Week 7: Google Docs

This week we focused on Google Docs. I was first introduced to Google Docs by a friend last summer when we were trying to share lesson plans with each other from across the country. Google now offers so much and it is all free and available on just about any device (iPad, iPhone, Computer). Over the last year, I have worked on transferring and organizing all my school files into my Google Drive. I have not done too much with Google Docs except as a word processor.

This week opened my eye to all that Google really does offer. I had no idea I could create slide shows in Google. I easily made a band PowerPoint that included pictures and YouTube videos. The videos were very easy to insert because all that is needed is the video’s URL. The bank of templates is great to get quick and easy slides that look nice.

Other features used this week were Google Calendar and the word processor. As I said earlier, I typically use the word processor for all my documents and love how simple it is to use. The calendar is very much like iCal, which is the calendar I currently use. Google Calendar has some nice features, including the fact that it is very easy to share and edit.

My favorite new Google tool is the forms tool. I have never enjoyed creating quizzes, because it takes forever to get them to look good and line up correctly. I like that the quiz can look nice and not take a lot of time. I also like the idea that students can take the quiz online instead of using paper and pencil. I hate having piles of paper everywhere; it just feels like a waste. Plus, most of my students through their quizzes out after they have been graded. The only issue I have with the online test is that I don’t have access to a lot of computers, so I was thinking I cold make taking the quiz as a center activity.  

Week 6: Copyright Laws and Google Sites

This week has been a little less interesting compared to previous weeks, though still informative. This week we covered copyright laws and Google Sites.

I remember talking about copyright laws in my undergrad, because as a music educator I feel we have to deal with copyright laws frequently. Copyright is in place to protect people’s work and with technology and the Internet you can find almost anything online, but that doesn’t mean it is all public domain. Learning what can be used and what can’t is important. I found a link on copyright that is appropriate for elementary general teachers: http://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2015/09/copyright-laws-how-much-do-you-know.html?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss

Google Sites are a great tool for educators. Having a free online resource to post information for parents and students can be extremely beneficial in today’s tech savvy culture. I know the first thing I do when I want to know something is look online, so I’m sure my student’s parents would benefit from me posting important information online. I can easily get a free website to post information about instrument rehearsals, lesson schedules, practice information, and concert dates and attire.

The other great way I came up to use Google Sites for is teaching purposes. I could have a chorus website with information about the music we are learning and sound clip or YouTube videos of the music we are working on. Another great thing to put up is accompaniment tracks for students to practice with. Asking students to practice their chorus music without an accompaniment can be difficult, especially when they come back and have practiced the music incorrectly because they forgot how it sounds. I could put up clips to practice with, like me singing the parts we were working on that week.

Overall, Google Sites seem easy to work with and a great resource for my students. The only thing to watch out for are copyright laws especially when posting music for students to listen to or practice with.