Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Google Docs Research Feature


The CCSS writing standards dictate the student’s need to support their arguments with “valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence”.  Often this means research.  Teaching students about choosing reputable sites and significant data has to be done frequently.  Anyone can write a blog these days, but that doesn’t make him or her an expert on the subject.  That being said, Google now offers a great little tool that helps with the research aspect of writing a paper.

By highlighting a word on a Google Doc, then clicking Tools ->Research, a sidebar opens, showing a Google Search of that term.  Students love it, especially when told they need more supporting documentation.  It will even create a citation at the bottom of the document. 

CC Connection: Google Docs can help a teacher satisfy many of the writing standards.  The Research feature specifically addresses these:  Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

No comments: