Google Apps Blog

When I first saw the assignment on Google Apps training, I didn’t realize how little I actually knew about Google.  There are so many different ways to incorporate Google into a classroom.  I also didn’t realize that there was a whole section on Apps for Education and how certain apps could be used.  For example, I use Google Calendar for my everyday personal calendars, however, I do not use it for school.  I think that if I used it for school as well, it would keep me that much more organized.  I didn’t know that you could attach documents using the calendar.  I like this option because it is just another way that I can stay organized.  The more organized I am, the more efficient I will be as a teacher.  Another useful app that I experimented with is the Google Sites app.  A lot of my colleagues use this tool for their classroom website.  I have always used iWeb for my websites, so I found navigating the Google Sites a little rough at first.  After playing around with it for a while, I started to get the hang of it and was able to see the value in using this app.  The feature that I like the most is that it auto-saves and I can access and edit it anywhere I have Internet access.  With iWeb, I have to use my computer to make changes and I have lost my website more than once.  I is difficult to recreate a website once you have all the information on it!  I also really like the forms app.  I had never thought about embedding an informational form on my class website until taking this class.  I love the idea and again, it will keep me so much more organized.   I have always used Google Docs with my class and as an educator.  I have found it is a great way to collaborate with students and colleagues. 

There are so many more ways to use Google Apps. I think the training site will come in extremely help to me and I am so excited to learn more.