Google Tools Reflection

Documents: I’m just getting to know Google Docs, and I’m sure it will be something I use often, both in the classroom and for personal purposes. In the classroom we could build a master set of ideas that result in group brainstorming. By having it on Google Docs, all the kids can have access to it as they complete their own writing. It would also be a good place to keep a tally of group goals, such as number of collective words written, or books read. It would be a fun way to have a pass-around story. Each student could add two sentences to the ones that came before and see where the story goes! Personally I like having a place to put my work when I am going to be using different computers. Normally, I email myself my documents, but this way I simplify the process. I also like being able to store handouts and story examples that I have generated in a place this doesn’t depend on a my computer’s health.

Presentations: It’s nice to have access to a presentation program that isn’t dependent on a computer’s software. I do like PowerPoint better, but this would be really helpful if I quickly need to create something that needs to be accessible on another computer, or needs to be seen by a group of people. I think the kids could put together quick google presentations for persuasive speeches they might give. It would be a good way to explain an assignment step-by-step and have it available on the class website. This could be a practical tool if I am creating a quick visual aid for the class when they are working in groups. Each group could go through the presentation at their own speed. This would be an excellent way to build a lesson plan just for myself (not for projection) so it could be saved for future use.

Spreadsheets: Just like the presentation tool, I like the fact that this isn’t dependent on a computer’s software, but I do like Excel better. The simplicity would be an asset for many kids who might get overwhelmed by all of the options in Excel. This also has the ability to work for group projects. If I have a group of kids creating a rubric or making a chart, this would be a good tool so they could work communally, even if they are at home. I often price things out for the school and then have to present the findings to the school board. This would be a good tool because it could be linked into the published minutes.

Forms: I really like this feature. What a great way to make a quiz or test a little more interesting! I also like that a quiz can be given as homework and the students email you their answers. This would be a great way to guide the kids with their reading. I could give them a list of quotes and they would need to identify who was the speaker. This could act as a type of study guide and then it could act as a quiz the next day. I definitely need to explore this with more depth.

Calendar: I had the goal to really utilize the Google calendar this term, but I failed to achieve it. I really do think it would be a great asset to staying organized, but I struggle to make it part of my daily ritual. I think it is the perfect tool for keeping both a student schedule and a personal schedule. I like that it can be published, but in a way that some details are public while others are private. I want to encourage that my kids each have an iGoogle site and make this is part of their page.

iGoogle: I love iGoogle. I do use this everyday and have found it incredibly valuable. I like that I can post to my blogs from this site and that I can see my emails from the front page. I keep my to do list on iGoogle and I could share this with others if I was working on a group project. Like I mentioned previously, I am going to encourage each student gets an iGoogle page and recommend certain gadgets, some that would be helpful, like a vocabulary word of the day, or fun, like the “Yo’ mama” jokes.

Blogger: The blogger gadget has been my favorite thing on the iGoogle site. It saves me so much time when I am having to blog my responses and reflections. If I have the kids create a blog, I will insist they have both an iGoogle page and this gadget. Simplifying the process of adding to a personal page makes it that much more likely a student will write. It would be very fun to create a class that is built around the idea of blogging and this would be a very useful tool!

Reader: I was very interested in the reader gadget when I first set up my iGoogle page, and I included a few of the blogs that I found interesting in the past and added the blog my son’s class created while they were on their trip to Seattle. The unfortunate thing is that I have been just too busy to read anything (except my son’s blog, of course). I haven’t played with this feature, but I look forward to figuring it out. This could be a great way to get students to read personal essays. If I found a list of well-written and student-appropriate blogs, the kids could choose one or two to follow and that could be a daily or weekly reading assignment. If I had a class that was about writing movie reviews, I could have them follow a few movie-review blog, or if it is a class about journalism, I can provide a list of a few influential online journalists.

