Welcome and Overview

0715_Welcome

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Driving Questions

1. What free and educationally beneficial services are available from Google?
2. How will you use Google services as a teacher?
3. How will your students use Google services?

Getting to know you... all about you?



This welcome activity will give you an opportunity to meet and connect with the people in your team. Think of it as "speed dating" for geeky educators! It is also meant to help you kick start your innovative thinking for the day - with a clear focus on learning. So stretch your mind and exercise your creativity. :)

Follow the instructions below to complete the activity... and make an innovation connection!

  1. Listen carefully to the instructions. This should take two minutes or less.
  2. Think of the best example of innovation in education that you can. For this exercise, the innovation should not involve computers, gadgets, or anything "techie." The example doesn't need to be something you've done yourself. Perhaps it's something one of your teachers did when you were a student or something you've seen one of your colleagues (or heroes) do.  Think fast, and prepare to share. You have about two minutes.
  3. Pair up with one of your teammates and share your example. You will have one minute each to share your example and any story behind it (for a total of two minutes together). When one partner is sharing, the other can ask a question, but shouldn't "take over" the conversation.
  4. Rotate until you have shared with every other person on your team. With teams of eight, this should require seven rotations... the first four are easy, the next three will take some quick creative thinking! (You will have 15 seconds for each transition.)
  5. Come together as a team to decide who shared the best example of innovation in education. You have 2 minutes.
  6. A representative from your team will share the best example with the large group. Each group representative will have 1 minute to share.

More

Google Almanac - A Google Site Created by GTCs (Kyle Brumbaugh, Jerome Burg, Cheryl Davis, & Kathleen Ferenz) for the GTA
Google Hacks - A good reference book. The first half or so includes some great tips... the rest gets a bit technical.
Googlepedia - Another good reference book to use when teaching particular applications.
Google Apps Education Edition - Resources developed by GCTs (Lisa Thumann and Kevin Jarrett) for the GTA
Google Channels on YouTube
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