Google Tools in the Classroom - Kathy Schreiber

THE BENEFITS OF USING GOOGLE TOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM

WE ALL KNOW GOOGLE OFFERS A MYRIAD OF TOOLS THAT CAN BE USEFUL IN YOUR CLASSROOM, BUT DO YOU KNOW JUST HOW MANY THERE ARE AND WHAT THEY CAN DO?      Daily Genius

Dunn, J. 20 Google tools teachers should try (and how to use them). (2014, September 11).  Daily Genius.  Retrieved: February 21, 2016, from http://www.dailygenius.com>google-tools

Summary:

                I didn’t know about all the Google tools there are available for the classroom (and there really is a myriad), but I wanted to explore the possibilities.  So, I started by reading a blog on the Daily Genius website “20 Google tools teachers should try (and how to use them)”.  Then, I decided to try some of the tools they recommended.

                I began with “A Google a Day” which is designed to encourage efficient web searching.  It opens with instructions telling you that they’ll ask you a question, you’ll find the answer, and then they invite you to start playing.  There are 3 questions to answer within a given a time limit and your points begin ticking away as you begin.  However, they will also give you a hint and the first letter of each word in the answer—I took advantage of this help every time.  These questions are definitely not child’s play and cover all sorts of categories:  today it was art literature, geography, and the pop culture.

                Then I tried “Google Translate” which allows you to type in a word and it will tell you what the English translation is plus the country of the word’s origin.  I went back to my high school French and typed in “l’église” and was told it was French for church.  “Vichysoisse” turned out to be Finnish in origin.  In typing “umbrella”, it gave me several definitions because there was no need for translation.  I counted over a hundred languages and thought that another project could be researching where are the origins of all these languages because I’d never heard of so many.

                Several of the sites deal with functional tools:  Privacy & Security Tools, Drive, Calendar, Forms, and Docs /sheets/slides.  Others deal with tools for creativity:  Google Now, Blogger, and Sites.  There’s one to help the hearing and visually impaired called Accessibility Tools.  Then there are some that can be used to work with specific content areas:  Mapmaker (geography), Scholar (Literature) and Cultural Institute (Virtual museum of historical and heritage sites and even art collections).   All of these tools can be so useful in expanding any class’s ability to research, discover, create, understand, and visit places so far beyond the reach of their classroom.  These tools are fascinating, challenging, and fun. 

Assess:                

×                      Jeff Dunn is an Outreach and Education manager at Google.
×          Written 2 ½ years ago, but shortly after Google Tools was introduced; information is still current.
×          Notes that not all these programs are right for each classroom; others could disagree on their usefulness, but that could be due to just personal preferences. 

Preview of Classroom Google Apps for Education. (2014, June 27) Googlegooru. Retrieved February 21, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com

Summary:

I was hoping to come up with a video that matched some of the Google tools in my article, but I wasn't able to find one.  I mistakenly thought that "Preview of Classroom Google Apps" would fit, but Classroom Google is a very different subject matter.  It is primarily a teacher's tool which allows for the creation of classes, announcements, etc.  It's a comprehensive presentation of all sorts of ways for the teacher to integrate technology into lesson plans for the students, but not primarily to be used by the students as Google tools is.  This video was made to teach teachers how to use the advancements of Classroom Google.

Assess:

×          Kevin Brookhouser is a humanities and technology teacher who widely writes and speaks on incorporating technology into the classroom.
×          It, too, is over two years old, but it is accurate and the information is still current:  perhaps that's why I didn't find anything newer.
×         This was an extensive explanation of Classroom Google, so I don't think anyone would disagree with his explanations or views. 

Reflections:
I really enjoyed the Google tools that I tried.  They were fascinating, challenging and fun and allowed for such an expansion of activities in the classroom.  All would stimulate students' interests and others were so helpful, especially with regard to Accessibility Tools.  I thought the prospect of virtual field trips would allow those who eventually would travel to have a preview and show those who might consider travel much of what the world has to offer.  The video was very beneficial to teachers, and, in turn, to their students.  I just thought it was more useful and the Google Tools more fun.  I also plan to look at other posts and videos by the two creators:  they're creative and encouraging.   I

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