More and more schools are requiring their teachers to use Google products. Find an article about Google in Education and share your reflections and the link with the class.
39 Comments
Ryan Ellis
2/15/2015 12:11:03 pm
I found an article from ZDNet.com about how Google has recently launched a UK version of their Google Play for education to link students and teachers via technology. It includes apps that teachers submit and use during and after their classes. Most schools that are linked in have been piloting android tablets and this new streamware will allow seamless linkage between pupils and Rachel's through all facets of the classes.
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Kim Welch
2/16/2015 12:12:32 am
Hi Ryan, this is Kim. I also took a look at the website ZDNet.com and saw the article you were referring to. It looks like the UK is definitley having success with the Google Play system. Like you mentioned, it allows teachers to taylor their instruction to fit the needs of their particular class, and use apps that are appropriate for the content they are trying to teach. I also saw where it stated the apps were free to download. If teachers are able to download free apps, that would be a cost-saver for the school district as well. Having free apps and the ability to use those apps to help motivate students sounds like a pretty good combination to me. Students nowadays seem to constantly be on some kind of technology, whether it is a cell phone, iPad, computer, etc. If educators can tap into their world of technology, and inspire students to want to learn and push themselves to succeed, I think students will be ready to tackle the world they will enter once they graduate from high school and college.
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Taylor West
2/16/2015 01:09:43 am
Neat Read! I like the idea of what the UK is doing. Making education better, and allowing to to be cheaper. That seems like a great idea, because teachers can all work together for a common goal. I bet more and more European countries will do this, and it will come over to the US. When it does though, there will be the research on it, with what works well and doesn't work so well.
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Pat Tracy
2/16/2015 11:19:38 pm
Ellis, I did not originally think of the educational games that could be used for students. Interactive games for younger kids in classes can teach give students more instant feedback on certain problems. For instance, if a student is practicing how to spell a certain word, the tablet or computer can give instant feedback how to spell the word correctly, or how to correctly do a math problem. Also this makes learning more fun.
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Devin Beasley
2/17/2015 06:07:27 am
Ryan, neat link! Pat also brings up a great point here about educational games. I think this is a great concept for teachers to grasp to help make learning more fun for their students. Studies have shown that stimulating the brain even for adults who play educational game is great for the mind. Imagine if we continued the success of little kid's educational games all the way up through high school.
Jodi Himmelberg
2/20/2015 02:30:26 am
I think this article is informing us of the way education is heading. I think have constant interaction and communication with students through out the day is tremendous. I think of the possibility of its implication in my school and I get excited. We are trying to become and AVID certified school and part of that process is increasing our rigor in course work and I think this could be a great tool to do that across the board in every subject.
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Kim Welch
2/16/2015 12:03:20 am
In the article “How Should Keyboarding Be Taught in Elementary School?”, it discusses how Google Docs has transformed an elementary school in Wisconsin. What started out as a goal of teaching students keyboarding skills to prepare them for the upcoming Common Core computerized testing turned out to be a school-wide initiative to incorporate Google Docs into regular classroom instruction. Third through fifth grade students needed to be taught keyboarding skills, so Google Docs was used to help facilitate that instruction in the computer lab. At the same time, both students and teachers began to realize the potential of Google Docs in regular classroom instruction. As teachers and students began collaborating, they ended up creating a school where Google Docs is used for literacy, writing, and other computer-based activities where typing is needed. Google Docs allows students to automatically save their work and share/collaborate with other students. It has truly changed the atmosphere of that particular elementary school. Personally, I think the use of Google Docs is a wonderful idea, because it is free to use and allows students to work with each other in ways that are meaningful and helpful in preparing them for the “real-world”. If students learn how to type proficiently in elementary school, they will be on their way to a successful career in education and life in general. There are countless times I have seen people struggle with typing and other computer skills at the high school, college, and even career-level, and it prevents them from being successful and proficient at their work. By preparing students at such an early age to be computer-proficient, it will enable them to be confident in their computer abilities, which will relieve a lot of stress down the road.
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Taylor West
2/16/2015 02:21:54 am
Kim, I liked the article you picked. I couldn't agree more. Since I was a kid who struggled in high school with typing. Just like cursive, the sooner they learn the better off they will be. Plus the fact, that computers will always be in use and become a bigger impact on our lives as we go further into the future. It was nice to see how this article proved that using Google Doc change not only a class room, but how a school can be better with this technology. Not only that but an incentive for using it. Because it can be saved automatically, and I know when I was in school I lost a lot of work to computers just shutting off. I bet Google Doc, becomes a big thing nationwide.
