Google Everything!

 How do we effectively integrate technology into the classroom? The Covid-19 pandemic pushed us into doing just that, rapidly.  Teachers continue to find new ways to engage their students through the use of technology, when right now that is the only way to engage them. I am currently working at a charter elementary school in South Los Angeles that utilizes Google Workspace in a way I have never seen done before. We literally use everything that Google has to offer. Gmail for our emails and Google Calendar for our calendars. We use Google Hangouts to talk to each other quickly, since we can't do it in person. 

But it is their use of Google Docs and Sheets that has me mind blown.  They are using them in ways I did not even know they could be used.  Documents are shared among team members to allow for real-time updates. Documents and Sheets have clickable links that take you to other Docs and Sheets, as well as forms and websites. Everything you need to access the school and do your job effectively is available in some way on Google Drive in the cloud. It works for them. The students are also becoming quite effective with their use of Google. 

The school was utilizing Google prior to the school closures, so when they moved to their shift online, it was difficult, but it was made easier by their knowledge of how to use Google Workspace already. Instead, they created new groups, Docs, Sheets, and Forms to help them track everything. They use Zoom for all of their video conferencing. 

I feel like I have been playing catch up with learning how they use everything that Google has to offer, but I feel like I am slowly catching up. Seeing how they are integrating technology is amazing. Their teachers have access to PD's since they went into distance learning. They record all of their Zoom PD's and post save them in a Google Drive. They have links to tutorials and resources.  They have Docs that allow for teachers to put different resources that they find on there. It is honestly the best thing that I have ever seen.