Googling Power

Google is by far the most popular search engine that we use many times in a day. Here are a few searching Better: Tips & Tricks that we can use in our work or school, or research !

The Use of Quotes : 
For searching the exact phrase, quotes are used.For example: if we want to search for theories of learning, searching for "theories of learning" in the Google search box will search explicitly for the phrase.

site specific:

Use the "site:" operator to search only within a certain website. For example: if we are researching on  Mahatma Gandhi and wants to use a .edu website as a source.  In the Google search box, search for "Mahatma Gandhi site:edu" and it will return the results for Mahatma Gandhi on .edu websites.

Specific Document Types:

If we  just want to search for a typical file format like .ppt , .PDF files, or Word documents, we use the modifier "filetype:".If we  want to find about  idealistic philosophy, but we want it in a power-point format  Search for "idealistic philosophy filetype:ppt" and we'll only get ppt. documents in  results.

Word definition:

Use the "define:" operator to get a quick definition. "define:classical conditioning" in the search box will give us a whole host of definitions from different sources, with links. 

Advanced search

If you can't remember any of these operators, you can always use Google's advanced search.

The above mentioned are the few most useful ones.  For more modifiers and other search tips, check out  "Better Google Search" video below !

Voki - Animated Avatar Application.

Hey. Did you guys saw my Welcome note? Isn't it pretty cool ? She is my Voki avatar.Check out the way the avatar’s eyes follow the mouse if you move it around the screen ! Voki is an "animated avatar application" through which educators can incorporate technology into lesson plans and other classroom activities.These types of tools are a great way to engage students in preparing assignments, reports, or projects.And the best part is it's Free !!!

On the web site ,there is a special section - Voki for Education. Also,  two of the main resources provided for educators are a Lesson Plans database and a Teacher’s Corner forum. I had a lot of fun getting hands-on and trying out Voki! 

I’d love to hear  how you are planning to use them in your classroom! If you’ve used these or other animations applications, please  comment below and share your observations or thoughts.