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2/16/2015 07:00:02 am
This article sounds very interesting. I often encounter non-traditional students at the college who do not know how to type. The keyboard courses that are offered at the college are not focused on instruction on how to type but more on increasing speed and using typing in a work setting. This article may provide useful strategies that I could pass on to these students.
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Taylor West
2/16/2015 01:00:15 am
The article I found was based on a school in South Carolina. It was pretty neat to see the way Google chrome is changing the classroom. Cutting the work time in half while increasing the way kids help each other and interact on the subjects being taught. From the use of google chrome. On the article I used, it showed how tablets and the iPad are not as popular in school as they used to be. For the reason being Google chrome is way cheaper, and is really easy to use. Plus the fact you use the cloud network to save everything. Meaning you don’t have to have a computer with a lot of storage for all the students, which would cost a lot more. School districts are realizing that they can get way more with Google chrome than anything else. So a lot more are starting to jump on it. If I seen the results, and needed new technology I would go with this product too. On the aspect you save a ton, and you get more product. I bet more and more schools start using Google Chrome. Very interesting read.
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Kim Welch
2/16/2015 04:17:44 am
Hi Taylor, this is Kim. I couldn't agree more with the idea that Google Chrome is being a life-saver in the school district. I know personally, I have trouble with other internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer, in particular, seems to have a lot of downloading issues and issues dealing with being able to see school-related content - frustrating is the nicest word I can think of about that subject. Google Chrome seems much faster, and like you also stated, can allow students to save information in the "internet cloud", where there seems to be an unlimitted amount of space. Google Chrome also allows users to see a lot of content, and therefore perform more operations than other browsers like Internet Explorer. I love the FREE part as well. Since Google Chrome is free to download, why not take advantage of it. I use Google Chrome at school and home, and it has saved me a lot of time, frustration, and has made life a lot easier in the process. Reducing stress and increasing excitement for students seems like a positive impact in the school setting. I think if schools start utilizing all of the FREE resources available in our society, such as Google Chrome, they would have more money in their budget to spend on classroom supplies, professional development for teachers, and other things to help their school district.
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J. Golden
2/16/2015 05:42:15 am
Thats an interesting article. I would have thought that tablets and iPads would be popular in schools but it makes sense to go a cheaper route if its available.
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Ryan Ellis
2/18/2015 10:02:29 pm
I can definitely see why Apple products are not widely used. Google does have cheaper and in some cases better options. Not every school can get behind the price tag of apple but I'm glad to see that they're along it work! This actually ties into my article find about the UK and Google play. Teachers can still seamlessly Interact and get feedback from their students via tablets.
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Tyler Fritz
2/22/2015 01:00:00 pm
This is a great article! I have found that google chrome and all of the different apps and things it has are much easier to use sometimes then products such as Apple. The Google chrome things are also way cheaper apple products as well!
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J. Golden
2/16/2015 05:40:34 am
I found an article about Google Classroom that is available for all Education customers. It's now being used in K-12 schools all the way to colleges and universities. It allows teachers to post assignments directly in the app and the students can then complete the assignment and turn it in through Google Docs. I think this is a very useful tool to all educators since its such an easy App to use and has many different uses.
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2/16/2015 07:05:34 am
Having variety in a classroom may makes learning more fun. The use of apps and Google Docs may be the needed variety to be used in classrooms. They may not only give learning a new look, but also provide instruction on the use of technology.
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Paden Kleinhesselink
2/16/2015 10:05:42 am
I looked at this article too. I think it's a great read. I think there could be a few bugs that need fixing but I think its a great idea. I have used the Google Apps for multiple things and it has worked really well. Now having a whole classroom based off of it is really cool.
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Simon Barinas
2/16/2015 10:14:16 am
J,
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2/16/2015 06:52:46 am
The article I found is "Google Could Boost Education Push with Launchpad Toys Acquisition" by Loek Essers at http://www.pcworld.com/article/2880512/google-could-boost-education-push-with-launchpad-toys-acquisition.html .
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Dawn Macklin
2/18/2015 12:26:20 pm
Julie,
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2/16/2015 10:00:35 am
The article I found deals with using Google Apps in the classroom and whether or not it is good or bad. I personally love the Google Apps. They are easy to use once you figure out how to properly use them. I have used them for multiple projects and it has worked great. The one thing they mentioned in the article is the issue of privacy and how it is compromised with using free systems, but I think it work great and multiple people can see and edit on the document or whatever you are working on. I have thought about using it in my classroom if I end up teaching.
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Simon Barinas
2/16/2015 10:17:41 am
Paden,
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Pat Tracy
2/16/2015 11:13:50 pm
Paden, the whole privacy issue is interesting because Google stores a large amount of information, which could be sensitive for individuals. For group assignments it makes it very easy for the group to work on the project together in different locations at the same time. When I first saw this when I was in college, I was like no way!
