Getting ready to start your end of the year research projects? Instead of getting your Google on, why not instaGrok it? What is instaGrok, you ask? Check out this brief video and then continue reading for more info!
instaGrok is an educational research tool that shows results in a concept map and encourages students to dig deeper into their topic. It also allows students to customize their results by adding information and deleting items that don't fit their needs. You can also choose the difficulty level of the results you see. Students can pin videos, pictures, web links, and other information to their Grok. They can then share their results through email.
By creating a free account, users can access the Journal feature. This allows Groks to be saved and editted at a later time. instaGrok also keeps a bibliography list of all the sources pinned for reference. If you choose to do this, be sure to have students sign up for aGeneral acccount. If they select Student, they will be asked to provide a class code which can only be done with the paid teacher account.
instaGrok offers additional abilities to teachers who opt for a paid account ($45 per year up to 200 students). These users can set up multiple classrooms, create assignments, and view students' search histories and journals. They offer a 30 day free trial which would almosttake you to the end of this school year so you can decide if it is something you might be interested in using next year.
instaGrok works on both computers and iPads. There is a free iPad app to make the interface a little smoother, but it doesn't seem to be necessary. All you need to do is go towww.instagrok.com. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari are recommended browsers for this tool.
instaGrok works on both computers and iPads. There is a free iPad app to make the interface a little smoother, but it doesn't seem to be necessary. All you need to do is go towww.instagrok.com. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari are recommended browsers for this tool.