I am by no means new to the google website, but I had no idea how useful so many of their applications can be to the educational experience. I have been using www.google.com as a search engine for as long as I can remember (in the world wide web era, at least) and I have had to use gmail and the google calendar in a limited capacity over the past 6 years. I guess you can say that I am new to the google app world.
 |
| Here is a sample of the many apps google has to offer. |
In my short time in the role of an emerging educator I have found many of these apps to be invaluable to the educational process. One great feature is that everything can be saved on the google drive which can be accessed from any device. This is helpful when I don't have my computer and am trying to reference a file from my iPad, I can sign into the drive and I have access. I don't have to carry a jump drive with me, which is awesome!
The google drive makes collaboration seamless. Instead of having to email documents or files back and forth to a group, files can be shared and group members can contribute as if they in a room, working together. The drive saves a lot of paper as well. School-wide bulletins, data-sharing, unit/lesson plans, and any other information that may have been printed in the past and placed in mailboxes can not only be shared but the recipients can make edits to original files.
I have barely explored the tip of the iceberg as far as the usefulness of the google apps and I can't wait to discover more ways to make this experience more efficient and accessible.
