I just finished some work in my Google Drive so today is perfect for Part 3 of my Going Google series. Today, I'm writing about something I've never used in my classroom personally, but want to wherever I end up next. It's time to hang out with Google.
Right now, I use Google Hangouts for conducting my sorority's alumni council meetings. We live all over the south so Google Hangouts is how we conduct our meetings. I first learned about Hangouts when I attended TCEA in February 2015. I never really investigated it or experimented with it until last fall. I now love Google Hangouts and have seen how many uses there are for it in a classroom.
First, you can talk to experts from anywhere in the world. It's kind of like virtual field trips, except students are learning from someone in the field. As an elementary generalist, I don't think of myself as an expert in any content area. I'm always developing my content knowledge when planning. I feel that it is important for students to learn from those who are experts and who work in a field that the students might want to work in some day.
Second, you can use it to connect with other classrooms. Students love to learn from those out in the field and see what kids in other classrooms are doing. From Twitter and Instagram, I have gained a huge network of teachers from all over. I love seeing what they are doing in their classrooms and learning from them, and I feel that students should be given this same opportunity. I've known many teachers who have done Mystery Skypes with other classrooms, but Hangouts is my go-to since it doesn't require downloading Skype onto a school computer.
-Elle
Right now, I use Google Hangouts for conducting my sorority's alumni council meetings. We live all over the south so Google Hangouts is how we conduct our meetings. I first learned about Hangouts when I attended TCEA in February 2015. I never really investigated it or experimented with it until last fall. I now love Google Hangouts and have seen how many uses there are for it in a classroom.
First, you can talk to experts from anywhere in the world. It's kind of like virtual field trips, except students are learning from someone in the field. As an elementary generalist, I don't think of myself as an expert in any content area. I'm always developing my content knowledge when planning. I feel that it is important for students to learn from those who are experts and who work in a field that the students might want to work in some day.
Second, you can use it to connect with other classrooms. Students love to learn from those out in the field and see what kids in other classrooms are doing. From Twitter and Instagram, I have gained a huge network of teachers from all over. I love seeing what they are doing in their classrooms and learning from them, and I feel that students should be given this same opportunity. I've known many teachers who have done Mystery Skypes with other classrooms, but Hangouts is my go-to since it doesn't require downloading Skype onto a school computer.
-Elle
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