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3 (more!) Google Hacks for Research and Referencing

It seems everyone loves a good Google hack.

After last week’s video with the ninja trick to finding the date for referencing websites, I’ve had some super-appreciative feedback, so I’m gonna share more…

Here are my top three non-technical Google-Hacks that I think could be super-useful to your teen.

 

So I’ve had a ton of feedback basically loving last week’s video all about the ninja trick to finding the date for referencing websites, plus I’ve had a few suggestions of other tips and tricks.

I have to admit, I knew of all of them, BUT the more technical ones I always forget,

so in case it’s the same for you,

I’ve come up with my top three that I think could be super-useful to your teen.

Ok, so Google hack number 3 is

(we’re doing this countdown style-ee here, okay) 😉

*start the music chart countdown backing track*

(3)

Adding the subject or topic in the search box in addition to the key word that your teen is searching.

This is because just searching for the name of the person, place, event or concept often gives too wide a variety of results, which then just leads to hours upon hours of trawling a ton of websites and results including many which are totally irrelevant.

The example I always give for this is adding in the subject when researching the definition of ‘depression’ – because of course you’re going to want verrrry different results depending on whether you are researching this word for History, Business Studies, Economics, Biology or HPE, or even for an atmospheric depression in Geography or Science.

Just adding in the subject or topic is going to give much more focused results.

Onto Google Hack number 2:

(2)

Putting quote marks around the word or phrase that is a must-have search term and in the order/exact phrase you have typed.

Often Google gives results that have a sneaky little greyed out bit of text below that shows the part of the search that isn’t included in that result… which, can sometimes be the main thing you really wanted it to find!

So using our previous example, if I was researching the dates for the great depression for history, I might actually include the words –

history date

and then type

“the great depression”

with quote marks before the word the and after the word depression.

This means that the words ‘The Great Depression’ as a whole phrase must appear in any search results. So no more wasted time clicking on results only to realise they don’t actually have the key info or topic I was after.

And – drumroll please – here is my fave google hack for students.

Well, it’s not really a hack – more of a ‘I can’t believe how many students don’t know about this whole other thing’ kinda thing.

But Google Hack number 1 – is ….

(1)

Google Scholar.

This gem of a search engine searches all academic papers and publications, like scientific journals, peer reviewed articles and academically acclaimed books, websites and other publications.

So your teen can say goodbye to good-old Wikipedia

‘Urgh.’ I can tell you that no teacher ever wants to see Wikipedia in a reference list beyond Y7, maaayyyybe Year 8. At a push.

and they can say hello to more sophisticated, more reliable and credible sources for their research.

This is at scholar.google.com

Or, of course, you can just type in Google Scholar into Google!!! *There’s gotta be a meme or other joke-y-joke of google-ing for Google out there, right?*

But extra tip – make sure you’re in google scholar.com, rather than .com.au – which is where it’ll take you if you search it from google.com.au.

You staying with me here?!

So, there are my top 3 Google hacks for your teen – to save them a ton of time AND give them better QUALITY academic sources and references.

I’d love to hear your feedback on these 3 Google hacks – which one will be most useful to your teen and why – tell me in the comments below, and then while you’re there, go ahead and give this a like or a share 🙂

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week.

Katie

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Ninja Trick for Source Referencing

It can be a total nightmare trying to work out the date of publication for websites.

 

Until now!

 

Check out this ninja trick that a brilliant, computer-savvy student told me about just a few days ago!

(Yep, I tried and tested it, and it really works!)

 

 

You’re looking for that thing you put in a ‘safe place’ ?

Once you realise it’s not where you think it should or could be, well then it could be A.N.Y-where.

After looking for a good half hour or more, you still don’t find it and you either turn the house upside down

(if it’s REALLY important- like when my sister’s best friend couldn’t find her passport the night before they were due to fly to New York for a ‘big-zero-birthday’ trip)

or you give up.

 

It’s the same when your teen comes to referencing and bibliographies, particularly for websites.

 

Ok – starting with an obvious statement here, but stick with me.

Are you ready – here it comes…

Students are using websites more than ever to research essays, reports and assignments.

Shock-horror!

Thank you Captain Obvious!

 

But here’s the problem:

It can be a total nightmare trying to work out the date of publication of websites.

Journal articles and scientific papers – simple – it’s stated on the front page at the top. Easy!

Books – it’s like a page or two inside the cover. Simple – done.

Even blog articles usually have a date with them.

 

But trying to find the ‘date of publication’ of a website – toooootal nightmare!

Because not only does a website very rarely have a date it was published displays,

but technically you really need the date it was last updated, because of COURSE, the beauty of websites over books is that they can easily be updated.

 

So… I have a small but mighty trick for your teen.

And it sounds super-techy – but I promise you, it really isn’t.

