Google tools for educators

March 4, 2011 at 6:54 am · Filed under musings

A google employee recently sent me a list of tools and programs related to google that are potentially of interest to educators. There’s so much cool stuff here.

Earth/Geo: Allows you to fly through the geography of the earth, moon and underwater with annotations and lessons along the way
Potential education uses:  there are several ways teachers are using Earth in their science, english and history classes.  There are lesson plans and examples online: http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/
http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

Literature: http://www.googlelittrips.org/ – was created by teachers using Google earth and allows you to see literature in an interactive visual way!

Body Browser: allows you to explore the human body on different levels and see labels along the way
http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com/body.html#

Fusion Tables: allow you to gather, visualize and share data online as well as comment on other’s data sets
Potential edu uses: students learn how to gather and present data (especially important as part of the scientific method) in a collaborative way.
http://www.google.com/fusiontables/

SketchUp: 3D modeling software
Potential edu uses: students are using SketchUp to model the world around them, understand architecture and design and math in a creative way.
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/industries/education.html

Google Public Data Explorer: makes large datasets easy to explore, visualize and communicate. As the charts and maps animate over time, the changes in the world become easier to understand.
Potential edu uses: allows students to understand data and how to use it.  Great for science learning.
http://www.google.com/publicdata/home

Exploring Computational Thinking (CT): this program infuses Computer Science principles across the K12 curriculum to support learning.  It focuses on problem solving techniques that we think equates to the creation of technology and 21st century skills.
Potential edu uses: There are over 60 lesson plans and examples on the website in Math and Science as well as a python introduction.  It suggests examples of how to uses CT within classes in an interactive way and also exposes students to the basics of programming. www.google.com/edu/ect

Google Art Project: Virtually explore art museums around the world. http://www.googleartproject.com/ [Thanks to Cortney for this one!]

App Inventor for Android: allows anyone without any programing experience to program a app for their Android phone (or on a browser emulator).

Potential edu uses: Students get exposed to basics of programming along the way.  It exposes students to the *creation* of technology on a device they are used to *consuming*

YouTube:
Potential edu uses: show video demonstrations or simulations in class, have students upload and share and comment on each other’s videos, self directed learning of students with things like Khan academy, train the trainer type teaching videos.

ChromeOS: chromeOS netbooks allow for easy maintenance and quick start up of cloud based software.
Potential edu uses: solves many of the IT issues schools face (ex: automatically updates without downloads)
http://www.google.com/chromeos/

Moderator: the ability to poll an audience (can be private) by submitting and voting on questions.
Potential edu uses: to see what questions students have, get a quick pulse on where a class is as a whole.
https://www.google.com/moderator/

Google Search:
Potential edu uses: there are many ways that educators are using Google Search in their classrooms to do research and many techniques of using Google that are new.  There is also now a “Search by reading level” feature in advanced search.
http://www.google.com/educators/p_websearch.html
http://www.google.com

Google Groups/Forums. https://groups.google.com/

Google Scholar: a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature including: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.  scholar.google.com

Google Reader: Helps you find and keep track of interesting stuff on the web. You can subscribe to your favorite websites, see what your friends are sharing, and keep up with what’s popular. New content comes to your Google Reader when it’s posted, so you don’t need to visit individual sites. http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Google Translate: Allows you to translate between over 50 languages. http://translate.google.com/#

PowerMeter: http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/

Cloud Robotics. http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2010/12/robot-hackathon-connects-with-android.html

Picasa Web: Allows you to share, edit and annotate photos. picasaweb.google.com

Apps for Education
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html

Programs
CS4HS (Computer Science for High School): summer workshops for Computer Science High School teachers across the US and in EMEA in partnership with local universities
http://www.cs4hs.com/

CSSI (Computer Science Summer Institute): for rising college freshmen interested in computer science
http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/cssi/index.html

CAPE (Computer and Programming Experience) : summer program for rising 9th graders to learn computer science on Google’s campus
http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/cape/index.html

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