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Terry Keown
2/20/2015 06:57:57 am
Paden, I have used and shared documents through google apps and I am a believer of its effectiveness in bringing people, places and ideas together. I in the past have also used SharePoint as well which is similar and possibly more secure but its use is also somewhat more exclusive and expensive possibly for the normal everyday person. Thus, the reason why the google version of sharing documents is so much more appealing to most.
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Simon Barinas
2/16/2015 10:12:21 am
I found this article http://www.wired.com/2014/08/google-classrooms/. I think it is great like it said in the article because it would make the teachers more productive by reducing the time spent with making sure all the paper work they need is in place and all that, with google products all the need is a device that supports google, and they can do everything through that.
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Pat Tracy
2/16/2015 11:07:20 pm
I agree Simon. One major aspect of being a teacher or a coach are administrative tasks. These tasks take time away from the most important part of the job which is interacting and influencing students in their development to be better individuals. Google apps usually are very helpful with becoming more organized and having access by multiple individuals from different locations.
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Jeromy Layman
2/22/2015 06:56:31 am
Simon,
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Pat Tracy
2/16/2015 11:38:55 pm
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/02/17/chromebooks-students-tech-409/
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Devin Beasley
2/17/2015 11:10:08 pm
Pat, Wow! 30000 chromebooks is a great investment! I really like how kids are able to go back and review lessons taught if they missed class or, even better, if they do not understand a lesson. I think this is very beneficial to not only the student, but also the teacher as well. Also, if students do not have access to computers, the chromebooks are a great way for students to be able to complete papers, assignments, etc. I think this is a great investment as long as the students take care of them and use them in the appropriate ways!
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Dawn Macklin
2/18/2015 12:17:24 pm
Pat,
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2/17/2015 02:34:20 am
http://physedagogy.com/2014/12/30/14-ways-to-use-google-forms-in-your-health-and-physical-education-classes/
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Terry Keown
2/20/2015 07:25:04 am
Jodi, I can see where Google forms and Docs can be largely beneficial to many instructors who are not in the physical education community. My first impression on its use in physical education due to activity being its typical mode of instruction left me leaning toward the thought that the use might be a bit limited between the student and instructor aside from the typical releases and tests. But, after reviewing the article you posted I can see applicability is quite possibly only limited by one's own imagination in application. I too have appreciation for the suggestion of using it to garner feedback as well as developing assessments.
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Dawn Macklin
2/17/2015 04:44:47 am
http://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2013/11/12/teaching-collaborative-technology-mike-kalin
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Devin Beasley
2/17/2015 05:59:25 am
The first Google product that came to my mind was a tool that I always used in college. Majority of my professors had us use this tool for almost all of our online assignments. I introduce to you, Google Docs. I have attached the link that is titled, "50 Little-Known Ways Google Docs Can Help In Education". This breaks down all of the benefits that Google Docs can give to a student or anyone who is in use of this wonderful tool. I specifically love how you are able to communicate with others so easily. You can add onto other's comments which makes a great document for class discussions. It is very interactive and user-friendly. For homework assignments, teachers are able to track who has signed on and can also edit their student's work. You can add graphs, photos, etc. to make Google Docs more efficient for any homework assignments. I love using this Google product and I find it very helpful in both the teacher and student's lives.
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Jeromy Layman
2/22/2015 06:31:16 am
Devin,
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Jodi Himmelberg
2/20/2015 02:33:46 am
I would love to see how this was implemented. I taught keyboarding for two years and it was a struggle to get students to type using the write form. They also didn't see the importance of it. I would love to take this article and show our new current keyboarding teacher because our district has moved to being a Google Doc district. Getting the students involved in it too could show them the importance of it and keyboarding together.
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Terry Keown
2/20/2015 06:36:25 am
While looking for my article I used the search string google + education + common core + educator review and I landed on a search that led me to this article; "Web Literacy: Where the Common Core Meets Common Sense" from November Learning published on October 18th, 2012.
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Jeromy Layman
2/21/2015 07:06:34 am
I found a great article that talks about Google's acquisition of Launchpad Toys, which is already used in classrooms.
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Tyler Fritz
2/22/2015 01:07:10 pm
The article I found was called Announcing Drive for Education: The 21st century backpack for students. This was a great read and I believe this will be a great tool for students in the future! Right now we use google drive for our coaching staff on the football team, I think that it makes things more organized and is a lot easier to access because everyone can get to the file they need to use. Now that teachers and students will be using it I think it will help with homework assignments and even other documents that teachers and students want or need to share. Here is the link.
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Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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