Online Presentation Software | PowerPoint Online | Web Presentation | SlideRocket. Improving School Communication with Google. Does your school speak Google? If not, you might want to give it a try. This may come as bad news for those who fear Google's world domination, but the fact is that the Google Apps Education Edition is a useful tool that teachers and students can employ in almost any school.
The apps -- Web-based tools for communicating, connecting, and creating content -- are free. Teachers use the Google Docs tool to plan lessons together, follow up on ideas that arise in instructional meetings, or give students just-in-time feedback. Counselors use Google Spreadsheets to monitor student behavior and quickly flag concerns. Students use Google Chat and Google Docs to collaborate with peers in real time and Google Calendar to keep track of deadlines. Parents stay in the loop with their own Gmail accounts. Here's a way to develop a plan for your school: Pick a Starting Place Many schools sign up for Google Apps to solve a specific technology challenge. Empower Users Ask for Help. Google for Educators. These user-friendly tools will keep you and your class inspired, inventive, and organized.
Eye in the Sky: Melissa Browning's students saw their school's Brooklyn neighborhood through Google Maps's street view. Credit: Google Maps Among all the links and downloads out there, it can be hard for teachers to know which ones work best. Google has made it easier by creating Google for Educators, which compiles some of the search engine's most useful features in one place. Whether you're teaching Spanish or social studies, mathematics or music, there's a free Google feature that will make your lessons more dynamic and your projects more organized. The lively, informative Web site offers step-by-step visual tours and even videos to help you get set up. Google Maps Many of us have used Google Maps to find driving directions, but its usefulness goes way beyond getting from point A to point B. Google Docs Google Docs is particularly handy for teachers when revising students' work. Blogger. Google Educators.
Apps Education Edition. Google Alerts. Google Calendar. Google Voice.