Google Maps: Google maps is one of the most amazing things online. The ability to go to the satellite feature and get closer and closer to an actual picture of a city is fascinating. The aspect that really blows my mind is when you go to the street view and can virtually walk down the street and look at the houses. This would be a great tool to see where a story takes place or where an author grew up. Google maps could also be a great way to generate an idea and description of setting. If a student wants a story to take place in New York City, he can just Google map it and walk around New York, catching the sights as if he was there. What a great way to get details for writing!

Google Earth: My computer doesn’t have the capability to use Google Earth (I can’t download the 3D program without approval of the school director), so I haven’t had the ability to explore it for myself. From the description it sounds like this tool would be a great way to experience a visual and informational tour of the world. Just like Google Map it would be a great way to explore setting and to understand the cultural details of any region.

Groups: I’m currently part of four groups on Google groups –all that have to do with either being a parent or teacher at Walden School. Unfortunately, I don’t use these groups in a really productive way. I still would rather communicate by mass email, a method that isn’t really effective. In an earlier reflection I wrote that I would like to find a way to more effectively communicate with parents. This could be a good way to do that. This could also be a good way to be in touch with the students as a large group if I want to avoid Facebook and the complications of “friending” students.

Google Search Engine: I use the Google search engine many times every day. I can’t imagine life without the ability to “Google” to find what I am looking for. I even use the search page as a way to quickly spell-check since it so quickly gives me completed word options as fast as I can type. The students know how to use Google Search in a really basic way, but it would be extremely helpful to show them how to use the advanced search. I need to re-educate myself on some of the tricks to find very specific information.

Notebook: Google Notebook seems like a handy little tool and could be very useful with group work. I like the fact that you can actually get the information you write there onto your phone. It is a bit hard to see exactly how it is different than Google docs at first sight. I’ve never used this, except for this very fast exploration, and I definitely want to see how this works. It does seem a bit more portable than other applications, which would be useful for helping students with project planning and time management. Of course, this is something that I could use some help with as well!

Scholar: I would definitely include the Google Scholar search engine in a WebQuest that teaches students how to get information for a research paper. There are so many ways to specify what type of data you are looking for. Despite all it has to offer, I seldom use this feature because I like the UVU library site so much and can find almost all that I need on the Academic Premier Database or the JSTOR database. The frustration I have with Google Scholar is that so many of the articles are only available if you pay a lot of money for them. I haven’t been able to find a box to check if I don’t want those types of sources included. I would hate to somehow indicate that I expected a student to pay large amounts of money to get the information they are looking for.

Google Documents, Forms, Calendar, iGoogle, Blogger, Reader, Maps, Search Engine, and Scholar Search Engine are all great tools that I plan on using in my classroom. There are so many ways to use each of these, from organizational tools to student projects. I can’t wait to have the kids find their houses on Google map when we do the essay on where they live. I do want the kids to set up a blog so it can act as a portfolio of their work and create an iGoogle account so they can have an easy access when posting to their blog through Blogger and so they can follow another blog that is interesting to them through Reader. I think this will create authentic writing and reading experiences. I will keep a schedule on the Google calendar that’s on my website, so I need to get more fluent when working with this application. Google docs would be good for group work. If I am trying to create digital student portfolios, this will be important when they work with peers on a project. This will be especially useful when the kids are doing their diversity WebQuest. I don’t think my junior high students will use the Google regular search engine and scholar search engine very much this year, but I do want to create a WebQuest for the juniors and seniors to help guide them through the research paper process. I will definitely include tips on how to use these tools to their fullest.

Google Presentations and Spreadsheets feel inferior to Powerpoint and Excel, and the student computers have these two programs, so I don’t think I will introduce this technology unless a project demands it. I need to experience Google Earth, but if I don’t have the necessary program on my computer, I’m sure the students won’t either. I can see myself using Google Groups to communicate with other teachers, or possibly with parents, but I don’t think I will introduce it to the classroom if they already have a personal blog, Google docs, and a class website. I don’t want to create a cognitive overload!