Google+Apps+Conclusion

According to Edutopia (2008), integrating technology into the classroom is beneficial for students and teachers. Students develop skills, such as problem-solving, analysis, synthesis, and collaboration, that are essential for students to have in the real world. Technology allows for more visual learning and modeling. In addition, technology makes learning more meaningful and engaging. Technology allows teachers to be more of a facilitator as students take ownership in their learning, and technology offers a variety of ways to help student learning and assess student progress.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011) notes that students should be equipped with skills in problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity to be successful in the future. One of the ways teachers and students can achieve this is through the use of Google Apps in the classroom.
 * Students can use Google Docs to create, share, communicate, and collaborate on documents and presentations.
 * Students can use Google Forms to collect, organize, and analyze data for research and problem-solving purposes.
 * Google Sites gives students the opportunity to be creative and develop a webpage that is informative or presents a solution.
 * The various search options offered by Google allows students to conduct in-depth research for any problem-solving activity.

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In my own personal experience, I have used Google Sites to create a webpage that allows me to communicate important class information, such as homework assignments, copies of notes and worksheets, and links that students can visit. My students have also used Google Sites to create their own sites that review class content. In the future, I want to incorporate more inquiry-based learning. When implementing these projects, Google Search and Google Docs will be essential for students to conduct research and collaborate with each other on documents and solutions. In the video to the left, educators from the Watershed School District in Boulder, Colorado, discuss how they use Google Apps and the benefits that result from using these tools. All in all, there are so many learning tools offered through Google Apps, and by incorporating Google Apps into the classroom, students can develop and hone their skills necessary for the 21st Century economy.


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 * = Home ||= Google Docs ||= Google Forms ||= Google Sites || Sample Sites ||= Google Search ||= Advanced Search ||= Implementation ||= Challenges ||= Conclusion ||= References ||