Granted, a clever and tech-y student told me this trick, BUT I tried it and it worked straight away for me – so anyone can do this, okay!! 🙂

 

Now, quick heads up.

As far as I know, this only works in Chrome, so if your teen uses Safari or Explorer or Firefox, they’ll need to download Google Chrome.

 

Then 

> STEP 1
– go to the webpage where their source or quote is.

And then…

> STEP 2 – Whilst on that page, type the following text into the web address bar. (And yes, I’ll type it into the blog so that you can totally cheat and copy-paste it.) You have to type in:

javascript:alert(document.lastmodified)

 

Now, it doesn’t work for EVERY webpage.

In my experience, probably 60-70%.

But hey, that’s pretty good.

And if a student has 10 online sources and it saves them 10 mins of searching around for the date of the webpage for 6 or 7 of them, then yikes – that’s over an hour of wasted time SAVED!

And, that makes me so happy!

I love me a bit of time efficiency!

 

And #BonusTrick that your teen can do too:

I emailed myself that text, so that now, instead of having to remember it, I can just go to that email and copy-paste it straight in.

You’re welcome 😉

 

If you or your teen has any other tips and tricks like this, definitely feel free to share them with me on email or comment below this blog post.

Not only will I love you forever, but I also promise to share them with our community of parents and students too (so they’ll love you too) 🙂

 

Hope that helps save a ton of time and bother searching for a webpage date for referencing and bibliographies in future.

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!

 

 

 

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When Procrastination is Productive!

I’m all for being organised and on top of things.
But there are SOME situations and certain tasks for students where a specific and purposeful decision to leave something to the last minute *can* actually mean improved efficiency AND a better outcome and result.

 

Which camp is your teen in?

Are they in the ‘Leave it to the last minute – I work better under pressure’camp?

Or are they in the ‘Get it done as soon as they get it’camp?

 

Although I know there are examples of some super-successful people coming up with their best work under pressure, I personally prefer to feel in control and reduce my stress levels as much as possible.

* Raises hand for the second camp*

 

BUT… Ahhh, there’s a but! 😉

BUT… there are SOME situations where I’ve made a specific and purposeful decision to leave something to the last minute because experience has told me that it works better that way and actually saves me time and effort.

And there are certain types of tasks and situations where this could be the case for students too:

 

1)  Anything where they have to present.
(For me, that could be an in-school workshop or an online webinar).

In other words, anything where I’ll be able to perform betterif the information and content is fresh in my head.

If I’ve just finished the powerpoint or just written the content or schedule, then it’s going to be top of mind for me and therefore I’ll be a lot more confident inpresentingand have everything on the tip of my tongue.

The topic or concepts are already rolling around in my head and so examples or analogies will be easy to pull out as I’m asked questions or when I need to expand on something.

This means I’m not just relying on my powerpoint or notes.
(Never a good look in a presentation – for me or your teen!)

I’m less robotic and can really get into the event a lot more as well, making it a lot more engaging for the parents or students.

 

Overall, I can focus on making the delivery really amazing, rather than having to try to remember or think so much about what I’m saying.

 

The same goes for these blog videos!

I started off, years ago, planning the topics I wanted to talk about much further in advance than I do today! But then it meant that I had to read back over my notes and remind myself of what it was I was going to talk about before I started the camera rolling.

 

What I quickly found though, is that if I leave it til the day or day before I want to film to plan what to talk about, then it’s fresh in my head and I don’t end up spending additional time recapping my notes or going back over my ideas and thoughts.

So I actually SAVE time, AND do a better job of the delivery.(I hope!) 😉

 

So, for students, if there’s a task where they have to present or act out or deliver a speech, then as long as they still give themselves time for editing, improvements and proofreading, then it might be better for them to actually construct the powerpoint, or write the final script close to the performance date.

 

2) When there’s more information that will become available before the deadline.

 

When I first started in teaching and was preparing for Parent-Teacher interviews, I’d compile data and notes on students well in advance.

(Because of course Miss Organised over here likes to get things done asap – that should really have become my married name – MRS Organised) 😉

 

But then a couple of parents would end up cancelling – which meant wasted time and effort.

Plus, things would sometimes come up or change in terms of how a student is going in the week or days leading up.
So I had to end up changing my notes or data anyway, doubling up my time and effort.

 

Students might find themselves in this sort of ‘new info becomes available and so changes what I do or don’t need to do’ situation when the teacher is going to continue to drip info, ideas, tips, or content.

I’ve seen this in a couple of my Personal Coaching students where they’ve done what seems like the right thing and gotten started on a report or assignment early, only to get some additional or new info the next lesson that means they need to change, or take out, or add in something.
This has meant there’s been some wasted time or effort, or perhaps a difficult choice in whether to continue with what they’ve got, or make a pivot in order to get the grade they want or need.

