Everything you never knew about using Google in the classroom

Google Certified Teachers share tips and secrets for using Chrome, Docs, and more

google-tipsDid you know you can see all your copy/paste history in Chrome in a click? Bookmark all your browser tabs at once? Create choose your own adventures in Google Slides?

More than half a dozen Google Certified Teachers recently descended on Palm Springs to share their favorite tips, tricks, add-ons, and extensions during a packed session at the Annual CUE 2015 conference. Each presenter shared a micro-presentation honing in on their top ways for teachers and students to make the most out of the Google ecosystem.

The session’s presenters included: Alice Chen, Jen Roberts, Catina Haugen, Lisa Nowakowski, JR Ginex-Orinion, Kevin Fairchild, Scott Moss, Jo-Ann Fox, and Jason Seliskar.…Read More

These 6 questions determine if you’re technology rich, innovation poor

Think your school is innovative with tech? Answer these 6 questions and prepare to reassess

innovation-questionsAt the start of a webinar I recently conducted for school leaders, I asked attendees if they felt they were leading an innovative school as a result of the implementation of technology. More than 90 percent responded that they were. At the end of the webinar, when polled again, only one leader claimed to be leading an innovative school.

The complete reversal was due to a presentation on the six questions that you will read about in this article—a list of questions that were developed to help clarify for educators the unique added value of a digital learning environment, and whether their assignments were making the best use of this environment.

Want to test your own level of innovation? If you answer no to all six questions when evaluating the design of assignments and student work, then chances are that technology is not really being applied in the most innovative ways. The questions we ask to evaluate implementation and define innovation are critical.…Read More

20 tips for putting Google’s 20 percent time in your classroom

2 innovative educators share tons of tips for creating innovative, inquiry-based classrooms in only one day a week

google-timeOriginally pioneered at places like 3M and HP, Google’s vaunted 20 percent time, which lets employees spend a full one-fifth of their time on passion projects, has spawned everything from Gmail to Google News. Now it’s gaining ground among educators who are carving out a chunk of their already-limited time with students to work on innovative inquiry-based projects that resonate on a deeper, personal level.

AJ Juliani, an ed tech innovation specialist at Upper Perkiomen School District in Pensburg, PA, piloted 20 percent time three years ago when he taught High School English at his former school, and since then, he’s authored Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom: Using 20% Time, Genius Hour, and PBL to Drive Student Success, and created a free course for teachers on his blog. Kevin Brookhouser, a high school English teacher at York School in Monterey, CA, has also run 20 percent time projects in his classroom and recently finished writing a book about his experiences, called The #20time Project after raising money through a Kickstarter campaign.

Recently, Juliani and Brookhouser shared their top tips for getting started, overcoming obstacles, and creating something students find truly meaningful.…Read More

Past Google’s first page: Gauging students’ global search skills

Digging deeper into Google’s search functionality leads students to surprising discoveries

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Gil C / Shutterstock.com

“Did he seriously just ask that? How old is this guy?” Well yes, I recently seriously just asked a group of students if they knew how to use Google. And yes, the students got a good laugh from my question.

“Of course I know how to use Google,” I have been told by every student to whom I have asked the question.

“Really? Let’s see. This won’t take long,” I promise.…Read More

5 myths about Google and InBloom’s student privacy

Keeping students safe is a top priority for administrators, educators and parents, and that is why it is crucial to understand the difference between the myths and facts

onlineprivacySchools have kept digital records of students for decades.

In the 1983 film War Games, a young Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy hack into their schools’ computer system to change their biology grades.

At the time, this was pretty risky behavior. Now, schools and districts have much larger challenges with cybersecurity and big data privacy concerns.…Read More

The ten ‘Golden Rules’ of Google Apps for Education

Google Apps, and cloud solutions in general, are revolutionizing the way educators teach and students learn.

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Google Apps are revolutionizing how educators teach and students learn. Here are 10 ‘Golden Rules’ to consider when using them. (360b/Shutterstock.com)

Using the power of interactive, cloud-based technology, school administrators and teachers can connect with students in a meaningful way, enhancing the overall learning experience. That said, first approaching these platforms can be overwhelming.

For those of you embarking on the Google Apps journey, here are ten Golden Rules to consider:

1. Energize everyone in your school community with a compelling internal marketing plan. Help lead the charge to have everyone be a part of this exciting new technology. Get everyone on board.…Read More

Microsoft woos Gmail users

In early 2010, Google tried to accelerate the growth of Google Apps by launching Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Exchange, server software designed to help companies move data from Microsoft Exchange to Google Apps, InformationWeek reports. That was several months after Google launched Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook to help Outlook users connect to Google Apps as a back end. That same year, it also debuted Google Apps Migration for Lotus Notes and Connect for Blackberry Enterprise Server to make it easier for users of those systems to “Go Google.” On Wednesday, Microsoft returned the favor, adding another front in its broad counterattack on Google and on the threat ad-funded software poses to its business model…

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Google Helpouts will connect experts, info-seekers

Using Helpouts, students could connect with subject-matter experts

Google-HelpoutsA new Google service, called Helpouts, connects people who need help with those who can give it in virtual, real-time tutoring or advice sessions. While not open to the public just yet, the Helpouts service is being positioned as a way to connect students with tutors or to connect subject-matter experts with anyone who has a question.

Helpouts providers can choose to offer their services for free, or they can charge for their sessions. If a session is fee-based, providers and customers will use Google Wallet. Providers must be 18 or older, and customers must be 13 years old or older.

While services may be fee-based, the potential is great for school leaders and educators to collaborate with one another or access quick mobile help. Helpouts also may be useful for students who need help with courses they are taking online, whether they are full-time online students or are simply taking online courses to supplement their brick-and-mortar schooling. For instance, a student whose school doesn’t offer a German language class may opt to take a German course online. That student could use Google Helpouts to access real-time, immediate help from a German teacher or other qualified expert who has submitted credentials to, and been vetted by, Google Helpouts.…Read More

Google to downgrade pirate sites in search results

Google Inc. is altering its search results to de-emphasize the websites of repeat copyright offenders and make it easier to find legitimate providers of music, movies and other content, the Associated Press reports. The move is a peace offering to Hollywood and the music recording labels. This year, Google joined other Silicon Valley heavyweights to help kill legislation that would have given government and content creators more power to shut down foreign websites that promote piracy…

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Google unveils $199 tablet, challenges Kindle Fire

Google’s price is aggressively low, considering that the Nexus 7 has more features than the Kindle, including a front-facing camera.

Google on June 27 said it will sell a 7-inch, $199 tablet computer bearing its brand in a challenge to Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

The Nexus 7 is designed specifically for Google Play, the online store that sells movies, music, books, apps, and other content—the things Amazon.com Inc. also sells for its tablet computer.

Google’s announcement that it’s putting its brand on a tablet comes a week after Microsoft Corp. said the same thing. Both moves risk alienating Google’s and Microsoft’s hardware partners. Those companies, in turn, could be less inclined to work closely with Google and Microsoft.…Read More