I decided to leave all my tabs open during the latest #edchat. It's 28 or so tabs, each of which is for some article, person to follow on Twitter, or factoid I learned during the chat. Now I get to spend the next 45 or so minutes sorting through them, which will likely lead to following more links and people on Twitter. The PD cycle a person can get into through #edchat is overwhelming, but it's so invigorating. If you're not on Twitter or you don't participate in some sort of online discussion that's related to your teaching, you're really missing out on the party.

Google Powersearch

Over the past few days, I've been taking lessons online from Google to learn as much as I can about the  search engine. My main reason for doing so is that I can better helps my students with research. From my experience teaching last year in a computer lab, I have come to discover that students love Google.  In fact the primary way of finding information in class (once they break the habit of asking me (how flattering!)) consists of "Googling it," and I want to be able to guide them as best as I can in the use of this tool. Being the well-seasoned Internet-sleuth I think am, I was shocked to learn so much from the course. I now strongly believe that...
1. Google Power Search training is good for anyone who has to use the Web in a productive way,
2. Google knows how to put together a really solid online course.

What it's like-
According to the website, the Google course consists of the following:

Six 50-minute classes.

Closed captioned videos.

Interactive activities to practice new skills.

Opportunities to connect with others using Google Groups, Google+, and Hangouts on Air.

Upon passing the post-course assessment, a printable Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you.

The videos are like sitting down with a kind, clear professor who takes you in and out of demos, to show you exactly what steps to take to use the various features of Google, and there are many that I had no idea even existed.

This image comes from Google.

The videos are short and the demos are engaging enough that you can follow along and learn as you go, plus the activities are simple, yet challenging at the same time. Most of the questions are multiple choice, requiring you to do a quick Google search, putting into practice the skills you've learned. If you get an answer wrong, no sweat, you just try again. It's very low stakes, and very at-your-own pace. Plus, for those looking for additional challenges, there is a very lively forum of classmates (Is that the right word?) offering other challenging searches up for discussion, which is really neat. Also, there are two "exams," to take, a midterm and a final. The midterm is, again, at your own pace, and you get to fix your mistakes as many times as you want before submitting your score, which I guess is when it becomes official. 

Here is a short list of things I have learned so far as a result of taking the course, or at least these are the sorts of things I knew Google could do, but had never tried, and the course revealed to me that they were very useful:

1. Pasting an image into the search bar and having the Internet find where that image came from.- This was really cool. 

2. Searching for related images by color.- For instance, you want a cool picture of Shakespeare, but the backgrounds of the pictures you find are always really subdued and boring, try searching by red or yellow, or some other more exciting color.

3. Narrowing search results by time period. This feature is especially useful for verifying the authenticity of quoted material because you can search the materials of the time period from which the quote supposedly comes. Very cool. 

There are several other cool things to learn; even if you think you're a Google pro, there's probably at least one tidbit or idea that will make your Googling more effective.

Plus, I was finally able to find a picture of a neat sculpture (actually a model of a sculpture) I had seen on vacation in Rhode Island, that I was really miffed I couldn't find. Here is the statue, in case you're interested: http://flic.kr/p/9JYubC The real one is in France.

Probably the most valuable part of the entire course came in Unit 5 in which we are taught how to verify the quality of the information. I like this part because it come straight from the company, telling students that they can't be passive users of the site, and because it has a lot of really good tips. For instance, the video covers several issues I frequently have to address in the classroom (I include them in bold because I find myself repeating these to students every time we do research) :

1. Just because a result comes up first in a Google search does not make the the most credible, authoritative or reliable source on your topic.

2. Check the quality of your sources by reading the URL of the site.

3. Search again. (I would add to this last one that "re-search" is called that because it literally means "look again." It's not called "Google once and quit.")

I would recommend anyone in education take the online course, which they will hopefully offer again soon. Here's why:

1. You really learn how to make Google do exactly what you want, and it adds a ton of tools to your search arsenal.

2. While the skills learned in the course are specific to Google, they are beautifully transferrable to other popular search engines and research databases, which have cool tools of their own to learn. Anything that shows the students they can do more with a search engine than than type "What was men's fashion like in the 1920s?" is an edu-win in my book.

