2. Literature Review “A free alternative to Microsoft Office? Google Apps gives you that plus plenty of bonus reasons to switch: collaborate on documents with others at the same time; whip up a Web page stocked with downloadable files; and work on it all from any Web-connected computer.” - Google Office: The Missing Manual. “I think it could be really revolutionary. In terms of collaboration and efficiency, I think it could go a long way,” – The DePauw Newspaper “Google Apps for Education currently provides e-mail services to more than 2,000 colleges and universities, including Brown, Northwestern, Cornell, Notre Dame and Georgetown”– Yale Daily News “Google is making a huge investment in developing the Ajax approach... with Google Apps.” - The Adaptive Path Magazine
3. Literature Review “Google's Apps for Education program has gained significant momentum as student tech demands mount and budgetary pressures strain campus IT departments. Handing the e-mail keys over to Google helps schools avoid costly server upgrades while capitalizing on Web-based e-mail's popularity among students.”– Time Magazine “The use of collaborative technology in an educational context increases students' engagement with course content, enriches the learning process, and enhances active participation through content creation” - University of Israel
4. Literature Review Universities and colleges are beginning to switch over to Google, due to cheap cost and high features. From big colleges like Yale, to small K-12 institutions Students and teachers alike love Google’s simplicity Google’s constant innovations make products better over time Google Apps like Google Docs still “in beta,” improving all the time Companies like Microsoft remain “unworried” Sales for Office products remain to grow Some consumers still see web “apps” as too buggy, unreliable to use in place of psychical software Requires a constant, reliable Internet connection to run Google Apps well, where as Microsoft Office can be run offline
7. Google Apps as a Teaching and Learning Tool Great For Classroom Use! Can be used to supplement lessons Notes, handouts, rubrics can supplement lessons Can be used to talk and give live feedback Can be used to vote anonymously and decide classroom activities Can be a great means of instantly sharing student’s work with the rest of class
8. Google Apps as a Teaching and Learning Tool Great For Outside the Classroom too! Rubrics can be posted and shared Study Guides Can be filled out right on the page! Readings can be shared Homework can be posted and collected Homework can’t be “lost” Paperless submissions No “broken printer excuses”
9. NETS NETS Goals Can Be Furthered Through Google Apps Creativity and Innovation Cutting edge gadgets and tools go beyond what Microsoft Word can create Communication and Collaboration Google Docs redefines the way people collaborate on work Research and Information Retrieval Making all of you documents that you create available anywhere for free redefines information retrieval Digital Citizenship Creating a Google identity encourages students to think of their online activity as carefully as they might their education Technology Operations and Concepts Google Apps is redefining the expectations of web applications.
10. Higher Order Learning Skills While Google Apps doesn’t exactly teach learning skills it can support and enrich skills that are taught in the classroom It’s important to teach students how to fully use the programs, so they might use it to the best of their abilities The use of collaborative technology in an educational context increases students' engagement with course content, enriches the learning process, and enhances active participation through content creation. In addition, students’ involvement in learning activities via collaborative tools improves their final course grades
11. Social Cultural A more collaborative experience Invites sharing More transparent classroom Moving towards an online culture More time required for students to use computers Requiring computer usage both in and out of the classroom Impact on Society, Legal, Social, Cultural or Ethics?
12. Google Apps – Pros and Cons The Good It’s Free (relatively) Innovative Sharable Always Improving Great resource for students The Bad Requires Good Internet Not as comprehensive Still “in beta” Requires Google Account May not be as secure
13. Additional Information / Web sites Google’s Official App Site for EDU: www.google.com/a/edu Google App’s Wiki: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Apps 7 Things You Should Know About Google Appswww.net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7035.pdf Google Docs in Plain English (Vid) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA
15. Closing / Summary While Google Apps still has a ways to go, and certainly won’t be taking over the world tomorrow, it’s becoming a more and more viable option for many educators and their administrations. I’d invite everyone to try uploading one document to Google Docs, the next time multiple people need to edit a document of yours. I am sure you’ll find yourself saving, time and effort. Thanks for your time! - Chris
