How to Create the Schools We Need?

"Anything short of a vision of educational technology use that allows students and teachers to inquire more deeply, research more broadly, connect more intensely, share more widely and create more powerfully, sells short the power of these tools – and more important, sells short the promise of learning and of school for out students." – Lehmann/Chase: Building School 2.0

At our opening PD in August, I spoke a little bit about a book a friend of mine wrote with his colleague. Zac Chase and Chris Lehmann have produced an inspirational guide to building (and sustaining) schools we need in the 21st century.

Chris Lehmann, widely recognized as an ed-tech leader and educational reformer was named "Outstanding Leader of the Year" by ISTE in 2013 and was the recipient of the prestigious "Rising Star" McGraw prize in education, the very next year. His work as principal and founder of Science Leadership Academy (regarded as one of the 10 most amazing schools in the U.S.) has earned him many honours and awards, including being considered one of the 30 most influential people in ed-tech.

Zach Chase is a gifted educator with whom I had the joy of working a few year ago. Zac travels around the world consulting with teachers on the "thoughtful combination of pedagogy and technology for teaching and learning". He currently is a National Fellow at the Institute for Democratic Education in America.

I loved this book and wholeheartedly encourage you to read it. Each chapter ends with a section "From Theory to Practice" giving solid examples of classroom or personal applications of the chapter's topic. This is not a book about technology, but rather it is a broader discussion about education and how we can create learning spaces (...and yes, infused with technology) to teach our children to be problem solvers, life-long learners, and thoughtful citizens.

I'll leave you with another quote from the book:

"The purpose of school is not to train children but to teach them, and that requires the human element. If anything, we need more adults in school, not fewer."

Understanding Google Drive

What is Google Drive and what is it good for? Well many of you may remember when Google Drive was simply called Google Docs, which was a bit of a misnomer, because it is so much more than just docs.  Google drive can store and sync your files (with GAFE we have unlimited storage), but it is also where you can create a doc, spreadsheet, slideshow, survey (Google form), or drawing. The collaborative nature of these tools is why we would choose to create our documents or projects here.

It is important to understand there are 3 platforms for Google Drive. They are:
Google Drive on the web
Google Drive on your computer
Google Drive on your mobile devices

1. Google Drive on the Web, can be accessed through the Google Apps grid from your account, as seen here:

Your Google Drive on the web will look something like this (this one is in list-view):

2. Google Drive on your computer looks a little different. First it needs to be installed locally. Find Google Drive in Launchpad and double-click on the icon. Follow the instructions to install. You will notice a new folder will appear in your Finder window, called Google Drive and looks just like your Documents folder. Files placed here are saved on your hard drive.

You will also notice a small icon up on your menu bar, at the top of your computer, if you are on a Mac (or at the lower right of your screen, on the taskbar, if you are on a PC). This small icon will pulse when you are syncing files. This means, when you save a file to your Google Drive on your computer, it will mirror it or sync with your Google Drive on the web. In this way, Google is backing up your files. If something happens to your computer, you can retrieve all your data from Google Drive on the web. It also means, when you don't have your computer with you, you can also access your files on the web.

3. Google Drive on Mobile devices allows you to access your files on the go. On your Android or iOS device, install the Google Drive app and you can:

– View and share your files

– Upload new files directly from your phone

– Scan documents using the camera on your phone

– Access your files even when you are not connected to the internet

All three platforms work together, to make sure your data is available to you when you need it. From any of the Google Drives you can share files with colleagues or students. All files, MS Office, PDF's, images, video, --- can be saved in Google Drive, but there are also highly collaborative tools, like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which can be created directly in your Drive on the web. These tools allow for as many as 50 collaborators at a time. As the owner of the document (or sheet, or presentation) you decide who can edit and who can only view. All changes to the document are saved automatically, and a Revision History is available if you need to revert back to an earlier version, or to simply monitor who has added what.

So, Google Drive is the place to house all your files, Google or otherwise. 

If you have always backed up your data on an external drive, please continue to do so. It is always a good idea to back up in two places.

