- “youtube”
- “cool math games”
- “pbs kids”
- “think through math”
- “unblocked games”
… just to name a few!
So
what does this reveal about our students?
They like videos and games (shocking,
we know). Our students want to play
and learn!
The
data also reveals a need to teach effective
online searching. Instead of going
directly to a website, the top 20 trending OKCPS searches included:
- “youtube”
- “youtube.com”
- “google”
- “google.com”
- “okcps.org”
If
students are searching for these URLs
rather than entering them directly in the address bar, we can guess they are
not using many advanced search features, such as filters and Boolean rules….. not yet at least!
Inspired Next Steps:
Let
kids play and learn!
- Use relevant, engaging, short videos in your lessons and assignments. You can even embed questions within the videos to check for understanding.
- Websites: WingClips, Teach with Movies
- Tools: PlayPosit, TedEd, EDPuzzle
- Tutorials: OKCPS Formative Assessment Tools
- Use games and gamification to motivate students (both on- and off-line).
- Example: Kelly Sehon, math teacher at Belle Isle, uses gamification to differentiate and motivate his students. He uses a wizard theme as students tackle increasingly complex tasks and work toward levels of wizarding status.
- Create a class/school webpage with links to free, quality games for learning.
Teach
21st Century search features and techniques!
- Simple Google Search Tips (1:44 video)
- Filtering Google Search Results (1:36 video)
- How to Google Like a Pro: Top 10 Tips (5:40 video)
- Assignments for Student (blog post with files)
