This year I have the wonderful opportunity to explore technology to Grade 8 students. One of the first things I introduced them to was A Google a Day. I figured it would be a great way for them to spend a few minutes before the class begins, jump starting their brains and learning to search like a ninja.
For those who aren’t familiar with A Google a Day it’s basically a scavenger hunt. Everyday Google presents a tricky question and players are meant to search for the answer. The questions often require one to hunt for some pretty obscure, but fascinating information. As a player, you can take your time or race the clock. My students like the race aspect. If you get stuck Google offers hints on how to search. I like this because it teaches my students different ways to look for information.
We started the year by completing A Google a Day together, and many of students were hooked immediately. Now I walk into class and look around to see the students with Google a Day on their screens and focused on finding answers to quirky questions like ‘What major historic attraction can [be found] on the road from
Xcalacoop to Piste?’or ‘[Who] threw Sicily’s highest mountain on top of a mythological monster?‘
Playing A Google a Day motivates students to use search engines more effectively and to find information more efficiently. This is cool! But my favorite aspect of A Google a Day is that it introduces them to fascinating people, places and ideas that they might not have stumbled upon elsewhere. And for me, I truly get to learn something new everyday.
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