Google+Tools


 * Picasa** - @http://picasa.google.com/

Picasa is a wonderful free program from google that will organize your photos and give you simple editing options. More than that though, it offers you a chance to upload photos for others to view them, create slideshows set to music, and create photo collages with text added.

Start by clicking on "My Maps" and then watching the video. If the video isn't there, try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw&feature=relmfu or watch here: media type="custom" key="8666434"
 * Google maps** - @http://maps.google.com

Google maps is useful for more than just finding your way from point A to point B. Students can create their own tours with Google maps. They can do this to chart a characters locations in a story, map out historical events, or even learn about perimeter. Maps can have pictures and videos added as well. Students can also create their own tour of their city or a city or state they're doing a project on or even map out different places they have lived. Here's a link with other ideas: @http://www.google.com/educators/p_maps.html


 * Google earth** - http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

Google earth is an amazing tool to either use to show kids something, have the kids discover information, or have the kids create their own tour. Go ahead and download and install Google Earth. Here is a link to some basics about what Google Earth can do: [] Feel free to try any of the tutorials. Check out some local sites like Coors Field and Invesco Field since they have 3D representations. For some ideas of what types of things to go with Google Earth, here are a couple of links:

Other project ideas: [] Lesson plan library - [] Ways to use google earth [] Mix Google Earth and Discovery Ed. []

While in Google Earth, don't forget to check out the Sky, Mars, and Moon functions. Here's a brief video about it: media type="custom" key="8666496"
 * Google Sky, Mars, and Moon**

One of my favorite projects I did as a fifth grade teacher was after learning about constellations I had students create their own constellation and write a myth to accompany it.


 * Panoramio** - www.panoramio.com

From the Panoramio Help site -

//Panoramio is a community-powered site for exploring places through photography: cities, natural wonders, or anywhere you might go. Panoramio is a showcase for the talents of its contributors, a place to see the world, and a community where members determine the content. Panoramio photos don't contain commercial messages.// //Panoramio is different from other photo sharing sites because the photos illustrate places. As you browse Panoramio, notice that there aren't many photos of friends and family posing in front of places, or photos of interesting surfaces--Panoramio's all about seeing the world.//

What I love about Panoramio is that it is searchable by place. So, put in Boston, MA or Dublin, Ireland, or Pyramids of Giza and wooooooosh, you are taken to photos of those places that are integrated into a Google Earth interface. It's very powerful and very easy to use.

Google offers a very powerful, yet easy to use, webpage designer and hosting. Here are some of the things you are able to do with it:
 * Google Sites -** sites.google.com

- Chose from dozens of templates - Customize the layout and design with drag and drop editing - Embed video from Google Video or YouTube - Embed other Google offerings, like maps, calendar, documents, forms, etc.

It is not easy, however, to embed podcasts unless you upload them to another location on the internet.


 * Richard Byrne's Google Guides:**

media type="custom" key="8769030"

For some reason, the second one's embed code isn't working, so here is a link to it: Google Guide II


 * Tools from Google Labs**

Google Body - bodybrowser.googlelabs.com

Google Art Project - www.googleartproject.com

Other Google Labs products - www.googlelabs.com


 * Other Google Offerings**

Google Books - books.google.com While it's great that kids can search for and find great books to read or preview online, it's even better that they can then write a review of any books they have read as well! Google Books also offers suggested readings. Check out the page for "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" - []

Google Knol - knol.google.com - Share what you know with the world. This would be a great place for kids to "publish" findings/what they've learned.

Google Scholar - [|scholar.google.com] - Search for and find scholarly works on a given topic. While these may be above our students' heads, we can certainly benefit from what we find. Check out the search results for interactive whiteboards - []

Google Reader [] How do people read so many websites in a short span of time? Easily with Google Reader. Goo

Google Alerts - [] Have a topic you know is coming up and want to get updates on what people are saying about it? Or what news articles are being currently written about it? Set-up a google alert on that topic and get the results sent to an email address or delivered to a feed service, such as Google Reader.

Google Sketchup - [] Create 3-d models using Google's Sketchup software. While this can be time consuming, it would be neat for students to use it to create 3D models to be put into Google Earth.