Documents-Google documents is extremely useful to teachers and students. This application allows the teacher to communicate with their students. As a history teacher, Google Documents would be useful when working with students on their term papers and projects. I could edit their work easier and it would allow the students to protect their work online. Another great advantage to this program is the fact it is free. Some families are financially unable to purchase the necessary computer programs to finish certain projects at home. Now they can use the Google docs instead.
Presentations-Presentations are great tools in teaching. This program gives visual learners the ability to learn in an effective way. It is also useful for logical and interpersonal learners because of the clear and concise outline for discussion. Presentations keep lectures on track and organized making it overall easier for learning. I plan to use this program for lecturing in my classes.
Spreadsheets-Spreadsheets help keep information in a clear and organized fashion. Along with History I am getting my endorsements in integrated Social Studies, so I will also be teaching some classes in economics where spreadsheets would be the most useful when listing different facts.
Forms- The forms tool has many applications. It has templates for business related documents such as resumes, business cards and business meetingschedules . While this can be an advantage to many people, the templates for assignments and various bibliographies are very important to helping our student each turn inassignment and term papers using identical forms to each other. There are also forms for lesson planning, this will be helpful to me as a teacher in constructing my courses.
Calendar- Google calendar is a great tool to keep ourselves as teachers and our students on the same schedule. This also allows the parents of our students to see what is coming up and what is expected of their students. This is extremely useful in keeping everyone on the same page so we as teachers can focus on instruction instead of going over calendar items everyday. Parents will also find this calendar useful when going on vacation with their families during the school year, the assignments for the missed school days are clear.
iGoogle- I have been a fan of igoogle for a long time, even now as a student I check igoogle every morning to go over my to do list for the day. I can check my email, the stocks and my calendar all on one page. As a teacher this is important when trying to be a help to your students when they or their parents have questions. Igoogle also will also help me track assignments and blogs turned in by my students. Currently I have news stories from various sources on myigoogle page, this helps me stay abreast of what is happening around the world. This knowledge of current events is important as a history teacher because history is happening everyday.
Blogger- Blogger is a great way for students to turn in comments and assignments during the school year. This is something I had never thought about, I have had a blog for the past 18 months and it neveroccur ed to me that it could be used for any other purpose then bragging about my kids. As a teacher I will use blogger as a way to continue discussions by having students post their thought or summaries regarding certain readings and lectures.
Reader- Reader is useful when following the blog of my students. I was very excited about this tool for personal reason, I have 7 siblings all who keep in touch through their blogs, by using google reader I can now streamline my checking of their blogs. As a teacher this will also be helpful in streamlining my students assignments.
Google Maps- As a geography teacher I will find this tool extremely important. Google Maps will replace the need for large expensive maps in the classroom, thus making any classroom a room suited for geography.
Google Earth-Along with Google maps, Google earth is useful in teaching both geography and history. Along with my social studies endorsements I am also working in my physical and earthscience endorsements, making google earth important when teaching about the make up of the earth and it's topography.
Groups- Groups is a great way to keep up a discussion with the students or parents on certain topics discussed in class. Google groups would also be useful as a tool to keep in touch with fellow teachers about ideas or problems regarding students.
Google Search Engine-Customize google search engine can be very useful when having my students research a topic safely. This tool will also help steer my students in the right direction and lower their frustration when working on projects.
Notebook-This tool is very helpful when putting together research. The ability to share notebooks helps groups of students work together on projects. The notebook feature works great as a place to collect information.
Do you really plan on using all of these as a teacher? Which are your absolute favorites? Also, not all of your responses included ways the students could use the tool.
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