 

So rather than default to whatever ‘camp’ your teen usually sit in, have them make a conscious and calculated decision about their homework and assignment tasks.

 

When is it going to be beneficial to get ahead?

When might it actually make more sense to leave it a little longer before they start working on it?

 

>> Let me know in the comments!… Which camp does your teen usually sit in and how is that working for them? I’d love to hear your feedback 🙂

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!

Katie

 

 

 

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Is your teen confusing the examiner?

A confused marker means a potential loss of marks.

Why?

Because it’s hard for the examiner to find where and how the mark scheme criteria have been achieved.

Here’s what I noticed about answers that came through to me at the ‘referee marking’ stage and HOW students can avoid this happening to their paper.

 

 

KEY TAKE AWAYS::

* How to NOT confuse the exam marker!

Students need to…

> Get really familiar with the exam paper and the mark scheme (use past papers!) so they know how different types of Qs are worded and set out, and what is required of them in the mark scheme.

In other words, what ‘style/format’ of response is required by the mark scheme?

E.g. does an analysis Q on a specific type of paper/exam require a flowing essay style response, or a series of succinct key points with extended explanations?

BONUS TIP! This can also be a great way to save time in the exam if you know you can get full marks with a more succinct set of points rather than flowing paragraphs!

> Avoid jumping around between points. There is a difference between making links between different points and creating a confusing mish-mash of info!!! Instead, clearly explain the point you are making (or analyse it, or evaluate it!) and then move onto the next (with a linking sentence if a link between them is required, e.g. cause and effect).

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Should Students ‘Hedge Their Bets’ in Exam Answers?

Should students give more options/ideas/examples/*whatever the Q is asking for* than it demands?

E.g. If it asks for two, what happens if they give three?

I’ve covered elements of this before (e.g. the system of ‘positive marking’, how mark schemes were structured in this respect in previous exam marker video diaries) so I’m giving an alternative view on this by considering the possible >>‘opportunity cost’ in terms of time in the exam<<.

Or, more like, (the very common problem of) ‘running OUT of time’ in an exam ?

 

 

KEY TAKE AWAYS::

  • How students’ answers are marked if they give more points than required.
  • Sometimes (and this is what I see most often) mark schemes will use ‘positive marking’ meaning they’ll read all of the response and credit the best parts (e.g. if three points are given, when two are asked for, the best two will be marked).
  • Other times (usually when specific gaps/tables/spaces are provided to fill in, the first amount of required points given will be marked (e.g. in the example above, only the first two points will be marked, the third won’t even be read).
  • Why this can be a way to hedge bets (sometimes) BUT comes with another cost that isn’t directly linked to the mark scheme (but certainly IS linked to their result).
  • Obviously this can be beneficial if the mark scheme uses ‘positive marking’, however there is a cost; that being TIME. Time taken on writing more than was required. And that is taking time away from other Qs in the paper that it SHOULD be allocated to.
  • What exams are really testing as well as subject knowledge.
  • Nope, they’re not just a test of subject knowledge! There are SO many other skills they’re testing. Ability to decipher what the Q is really asking, how much detail is required, at what level, how to put it across succinctly, time management, QWC (quality of written communication), and the list goes on…!
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This simple thing has left students lost

There was a basic thing letting a lot of students down in two particular Qs I marked.

And I’ve seen it first hand with other students I’ve worked with too.

Watch this video to find out what it is and how it’s leaving some students lost as to what to write, or unable to make the best choices in exams.

 

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

Having a good range and knowledge of vocabulary isn’t just for English subjects.

It can be necessary for:

* Understanding the wording of Qs.

* Deciding on the best option to select when there is a choice of topics or Qs within a section of an exam.

* Being clear on the description/feature/characteristic being analysed.

* As well as, of course, being able to produce a high QWC (Quality of Written Communication) and convey your answers clearly, succinctly and with sophistication.

CLICK HERE to see the exam Qs that I was marking and am discussing in this video diary.

Oh, and P.S. that word I couldn’t think of in the video that caught one of my Personal Coaching students out… it was ‘contestable’.

The Modern History Q was something like:

“Discuss how this source may be contestable”.

Which basically just means ‘evaluate the source’! Which they could definitely have done, had they known and understood that was what the wording of the Q meant :/

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Answering text source Qs in exams CLEARLY

Is your teen totally confident in answering analysis Qs about text sources in exams?

Like when they get given an extract to read and then have to analyse some element of it?

Here’s how to know how much detail to give and HOW to do it:

There are two things they need to do, and I explain them both (with written examples below!) in this week’s blog 🙂

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How do students show the required level of detail in a question that asks them to analyse a text or source for a particular feature? Two ways:

1 – By showing they understand the characteristic or feature being focused upon (in this example, how the text shows that a character is authoritative), by using other SYNONYMS for that word in their answer.

