Wednesday, September 2, 2015

What can we do with our Google accounts?


What can we do with our Google accounts?

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There are lots of really great educational technology resources out there and many new ones developed every day! With so many choices, it can be difficult to know where to start or how to decide which ones are the best to use. Through the last 9 years of using Google products with my students, I have learned that for most things we want to do in school, Google has a perfect product for the task.

Google is just a really great match for education. As a company, Google keeps evolving and growing. And now -- more than ever -- Google is focused on developing products that meet the needs of students and teachers.   This two-minute video highlights some of the ways that the company and its products have changed over the years:


The sky really is the limit when we think of what our students can do with the tools that Google provides...and what they will be able to do in the future as new products are developed.

Here are just a few ideas to consider trying with your students and their WWPRSD Google Apps for Education accounts:
  • design and use custom search engines and refined research strategies (Google Search)
  • classify, curate, organize, and share collections of web sources (Bookmarks)
  • create custom contact groups and distribution lists (Contacts or Groups)
  • compose and store documents saved in the cloud (Docs)
  • collaborate in real-time on documents (Docs), presentations (Slides), spreadsheets (Sheets) and more
  • discuss and debate with other students across the school, district, state, and world (Hangouts)
  • get organized and prioritize tasks (Google Calendar and Google Keep)
  • create infographics and other design projects (Google Drawing)
  • publish content for authentic audiences (Google Sites and Blogger)
  • digital and custom mapping (Maps and Google Earth)
  • and there's so much more!!!
One of the newest Google products is designed specifically with students and teachers in mind. Take a look at this short video about Google Classroom and see how it is the perfect online tool to connect with your students and to incorporate many of the other products mentioned in the list above:


Are you already using any of the resources mentioned on this list? Maybe some that weren't mentioned? Get the conversation started and leave a message in the comments section below.  You can also continue the conversation on Twitter with our district hashtag:  #WWPRSD.

And don't forget to reach out to the resource specialist in your building for resources, to talk about these ideas further, to set up share sessions, or to coordinate other professional development. 

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