3. The classes are easy and fun.

4. From a teaching perspective, the testing is no-risk and will raise a lot of questions about the way we do things in the classroom. For instance, I earned a 70% on my first attempt at the midterm, but the test told me I could raise my score if I reviewed a few modules, so I did, and I learned the material and earned a 100%. Should I have been punished for not knowing the answers the first time? Should our students in our own classrooms? What would it take to get my classroom to run more like this Google course? Can it be done within the confines of the education system status quo? Again, the course raises some interesting questions.

5. Speaking of interesting questions, is this course not an example of gamification? I really want that certificate from Google. Is it not a badge?

I am eager to finish, and I'll post again with some final thoughts.

AP Scores Release Reflection...

So my students' AP Language and Composition scores were released today, and I need to start out by saying that I am so proud them! Every student did a great job and all should be happy proud, whether they earned a 1 or a 5, or anywhere in between. It is a very hard test, and every student in the class worked really hard to do well. The fact they signed up for the class and worked their tails off mean that they're already successful. Why? Because the scores don't really mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it's nice to do well, and it's not so nice to earn a lower score, but the world of testing and categorizing students and separating them into groups is not what learning is all about.

That's right; the AP Test is just one test given on one particular day. It by no means will determine your educational progress or potential, because learning- as in the kind of learning that happens in the real world- is more nebulous than many tests would lead you to believe. What is learning? Learning is a journey filled with many trials and exciting experiences. It's not just something you do during the school year; it's happening to you all the time. Testing might lead one to see that journey through a skewed lens, but when you find your passion and you begin to see the skills around you as supportive of that passion, that's when learning really begins. So whether you're a student who earned a 1 or a student who earned a 5, here are 3 educational goals far more important than a 5 on an AP exam:

Curiosity- The old adage about curiosity killing cats is some of the worst advice I've ever heard. Curiosity is what keeps life exciting! We live in such an enormous, exciting world filled with people of varying backgrounds, languages, tastes, beliefs, styles, and ways of doing things. In addition to the people, there are tons of experiences worth checking out, whether it be trying a new restaurant or going bungee jumping (note, it is also important to exercise caution when indulging your curiosities, lest you go overboard), but you should not let fear prevent you from stepping outside of your comfort zone to try something new that could be potentially life-changing. If you earn a 5 on the AP exam, but then don't care about anything going on the the world around you, what good is that 5 doing you? Even if you don't know what excites you, curiosity is that fire in your belly that says "I should be finding something important in my life," and which drives you to find it. I'd rather each one of my students have that fire that keeps them striving to find what matters to them. Scores are nice, but they're fleeting. Curiosity lasts a lifetime. Keep seeking, always. 

Passion- What is something you care really strongly about? Find it. More so than any other goal for my students, my hope is that you will find your passion. Once you find your passion, you are golden. Sure, your passions are subject to change over time, but the important thing is that you keep working toward finding what drives you (curiosity) and then you pursue it as powerfully as you can. Reading articles about your passion, blogging, finding others who share your passion, and then going out in the world and putting your love for (whatever) into action... these are the reasons we learn things, not just to earn a numerical score from the College Board. 

Perseverance- Whether your find your passion or not, it is important to persevere at all levels of the process of finding and embracing what you are passionate about. Can't find your passion? Keep looking. Found your passion? Good for you. Hopefully everything you do out of the love of that passion is paying off and you've had no failures or setbacks. If you're normal, however, and your passion is truly one worth pursuing, there will be obstacles, and there will be setbacks. When faced with adversity, keep going. Believe in yourself and keep going. 

So while the AP Language and Composition Exam is the culminating experience of the course, and while the course is designed to help all students achieve their maximum potential on the test, the test is very small potatoes in the overall grand scheme of life. Never forget: you can be as smart as you want to be. Don't let a test score tell you otherwise. Seek your passion, find your passion, and stick with your passion.