Google Tools Reflection

The following Google Tools are available for educational purposes.

Documents: Allow for collaboration in group or class work. Instructors can also contribute and offer feedback directly in the document.

Presentations: Help students and teachers prepare information in an impactful manner.

Spreadsheets: Assist groups or individuals in organizing information in logical ways.

Forms: Within Google Documents, Forms can be added and shared with others.

Calendar: Useful for informing students of course schedules. Flexible, so that changes can be made but can also be viewed by any at any time. Can link to Gmail to make notifications of calendar items.

iGoogle: Synthesizes myriad tools, gadgets and links onto one page that can navigate through common uses a teacher or student may have of the Internet.

Blogger: Good way for students to journal and reflect. Others, including the teacher can gain access.

Reader: Can notify students of new readings or postings they should read. It also keeps track of what they actually have read.

Google Maps: Can lend authenticity to assignments by allowing students to map out trips that relate to the content area.

Google Earth: Allows students to understand landscape from a variety of perspectives, including satelite views and topography.

Groups: Allows for group collaboration on-line. Good for 'community of learners' activities.

Google Search Engine: Most common use of Google. This allows students to search the web for content. Specifications may be made for specific types of media including images.

Notebook: Might help students record information found on the web that contributes to specific research.

Scholar: Allows you to limit web searches to scholarly, research based content.


Some of the tools that are of particular interest to me include Calendar and Groups. These can help me organize the course schedule and promote collaborative student work. Google Search Engine will be vital to finding reference images for art projects. Blogger and Documents would be a good way to invite students to reflect in a way that is easily accessible to the instructor.