I enjoyed exploring different search tools and finding new resources for my students to use. Based on what I think would be best for my kids, I used KidRex, PebbleGo, and Choosito for my custom search engine. I like that KidRex has a kid-friendly look and is easy to use. I like that Choosito is designed for the K-2 learner, which serves the kids I work with. I found Choosito to be particularly interesting, as you can select what level reader you are and what specific resources you're looking for. I thought combining these search engines would be best. I left feeling like there is just a LOT of information out there!
Click For Custom Search
I will be honest - this lesson wasn't my favorite. I explored the different databases and did not find them to be user friendly. In working with second grade students with special needs, using a simple Google search tool is far easier than the searching that is required for many of these databases. Many topics that I searched garnered zero results, which was frustrating. I found Novel NY to provide more information than other sites, but it still wasn't easy to use. Across platforms I continued to receive zero search results for "tigers," "sharks," and "animals". Under NovelNY I did find the Kids InfoBits page, which I did like. I particularly liked the annotation tools on the side. Being able to highlight the text, print, and even send information directly to your Google Drive is a great feature! I also like that if students were working together on a group project they could use the "share to group" feature. This would be a nice way to teach students to curate information to be shared with one another. This is a tool I would love to share with my kids as we begin our next research topic.
InfoBits
For this lesson I read several articles and explored a few different tools on curation. I have heard of some of these tools before, but I hadn't thought of them in this way. For example, I love the idea of using Pinterest in the classroom. This is such a great way to curate resources for students in one place. I also think it's easy to navigate, so they would find success with it. I explored Diigo and I think it's a good concept, but probably more effective for older students. I also tried using Padet. I think this would be a good tool for students to collect ideas on a topic. For example, if the class had to respond to a text they could add their thoughts to the Padlet page as well as read the feedback of their peers. There are a lot of options here! I think the most important takeaway is that all of these outlets will increase engagement with our students!
https://padlet.com/aerin025/eduh5xfdj5z7
I explored a variety of tools for this lesson. Google Slides is one of my favorite programs. I find it to be easy to use, and I like that you can access the program from any computer at any time. If a student created their slide in the classroom they could access the same slideshow from the library, home, or on vacation. I tried using Beautiful AI and I liked the ease of use in terms of layout and design. I think this would be a straightforward program for students to use. They essentially just have to fill in the layout that they've been given. For some students, this may be easier than designing the layout for themselves, so they can focus on the actual content instead. I think Adobe Spark was my favorite program. I was amazed at how vivid the photos were! The transitions between each slide were very smooth, and my students would be able to select the photos they want to use with ease. I created a slideshow to introduce a unit we will be doing on animals. I would then have my students use the same program for their presentations. I will definitely be using this program in the future!
Animal Research Project Slideshow:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/ZWML2waVloUkO/
