Week two in the classroom has been quiet the Google experience. We covered many of the essential Google tools to aid in our professional development. We dove right into the features and applications available to all users of Google. We then got into a Google Hangout session with guest speakers Kate Baker, David Malone, and Melissa Murphy, who interacted and taught the class the ways Google has aided them within their careers in education.
We were first informed about the many distinctive features that Google Drive provides. Google Docs, one of these apps, includes collaborative versions of the Microsoft Office programs Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Google's versions of these programs are Docs (Word), Sheets (Excel), and Slides (PowerPoint). We also learned about Google Forms, which is a great way to gather data collected from individuals. A lot of our in-class work involves working within these applications.
On Thursday Kate Baker, David Malone, and Melissa Murphy, all joined us for a little informative conversation. Kate Baker, a high school highlighted on the usefulness of Google Slides when developing any type of presentation. She explained how you can create a Table of Contents within
your Slides presentation using hyperlink integration.
Melissa Murphy, a Special Education teacher, mainly spoke about the Google extensions she utilizes for optimal browser utilization. Some extensions she mentioned were Readability, TLDR, SplitScreen, Tabcloud, Snag-it, Stickynotes and Adblock Plus (a personal favorite).
We also had David Malone, a Teacher on Special Assignment with San Francisco Unified School District's Information Technology Department and adjunct faculty at Touro University speak with us. He mentioned a lot of interesting extensions that I could utilize during the pursuit of my degree. Some mentioned were Shortcuts for Google, Extensity, Video Download Helper and Lazarus: Form Recovery.
It was pretty neat to experience my LiveBinder selection for this week, within Google Slides. I chose "Google+ for Higher Education". I think this topic really encompasses the objectives I hold to accomplish, being employed at Stockton. I already have a Google+ account, but it was really just used for my ex-girlfriend to keep a tab on my location.
Speaking of location, I think Google + would be a great way to brainstorm with colleagues from other off-site campuses. A lot of time is dedicated to scheduling and travel for all of us to meet in person. I think I'll mention this to my manager to see what she thinks!
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