E.g. In line 6 it states that he ‘shouted orders at his assistant’. This shows that he is a dominant figure who makes demands of other people. Being dominant and demanding are traits of an authoritative person.

 

2 – By explaining HOW the reference(s) they’ve picked out show or relate to that characteristic/feature. These both mean that everything is clear to the examiner and they don’t have to ‘fill in any gaps’ in what the student is trying to put across. As always – these steps can be used for an analytical Q relating to a source or text!

E.g. In line 6 it states that he ‘shouted orders at his assistant’. This shows that he is a dominant figure who makes demands of other people. Being dominant and demanding are traits of an authoritative person.

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Grade Drop Alert! [Exam Marker Video Diary – Part 2]

I’m revealing what’s ACTUALLY in the marking guide I’ve marked to this year, and how this applies to ANY exam Q your teen might face.

The (4 hours of!) marker training for my (4!) allocated Qs revealed:

– What’s required in referencing from a text source

– A (big!) potential grade drop where there are two parts to a Q

– What happens if students give MORE examples or explanations than required in different types of Qs

If you find it as exciting as my face in the thumbnail 😉
(gotta love the thumbnails that the stills land on sometimes!)
 then feel free to share this with others who’ll find it useful and let me know your comments or Qs below!

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What do they expect? [Exam Marker Video Diary – Part 1]

Exciting times if you’re an exam geek like me!

(C’mon – not even a little bit?) 😉

Yup – Yesterday was the first day of exam marker training for the 2018 QCS exams.

And that means it’s time for Day 1 of the annual ‘Exam Marker Video Diary’!

(Any suggestions for a more catch-y name gratefully received!… You know by now, I’m not the most creative soul, haha!) 

Confession time… I hadn’t even looked back at the exam paper or the unit I’d requested

(first choice granted – yay! I tell you the reason why in the vid 😉 )

since having it sent through a couple of weeks ago

(down to being laser focused on a little something called the EMW last week!).

So I thought I’d get into it on camera and share my quick-fire initial thoughts on what they’re gonna be wanting in students’ responses.

I explain what I reckon is gonna be in the mark scheme, why, and how your teen can do the same in their upcoming Term 4 exams.

 

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“Did you see the gorilla?” – What students miss in exam Qs

This week I’ve been putting the finishing touches to the upcoming Exam Mastery Workshop (woohoo!) and one of the videos I always show students in the workshop is a famous ‘attention test’ with the two basketball teams and the gorilla.

Yeah, weird right!

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s how it goes:
There’s an official sounding man who tells you to count how many times the white team passes the basketball.

You then – if you’re anything like me and likes to pass any kind of quiz or test 😉 – diligently start watching this video footage of a team in white and a team in black each passing a basketball around.

The video ends and the official sounding man comes back on and tells you that if you got the answer 13 then you are right.

Again, if you’re like me, you set off a few mental party poppers and give yourself a good-old pat on the back…

But then he carries on to say ‘but did you spot the man dressed up in the gorilla outfit?’

“Whaaaat? I was watching so closely, concentrating so hard – of course I’d have seen that!” you think.

So then they replay the video and this time you see it.

There’s a fully grown person in a gorilla suit walking in,doing a bit of dancing amongst the basketballers and then walking back out again.

 

It’s kinda fun.

But more relevantly to us, it shows something REALLY important for students when it comes to exams.

Because so many students are focused on the subject content when it comes to study and exams.

 

However, what is just as important (you could even argue moreso if you really wanted to) is their knowledge and understanding of command words and the other 5 elements of exam technique.

Because spotting the command words, the cues and the ‘Sherlock Clues

(and just so you know – command words and cues are both technical terms. Sherlock clues is more of a ‘Katie term’! )

is something that students aren’t often taught or trained to do.

But these key words in any exam Q, or essay, or assignment, are precisely what tell them HOW they need to convey that subject knowledge, in the way the exam question demands and in the way that the mark scheme requires.

 

So once they know what they are looking for and how to spot these critical keys to successfully answering any exam or essay Q, they can’t HELP BUT see them!

(They are kinda like a dancing gorilla on the page – though admittedly probably not quite as fun – but definitely a whole lot more useful.) 🙂

But if your teen hasn’t been told what they are, had them explained with examples, and doesn’t know how to identify them, and understand them, and respond to them for themselves, then they’ll likely gloss over them, in favour of focusing only on the topic being asked about.

Eek.

 

If they’ve ever had the situation where they’ve written about the correct subject content, but gotten only a few of the marks available, then this will be why.

They’ve responded on topic, but not in the way or to the level that them command and mark scheme require.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen any more!

Katie

P.S. Scroll down and leave me a comment, let me know if you’ve ever seen that video and whether you did or didn’t see the gorilla the first time 🙂

 

 

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