25 Ways Google Can Help You Become A Better Teacher While Apple products (*cough* iPad *cough*) are known for their integration in classrooms, Google’s offerings give up little here. In fact, the sheer diversity of Google products might make them a more natural fit in the classroom in lieu of the iPad’s gravity. Below we’ve listed 25 ways teachers can get started using Google in the classroom. Let us know on our Google+ page if we’ve missed anything. Google In The Classroom: 25 Ways Google Can Help You Become A Better Teacher 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. UPDATE: Google+ user (and sometimes TeachThought contributor) Kellie Ady offered 5 more, shown below. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. UPDATE: TeachThought Reader Nicole Naditz just sent us 5 more. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.
Extensions, Add Ons and Apps, Oh My! How to Utilize Google in Your Classroom Google Apps for Education has totally transformed the way we teach and communicate inside and outside of the classroom. Through tools like Google Drive, Google Hangouts, Google Earth and Blogger, we can create authentic learning experiences for our students more than ever by promoting collaboration and helping them access their work anywhere and anytime. Teachers can utilize all of Google’s resources using Google Classroom, a simple management tool that gives teachers the ability to stay organized, assign projects and give feedback within the platform. Google Chrome also has a library of special tools you can access through the browser called Apps, Extensions and Add-ons that can make your life in the classroom easier. Here are a few of the best additional Google tools for educators that help make teaching easy! Extensions Extensions are mini programs that modify and enhance the functionality of the Google Chrome browser. Is YouTube blocked in your district? Add-Ons Apps
Teacher's Quick Guide to Google Best Services I got you another poster that you will definitely love. I am adding it to the list of posters I have created before and I am also preparing another list of awesome posters that you hang on your classroom wall.Yes, I am determined to help you make your classroom look completely different this school year. Below is a great infographic from GCF Learn Free that sumps up the services Google offers us. It would be great if you print it out and post it in your desk or in your classroom. Check out and tell us what you think
How to Open and Edit Word Files in Google Drive This morning I received an email from a friend of mine who needed some help opening a Word (Docx) file in Google Drive. Google recently made a slight change to how this is done. And since it threw off my friend who is a fairly savvy Google Drive user I thought that there are probably others who have or will have the same question. To open a Word (Docx) file in Google Drive after it has been uploaded to your account click the check box next to the file name. After clicking the check box you have two options. Option 1: Option 2: If you don't want to go through the process outlined above for every Word file uploaded to your Google Drive account you can enable automatic conversion of documents. Enabling automatic conversion on upload:
Tale Of The Tape: Chromebook Pixel Vs. Surface Pro Vs. MacBook Air Google hasn’t always been known for making breathtaking hardware, but today’s announcement of the Chromebook Pixel — arguably one of the best-looking laptops ever made, if nothing else — means that may no longer be the case. Still, you can’t be blamed for being wary of shelling out a decent chunk of money on Google’s first foray into laptops, let alone a Chromebook of all things, so here’s a preliminary look at how the Chromebook Pixel stacks up against two prominent rivals in the computing space: the stock version of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air and Microsoft’s Surface Pro. *Note that we compared the base MBA and the surface Pro with upgraded storage, to establish a better baseline in terms of comparing more similar price points and spec load-outs. Versus the 13-inch MacBook Air Compared to the base 13-inch MacBook Air, Google’s Pixel has a lot of similarities. The Chromebook Pixel is very much aimed at the same market as the MacBook Air, with Google stressing that it’s an upscale device.
4 Important Google Docs' Features for Student Researchers October 14, 2014 Google Drive is absolutely one of the best cloud tools out there. Its potential for education is evidently huge and that is why I have been writing a lot on it. Today I want to share with you (more particularly with student researchers) few of the useful tips on how to make use of some hidden features in Google Doc . 1-Research The research tool allows you to do research simultaneously as you are writing or editing your document. To access the research tab click on "tools" and select "research" The great thing about this Research tool is that it allows you to easily insert citations and links to your document. The same applies for citations, click on “cite” and Google Doc automatically inserts the citation according to the style you want ( MLA or APA, or Chicago). 2- Spelling Google Doc has an integrated spelling checker that automatically underlines any misspelled word. 3- Word Count
15 Effective Ways to Use Google Docs in Class June 19, 2014 I spend a considerable time every single day browsing the net tracking new updates in the world of educational technology and, often times, in the midst of this journey I would come across wonderful resources and tutorials that usually end up in one of my posts here in this blog. So after the previous guide on how to be a Google Drive master , today I am sharing with you another awesome guide created by Eric Curts entitled "The paperless Classroom with Google Docs". This guide is available for free in a Google doc format from this link. In this guide, Eric walks you through the different stages of turning your classroom into a digitally focussed environment where you will no longer have any need for papers.
How To Use Google Docs Offline Earlier this year Google enabled support for using Google Documents offline if you use Chrome and have the Google Drive Chrome app installed. When Google made that announcement I wrote some directions for enabling offline docs. Today, someone suggested sharing those directions again. To enable Google Docs for offline use, sign into your account and click the sprocket icon in the upper-right corner. Step 1: In your Google Drive account open the "more" menu. Step 2: Select "enable offline docs." A Note for Google Apps for Education Users If you are using Google Docs within a Google Apps for Education domain your domain administrator will have to enable the option for users to use Google Docs offline.
Google Hangouts as Edtech: Connecting, Sharing and Learning Since I started in education, I have been trying to find ways to connect students' learning beyond the classroom walls. Initially, the task presented many hurdles. Infrastructure was limited, devices were bulky and slow, and the access was not quite available. In order to connect students with the outside world, a permission slip and a school bus were needed. Today, many of those hurdles have been overcome, and connecting students beyond the classroom is a viable option. Hangouts, the social media feature of the Google+ platform, are online spaces offering teachers and students a great forum to connect with one or many participants and engage in a real-time dialogue. Reasons to Hang Out One of many reasons I like Google Hangouts is for the ability to broadcast a talk live and then archive that broadcast. Possibilities and Opportunities I see many opportunities for students and teachers using Google Hangouts in the classroom.
10 Great Digital Citizenship Lessons from Google July 15, 2014 Today I want to draw your attention to these excellent resources from Google. These are 10 interactive lessons designed by the folks in Google to help students learn more about different themes related to the general topic of digital citizenship. And while all these lessons revolve around YouTube, most of the principles they include could also be projected on any other digital platform. Using these lessons, teachers and students will be able to gain useful skills and a holistic understanding about responsible digital citizenship, not only on YouTube, but in all online activity. Below is a list of lessons, and the recommended flow for delivery. 1- What Makes YouTube Unique What Makes YouTube Unique - basic facts and figures (40 minutes) - Teacher’s Guide, Slides Lesson objective: Understand the environment and scale of YouTube 2- Detecting Lies Detecting Lies - (35 minutes) - Teacher’s Guide, Slides 4- Online Reputation and Cyberbullying 7- Privacy