Over the past few months I have been slowly chipping away at the Google Educator Level 2 Certification training modules. It has taken a long while to get it all done because, let's be honest, who has time to sit down and dedicate hours to training?! I wish I could, but I still have classes to teach, my kiddos to pick up, dinner to make, etc. - but that isn't the purpose of this post, so I digress . . .
As I have been going through the training, I've been blown away by different resources that I just didn't know about! The thing I love most about pushing myself to get certified is that there is so much to learn, and so much I haven't explored. So it made me think: if I find these things useful, why not share them out? Heck, why don't I share out a list of resources that I have discovered along my journey to technology learning, and help out fellow educators who maybe have not yet stumbled upon these gems as well?!
And so here they are:
1) Google My Maps - You can create a map with your students (collaboration is possible!) and add multiple layers, images, etc. - I envision using this with my Spanish students - we could have a layer for architecture, art, music, important places, etc. - and from there, we could add to our map throughout the year - by the end of the year they have a resource they can go back to and study and see all of the different places we learned about;
2) Google Tour Builder - this one got even better with last week's announcement of students/teachers being able to create their own 360 tours, but even without that ability, you could take your MyMaps and create a whole tour based on a country, by one of the layers (take architecture, for example), etc. LOTS of potential for this one!
3) Google Arts & Culture - This one is pretty cool! You can explore in "street view" many different museums, cities, etc. and learn more about the history of different cultures. So many uses for this one.
4) Google Expeditions - I will always have a weak spot for virtual field trips. I feel like this is the perfect way to take my students outside of the classroom without requiring a ton of money, etc. They get to see different countries, cultures, and even workplaces or universities, without ever leaving the school. I finally got my hands on a set of viewers, so I'm looking forward to using this!
5) Google Lit Tour - a site that offers Google Earth tours based on various novels/literature. It's pretty neat - and brings the book to life, especially if the novel is based on a true story! I used this in my ESL class, as a group of students were reading A Long Walk To Water - being able to see images and a map of Salva's journey really helped them to visualize the story.
6) Padlet - Okay, this one wasn't from my Google training, but I love using padlet as a wordwall with my ELLs; it allows us to create a visual of all of the new terms/expressions we are learning, without requiring a physical wall. I don't teach in the same room all day, so I don't need to worry about what other teachers want to do with the classroom walls, etc. I understand that you now only get 3 padlets free, though, so as long as you don't see yourself needing more than 3, Padlet is a great option.
7) Venngage - Cheating again, as this is one I learned about from a colleague. I've started using this (just the free version) to create colourful infographics - like the one for Chrome Squad (the tech group we have started up at my school). It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but the outcome is awesome.
8) Google Sheets - this one is, and will likely continue to be, my nemesis. This app in the suite tends to be the most complicated as I don't use it often, and I don't often need to manipulate data or organize it in such a way that would require a formula, etc. I'm slowly getting the hang of it, and can typically problem solve my way through it, but man is it difficult! I've included it here because it really is handy to know. I've already had to field a few questions from other staff about how to use it or do certain functions, so I'm glad that my Google Certification has forced me to learn how to use it more.
9) Book Creator - This one is great for ELLs, or really anyone, to be honest. You can use it to create a "book" of review - and you can incorporate photos, text, videos - and to top it off, you can use voice to text for those students that need that extra support! It's a wonderful thing. Once your book is complete, you could then download it and get it printed. There really is so much potential with this app.
Feel free to inquire about the different apps, etc. These descriptions are really quite brief, and I often feel it's easiest to learn by playing around with them. If you have questions, or want me to expand on some of them, feel free to reach out, as I would be more than willing to do that.
Also - what have you discovered that you absolutely love? I'm always looking for different suggestions.
As I have been going through the training, I've been blown away by different resources that I just didn't know about! The thing I love most about pushing myself to get certified is that there is so much to learn, and so much I haven't explored. So it made me think: if I find these things useful, why not share them out? Heck, why don't I share out a list of resources that I have discovered along my journey to technology learning, and help out fellow educators who maybe have not yet stumbled upon these gems as well?!
And so here they are:
1) Google My Maps - You can create a map with your students (collaboration is possible!) and add multiple layers, images, etc. - I envision using this with my Spanish students - we could have a layer for architecture, art, music, important places, etc. - and from there, we could add to our map throughout the year - by the end of the year they have a resource they can go back to and study and see all of the different places we learned about;
2) Google Tour Builder - this one got even better with last week's announcement of students/teachers being able to create their own 360 tours, but even without that ability, you could take your MyMaps and create a whole tour based on a country, by one of the layers (take architecture, for example), etc. LOTS of potential for this one!
3) Google Arts & Culture - This one is pretty cool! You can explore in "street view" many different museums, cities, etc. and learn more about the history of different cultures. So many uses for this one.
4) Google Expeditions - I will always have a weak spot for virtual field trips. I feel like this is the perfect way to take my students outside of the classroom without requiring a ton of money, etc. They get to see different countries, cultures, and even workplaces or universities, without ever leaving the school. I finally got my hands on a set of viewers, so I'm looking forward to using this!
5) Google Lit Tour - a site that offers Google Earth tours based on various novels/literature. It's pretty neat - and brings the book to life, especially if the novel is based on a true story! I used this in my ESL class, as a group of students were reading A Long Walk To Water - being able to see images and a map of Salva's journey really helped them to visualize the story.
6) Padlet - Okay, this one wasn't from my Google training, but I love using padlet as a wordwall with my ELLs; it allows us to create a visual of all of the new terms/expressions we are learning, without requiring a physical wall. I don't teach in the same room all day, so I don't need to worry about what other teachers want to do with the classroom walls, etc. I understand that you now only get 3 padlets free, though, so as long as you don't see yourself needing more than 3, Padlet is a great option.
7) Venngage - Cheating again, as this is one I learned about from a colleague. I've started using this (just the free version) to create colourful infographics - like the one for Chrome Squad (the tech group we have started up at my school). It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but the outcome is awesome.
8) Google Sheets - this one is, and will likely continue to be, my nemesis. This app in the suite tends to be the most complicated as I don't use it often, and I don't often need to manipulate data or organize it in such a way that would require a formula, etc. I'm slowly getting the hang of it, and can typically problem solve my way through it, but man is it difficult! I've included it here because it really is handy to know. I've already had to field a few questions from other staff about how to use it or do certain functions, so I'm glad that my Google Certification has forced me to learn how to use it more.
9) Book Creator - This one is great for ELLs, or really anyone, to be honest. You can use it to create a "book" of review - and you can incorporate photos, text, videos - and to top it off, you can use voice to text for those students that need that extra support! It's a wonderful thing. Once your book is complete, you could then download it and get it printed. There really is so much potential with this app.
Feel free to inquire about the different apps, etc. These descriptions are really quite brief, and I often feel it's easiest to learn by playing around with them. If you have questions, or want me to expand on some of them, feel free to reach out, as I would be more than willing to do that.
Also - what have you discovered that you absolutely love? I'm always looking for different suggestions.
Comments
Post a Comment