Google has been making a lot of changes recently to streamline all of its offerings into one area (part of CEO Larry Page's design) and in turn get people to join Google+. I've read that it is up to 100 million, but my sense (and it is just that) is that people are using it as a souped up Twitter. That, of course, is not a bad thing. I, for example, get a lot of items from others that I follow in Google+ that I use in the classroom. But recent inventions also allow you to have video chats with 9 others and be working on a shared Google Docs item. Think about the fact that you can have a virtual meeting with other educators (for free) and work on common documents. G+ is now also connected to the new Google Play that synchs your Internet devices (assuming you have an Android smartphone). So when I have my free periods at school I turn on my Google music (where I have my entire collection uploaded for free), pony up my Google Docs and get to work. When my students come in they share their assignments with me and I split my screen so I can record the grades in my gradebook (which unfortunately is NOT on the cloud - yet!).
This is a webpage written by high school teachers for those who teach US history who want to find online content as well as technology that you can use in the classroom.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
New Google Changes
Google has been making a lot of changes recently to streamline all of its offerings into one area (part of CEO Larry Page's design) and in turn get people to join Google+. I've read that it is up to 100 million, but my sense (and it is just that) is that people are using it as a souped up Twitter. That, of course, is not a bad thing. I, for example, get a lot of items from others that I follow in Google+ that I use in the classroom. But recent inventions also allow you to have video chats with 9 others and be working on a shared Google Docs item. Think about the fact that you can have a virtual meeting with other educators (for free) and work on common documents. G+ is now also connected to the new Google Play that synchs your Internet devices (assuming you have an Android smartphone). So when I have my free periods at school I turn on my Google music (where I have my entire collection uploaded for free), pony up my Google Docs and get to work. When my students come in they share their assignments with me and I split my screen so I can record the grades in my gradebook (which unfortunately is NOT on the cloud - yet!).
nNice array of information. Undoubtedly Google docs for me is most suited tool but found some new entrants which looks like very powerful when it comes to sharing and collaborationof data. It's CollateBox http://www.collatebox.com/ have a look at this one!
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