Thing # 7 - Google

Thing # 7 - Google This is probably the most important Thing that I will complete. I honestly had NO ideal all of the features that Google offers! In the past, I have not had the best experience with Google and SBISD. The Plato lab is used on the comptuers in my room and if there is a Google bar up, the Plato software will not work! Of course, SBISD also blocks just about every other website that both the studetns and I try to use and that is very frustrating as well.

I took the time and viewed several of the Google Tools offered and will use several of them in my day-to-day classroom activites. Here are some samples:

• Google Alert: This will be an excellent tool for students tool look up current event articles that go along with the units I teach for Financial Mangement. If we are doing a unit on credit cards for exapmle, they can have Google let them know of any current articles regarding the credit card.
• Google Calendar: This can be used for all of my classes so the students will know what assignments they need to complete. Also in BECP and AOF the students will be able to have a calendar available to them see when things are due.
• IGoogle: I enjoyed creating my own homepage and the girls and I loved watching You Tube, but I will not use this in my classroom since it is important that all the computers have the same homepage of SBISD!
• Google Notebook: This was incredible! I searched the term credit cards and was able to bring up several important videos, articles and websites that will help my Financial Management classs. I will use this feature a lot at school
• Google Advanced Search: I used this to find for the credit card search to copy and paste into the Google notebook. None of the websites were blocked at home, so it was so easy to use. Once I try to use it at school, I know that it will not be the same and some frustration will be obvious.
• Atomic Learning: My students already use this if they get stuck on trying to figure out an exercise for the MicroSoft Office 2003 application. Sometimes they do not want to take the time to use Atomic Learning.