Google Chrome

There are many tools to explore with GAFE, and we will get to all of them, but let's begin with Google Chrome, the browser that interfaces with all the Google applications. Many of you have already signed into Chrome and may have already become familiar with its advantages:

• Browsing history, settings, and data, such as bookmarks, apps, extensions, themes are saved to your Google account and can be recovered if your computer is lost or broken. Simply signing into Chrome again will bring them back.

• Changes you make on one computer are automatically and instantaneously reflected on the other computers where you are signed in and have enabled sync.

• You can also sync open tabs, bookmarks, and omnibox data from your computer to your phone or tablet with a Google account. Accessing previous searches and settings across devices can help both teachers and students save valuable time.

• Chrome has the ability to extend its functionality through apps and extensions.

Let's begin with Chrome's menu:

Click on the "hotdogs" (hey, I don't name 'em) in the upper right corner of Chrome.

Here you will find your bookmarks (and where to import and export them), your history, your recent tabs, as well as tabs open on your other devices. Under "Settings" you can customize the appearance, such as font size and style themes, and can personalize your search experience. This is also where you sign in to Chrome if you have not already done so.

Further down the menu is "Help".   Help > Help Center is a great place to get you started, where you can review the basics, learn how to personalize Chrome, find tips for searching the web, and more.

The Omnibox

The green rectangle below is called the "omnibox", it's the familiar place where we type our URL's and where many of us begin our searches. Typing key words here will produce popular search suggestions and auto-complete recently bookmarked sites, but did you know you can do math calculations in the omnibox, or convert currency and measurements? By typing in specific words like Define:, or Filetype: you can filter your searches.

Use the omnibox as a dictionary.

Enter math equations.

You can also use the omnibox to track a package, or check the status of a flight, set a timer, find a sport score. Click here to see more  Google search tips and tricks.

You can quickly add websites to your favourites by clicking on the star shown in figure 1 below.

Tabs

Using tabs (#2) in our browser is not new to us, but here are a few tips I find useful:

1. Dragging a tab to your desktop will automatically open a new window
2. Highlighting and dragging text to a tab will open a search with those words
3. Right-clicking on a tab will allow you to: 
1. Pin your tab so that it will open the next time you open Chrome, 
2. reopen closed tabs
3. bookmark all open tabs at once

Apps

We can add apps and extensions to Chrome. Think of apps as web-based software. To access the Webstore click on the apps button on the right of your browser.

Then Click on the Webstore icon. The other icons you see below are app I have added.

There are a daunting amount of apps available. You can filter your searches to be only apps produced by Google, and that might be a good place to start. They are also divided into categories, and there is one for Education. As you can see in the figure below a description and reviews are available, but feel free to try out different apps to see which work for you. There are some apps that work offline.

The Webstore is also where you will find Extensions. These work directly in Chrome to enhance its capabilities. Here you can see some extensions I've added. An example would be a Youtube ad blocker extension, which will block ads when you play a Youtube video.

You can manage them (turn them on and off) by going to your Chrome hotdog icon and choosing "more tools".

I've created a Google sheet of apps and extension. Please add to this list when you find something you like. As the list grows, I will  divide the list into tabs. Enter only the information you think is needed. I've added a few of my favourites.

Google Search

We've gotten used to "Image search", but you can also search Google using voice. You will notice a microphone in the Google's search window. Clicking on it will activate the tool. (If you go to Google.com, saying the words "Okay Google", will activate the mic.)

Once active, you will notice the mic will turn red while "Listening..." will display.

Speak into your mic and let Google do its magic.

A tool that I think is most important is the "Reading Level" tool. 

1. Type your search (or speak)
2. Click on "Search tools
3. Choose "Reading level" and choose Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced

Next time: Google Drive

Welcome to GAFE!

So as we embark on this exciting move to Google Apps for Education (GAFE), I would like to say how happy I am about the response we have had. Though it may seem we will need to learn a whole new set of skills, really we are moving to a platform that will make so many things so much easier for so many of us and our learners. Some things will need a little adjustment time but for the most part I think the transition will be a smooth one. Remember, Microsoft Office is still available whenever needed, but do try out the different tools available even before training begins.

Stay tuned to this blog to get detailed instructions and help as we learn about the tools available in the Google suite.Click here to learn more: GAFE