Ferrinda Innovation

Is there anything they haven’t thought of?

My hat goes off to Google, it never ceases to amaze me! First just its power as a search engine, then came images, all of a sudden I was viewing my house from space and before I know it I can now edit a document with someone on the other side of the world at the same time.

Jess and Rachel walked us through a great presentation on Google Groups and Google Docs. I was immediately impressed with the ‘user-friendliness’ of Google Groups. I can see the education value of this with older students as a way of communication on ideas topics, even as a controlled social medium. The ability for someone to be the ‘owner’ of the group has meant that I would use this in my class, having control at all times I feel is important.

Google Docs are impressive to say the least. Rachel’s demonstration with the one document that we all edited at the same was good to see the power however I did note one issue with someone continuously changing something that was correct and making it incorrect.

My final thoughts are that I would use Google Groups with older students and fellow teachers as a way to communicate ideas/thoughts/information. Google Docs would be used either as a way to mark students work or to create a presentation, or select one of the great templates available from Google Docs.

What do you have install for us next Google?

Well that concludes the end of another week of expert presenters. Wayd & Geoff presented in today’s class Google Earth. When Google Earth first came about many years a go I remember playing for hours in awe of this new technology. As with all new novelties this soon became boring and I ’swept it under the mat’ so to speak! Only a few weeks a go with the release of street view I did the same thing checked out all the important places to me, home, work, and international icons.

Today was a chance for me to revisit this application from Google. Wayd & Geoff presented some interesting features of the application such as visiting landmarks and basic navigation. Their point about the educative value was valid and I concur that it is an extremely valuable tool in a class. It could be compared to an ‘interactive atlas’.

I think that one day when I eventually have my own class that Google Earth will be one of the first tools that I will ensure is on my students computers. The power that it has be able to assist with SOSE will be unbelievable!