Tool+Application


 * Application of Tools

One of the modules that we covered in this class focused on Google Apps, and more specifically, Google Docs. I am very interested in pursuing the entire collection of applications a Google account provides with my class. Some of the major draws to this tool is the free e-mail/talk account, direct access to Blogger, Google Docs and a calendar.

I have already started my class blogging through another site, Edublogs.org. This site has one advantage to Blogger, which allows me to "create" student blogs that I also have access to. I can moderate posts and comments as well as edit the appearance of a blog. On Blogger, I could create student blogs and invite them to be authors, but the organization behind the Edublogs website was designed with teachers in mind, and therefore, provide a much simpler interface for management.

On the other hand, the integration Blogger provides with Google (and all of it's partners) and many other online services is amazing. Edublogs does not hold a candle to Blogger's ability to assemble images, video, text, etc. from other sites. For my students, it would be easier for them to manage their blogs through a Blogger account.

Currently, we are using our blogs to publish writing assignments and journal entries. They have also posted reflections on reading and have responded to posts made by myself on the blog. The students really enjoy having their work available on the web. Many of them often log on at home and over the weekend to type out a short post on what they have been up to since school let out. They also really love reading their classmates' posts and leaving comments. We have created an environment where they love providing and responding to feedback on their posts.

As for the future, I would really be interested in having my building (Monroe) signed up for Google Apps. It is free to public schools and would provide Google accounts for several hundred individuals. I have attempted this a few months ago, but I have not had success in creating an account. It seems as if someone in the district has already signed up for an account and I would need to contact them. My tech coach has not been able to find the answer, and neither has my administrator, although both have made several attempts to find the right district contact.

Overall, I see my students using technology on a regular basis. Not only to acquire information from online encyclopedias, articles and other resources, but to find ways to share their learning experiences with people all over the world. It provides for an expanded classroom where they can find an audience that they desire to share their knowledge with. **