Google, Friend of the SLP, Part 15: Wrap it Up in a Search Story
When I started this series, I didn't think I would find 15 different Google tools that are specifically useful to SLPs. I hope it hasn't become tiresome! I am going to wrap it up in this post with one of my favorite tools that again, and more specifically provides an avenue for what we would call digital storytelling. It is extremely simple to use, so don't tune out!
Two years ago during the Super Bowl broadcast, Google scored a big hit with its commercial "Parisian Love," which told the story of a young man falling in love in Paris, all through his Google searches along the way. You can watch it here. Not only did Google follow this ad up with similar outings (I LOVE this one about a high school girl struggling to find her identity and deciding to just be herself), they also created an online tool that allows you to make your own "Search Stories" and easily publish them to YouTube. Here's mine about some of the things SLPs can do with Google Tools! I need to again issue the caveat that if you have YouTube blocked in your district, using this tool is more complicated. You are out of luck if you'd like to make Search Stories WITH kiddos if YouTube is blocked, but you can still create them at home and use at school using the steps I suggested in this post.
How do you make a Search Story? Start at this link. Here are the steps (note, you will want to create a YouTube account or sign in to YouTube with your Google login and password before following these steps):
Download these steps as a printable handout here (Click File, then Print).
How would Google's Search Stories tool be useful to SLPs? You could use it to:
- review already-created search stories such as "Parisian Love" and "High School," linked above to teach students about story structure and foster inferential skills;
- create movies that visualize curriculum topics, such as this one I made about the seasons, or biographies!
- create a dynamic visual for a topic you are presenting in a professional development session.
What other uses do you see for the Search Stories tool? Let us know in the comments, and please link to your video if you make one you want to share.
This has been fun - thanks for reading! I am looking forward to my next subject - a radical departure: Books!
Read more of Sean Sweeney at www.SpeechTechie.com.