opinion, Google has cornered the market as the most popular search engine. I mean, it's name has become a verb. But did you know that you can create your own custom search engine ? Before this week, I didn't either! It's a super cool feature that Google offers and most people have never heard about. You can watch the video below to learn more about creating your own! After learning about this tool, I decided to give it a try. Since I currently teach students ranging from ages 3-5, using a search engine isn't a classroom task they can do independently. However, they are learning to use technology, and by example I can show them how to search for information they may need or want to know in the future. I created a search engine directly linked to websites for kids that have to do with animal facts -- that way, when they have...

This week I was introduced to the world of Google, like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia -- there's so much to see and explore. As a teacher, I'm beginning to realize that there are so many useful tools out there that I have yet to discover. Someone is out there trying to make our lives easier. First, I downloaded the Google Chrome browser, which you can find here . As a first time user, I can't say that I notice a huge difference in it's browsing ability compared to other browsers like Firefox or Safari, however, if you dig a little deeper, you learn that there are these things called EXTENSIONS ! Extensions are things you can download to make your life easier on various webpages. For example, if you're showing your students a video on YouTube, you may want to download and apply the Turn Off the Lights  extension that makes everything on the screen (other than the video) dark to avoid distractions, or Adblock for YouTube  which eliminates all those pesky ...