A Week in the World of Google

This week Chris Penny and I had held a Google workshop for educators. We had students from education, accounting and even government. Despite the variety of fields, Google tools could be used to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and support student learning. What makes web 2.0 tools like Google apps so valuable? There is:
                         1. Nothing to install.
                         2. Nothing to buy.
                         3. Access from any connected device.

Students were introduced to Google Drive as a place to create and store documents in the cloud and collaborate effortlessly and paperlessly. They also learned the vast number of ways to refine their Google search to yield better results. The week ended with students using the tools they used throughout the week to create their own Google site for their classroom. Using a project-based approach, the students became the teachers demonstrating tools and their application in the classroom.

This week was also my introduction to the Nexus 7 tablet, the Android tablet created by Google. This small, lightweight tablet was excellent for managing Google tools from anywhere with an Internet connection. This device has potential as a contender for mobile computing in education.

What amazed me most about this week is how quickly teachers can embrace and apply technology with the right support and encouragement. Many of our students had little experience using Google tools and by the end of the week, many of them integrated multiple tools to complete their final projects. This is encouraging for the future of technology integration if teachers are provided with, and take advantage of, training but more importantly, support from administration and fellow teachers. Creating supportive learning environments allows teachers to work collaboratively and see each other as resources.

Week in Review

News
The impact of digital learning on achievement
Strategies for engaging parents
7 habits of tech-leading principals
Digital learning leads to deeper thinking
GlogsterEDU will be included in the Google Chromebook
Mirroring on a Mac without an iPad
50 k-12 edtech blogs to read
The value of digital writing
2012 K-12 Horizon report on emerging technology
New updates announced by Apple


Tools & Apps
Curate the web using eduClipper
Learn about apps for summer learning
New tools teachers can use in the classroom
Interactive science activities at Wonderville
Tools for creating sharing communities


Technology Integration
QR codes for school communication
Using technology to engage students over the summer
Using the Apple TV in the classroom e-book


Professional Development Opportunities
Professional Development and resources for teaching online from Edutopia
Apply for the next Google Teacher Academy in New York (October 3-4)
Digital Teacher series at The Center for Learning
ISTE Conference in San Diego, CA (June 24-27) or attend remotely
Engaging parents webinar (June 21)

Google+ for Higher Ed

Last week Lisa Thumann and Chris Penny presented on Google+ in higher education in a Google hangout as part of Google Education On Air. Although I have a Google+ account, I failed to use it nearly as much as Facebook and Twitter. After listening to this session, my eyes have been opened to more innovative ways that Google+ serves education especially higher education. The new feature that I learned about that I'm really excited about is Google+ pages. Pages allow users to create pages that Google+ users can follow and appears in Google search. Beyond Google+ as a teaching and learning tool, the session also ventured into topics such as digital scholarship, collaboration, academic resources, personalized learning, online learning, accountability, and so much more.


Best practices for Google+ included:

• Student collaboration through Circles
• Opportunities for blended learning
• Development and presentation of projects
• Opportunities for student advisement
• Using Google+ as a blog of sorts
• Professional collaborations
• Pages for groups, organizations, clubs, classes/courses etc.
• Bringing in outside experts

Find more ways to use Google+ in higher education here


Here is the video of the session:

Starting the Semester with 20%

The official start to my Fall semester began with my ed tech class Digital Media Production and Storytelling. This class is about using digital tools to amplify storytelling. Following Google's example, our class will devote 20% of our time to working on our own educational technology projects. I was excited to hear this; however, some of my classmates did not share my excitement. I can understand why: such a project can be a little scary because you're finding yourself pushed to actually do something with a project or idea that was originally just whirling around in your head. On the other hand, it can cause panic if you can't think of a project to work on straight out of the gate. I wonder if Google employees feel the same way or if they jump at the chance to invest company resources into their own passions. I'm looking forward to working on this side project because it's going to give me a chance to make ideas come to life and isn't that what teachers are supposed to be doing anyway?

A Week of Google Goodness

Last week I had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for a week long Google workshop for a small group of educators. The workshop was an excellent chance to share Google tools while learning about tools that I hadn't used myself. The biggest thing I took away from this week is that as an educator, you don't have to have all the answers. Discussions and sharing resources led to the teachers learning new and innovative ways to implement Google tools in their classroom. My hope is that as all of these teachers prepare for the upcoming school year that they implement these tools, tricks and tips to increase student engagement and love of learning.

Here are the two presentations I did on Google+ and Google Mobile: