Adventures in Learning

The second of two projects for Workshop # 1 of my Tech 511 class involved creating a lesson plan using Google Tools to enhance collaboration and communication.  While I can imagine many wonderful applications for classroom use, I decided to stick with my education "roots" and put together a Writing lesson.  My results can be found below, or by clicking here .  

A required assignment for Tech 511 Workshop #1 is a Classroom Communication Plan.  To view the results of my exploration of this topic, click here  or view below. (On a side note...I discovered an easier way to link my Google Docs to this blog. Plus, my super handy husband - sensing my frustration at not being able to make technology do my bidding - showed me a new screen capture-esque tool. Yippee for me!) I also played with Google Forms and came up with something I could use on my classroom blog to obtain contact information from parents.  I've linked the form here .

One of the assignments this week was working collaboratively with a fellow Phoenix to create a graphic organizer to show the benefits and challenges of using Google Tools for communication and collaboration.  My partner, Suzanne, and I each drafted our own ideas in Drawings then shared via Drive and combined to make a collaborative organizer.  Our results are below: Suzanne's draft: Danni's draft: And the final version: I'll admit that I experienced quite a bit of difficulty converting my Google Drawings to a form usable in Blogger.  (This was primarily because I inserted my Drawing into a Doc...and then only had the option to convert to a pdf, which is unusable in Blogger.  I tried screenshotting, cutting and pasting, and all of my usual tricks.  After I watched a YouTube video, I finally decided it would be best to reformat the Doc back to a Drawing, change the colors and download as a jpeg from there.  Lesson learned!)

Because I've got a long way to go to Google Tools mastery, I really appreciate the expertise of those who have gone before me.  Tips, tricks and hacks will certainly make this journey easier! Gleaning from the article found here , I've come up with my own (albeit much shorter) list of Google Docs capabilities that I think would be most valuable in teaching Writing.  (So, without further adieu...) Top 4 Google Docs functions needed to make Writer's Workshop (and other classroom endeavors) engaging and fun: 1. Shared Folders and Privacy Settings - Teaching how to share folders and adjust privacy settings is pretty much required if you're hoping to implement an electronic Writer's Workshop activity. Drafted compositions can easily be shared with peer editing partners or groups, and individuals can weigh in with suggestions and corrections using color-coded commenting. 2. Revision History - Once revisions have been made, writers can look back at prior ve...

I've blogged off and on for many years, keeping up with our medical adventures, documenting travels and paying homage to the cat.  But this is the first blog I've ever dedicated to a profession I love: teaching!   In an effort to keep up my classroom credentials (in preparation for a kinder, gentler time after the kids start school), I'll be taking a few online courses to learn new skills and hone my teaching game.  The first of these classes - Tech511 - is through the University of Phoenix.  Over the past several (whirlwind) days, I've been exploring Google Tools.  Neat stuff.  Projects for the class will be posted here for the world to see.   You know what they say.  What happens online, stays online (like, FOREVER).  Looking forward to learning, growing and sharing.  So glad you're along for the ride!