So, how are you using Google Apps in your classroom? Now that we all have access to the Google suite at NSW DEC, I’m having a lot of fun discovering the potential of the technology.
I know that the Google Apps have been around for a while, but the difference now is that access is so easy for teachers and students through the DEC portal.
Today, I created and shared a doc with Year 12, who then, from their own devices, brain dumped their ideas about Orwell’s representation of values in Nineteen Eighty-Four into the doc. You can see their little cursors all over it.
These are just our ‘thinking out loud’ ideas (definitely not perfect) but it’s a start! Who needs a study guide when you have twenty four bright young minds working collaboratively? (Crappy photo, but you get the picture…)
My favourite is the value of razor blades.
I’m not sure Orwell would have approved of Big Brother Google, but Docs is working for me.
How are you using Google Apps in your classroom?
Always Learning 
Hi Lisa,
Great idea. I remember using Google Docs at Uni – was there any hassle getting your students set up? Is this something you did in your own time or during class? From what I remember it was quite fiddly and many people (yes, adults) got a little crazy when they realised they were anonymously contributing to a document seen by all. Thanks!
Hi Tamara, thanks for stopping by. I set up the document before class and shared the link on our class Edmodo group so that all students could access it. The NSW DEC now provides access for all staff and students to Google Apps through our department accounts, so once they were logged in, it was easy for them to access. It took a bit of troubleshooting, but the kids are pretty quick with this stuff. They could use it on laptops or tablets, and some were using phones. When the kids are editing, each shows up in a different colour with the first letter of their first name, so not anonymous. They loved adding to the document simultaneously. I think creating a classroom that is judgement free is a key factor here. All ideas are valued. 😄