Tech Talk: Making the Most of Technology in Your Classroom by Shelley Martin-Young All Things Google, Part 1 The possibilities for learning in the classroom using Google are endless. Google tools and resources help teachers and students create, collaborate and build digital skills for the future. With Google, there is a broad selection of apps, activities, lesson plans, digital literacy tools, extensions, and games to promote learning in classrooms of any grade level from Pre-k through college. Google can transform teaching and learning and assist students in becoming creative problem solvers and effective collaborators. According to Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, “Technology alone will not improve education, but it can be a powerful part of the solution” (https://edu.google.com/?modal_active=none). In this article, I will share my favorite digital tools that will help students create, collaborate, and build digital skills. Google Add-Ons and Extensions Google Add-ons are customized extensions that work inside programs such as Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Google Extensions are small programs that add new features to your browser and personalize it for your personal needs. Some of my favorites include Pear Deck, Story Speaker, Mindmeister, Grammarly, Kaizena, and Read and Write for Google Chrome. Pear Deck is a Google ad-on that is used with Google Slides. Pear Deck adds formative assessments and interactive questions right from Google Slide. With Pear Deck you can ensure that all of your students are engaged, see who is confused, and who is on target. Google has a library of templates to use with Pear Deck. You can add an exit ticket, poll, quiz, and more to your presentations. You can also create your own activity or questions and personalize it to fit your needs. You can add videos, animations, and GIFs with Pear Deck. Here is an example of a presentation about Brown vs. The Board of Education using Pear Deck. Story Speaker is a Google ad-on for Google Docs. Story Speaker allows the user to create talking, interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories. Templates are provided that allow students to make their own story. When done making your story, it can be read right there in Docs or can be played on any Google Home or a device with the Google Assistant app. The tool reads the story aloud and then lets the listener speak their responses to then move the story forward. Listen to the creator explain how to use it with Google Home, but it can also be used in the classroom with Google Docs. Mindmeister is another Google Docs ad-on. Mindmeister is a mind mapping tool made into an ad-on. Mindmeister allows you to turn a bullet-point list into a mind map to insert straight into your Google Doc. The bulleted list becomes a beautiful visual to add to your document. Mindmeister is great for brainstorming, note taking, and project planning. For a tutorial on using Mindmeister click here.
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