I've been a user of Gmail for years, I even had Google Docs back when it was literally just Docs and not the whole Drive suite. However, I never really appreciated the power of Google Tools until I started working with Google Apps for Education last year when my school adopted the platform for use. Now I don't think I could ever go back to life without Drive and instantly having all my documents in one place no matter which device I am on (2 computers, 2 iPads, 1. GAFE are easy to use and have just enough features for basic everyday use, true you can't do complicated formulas in Spreadsheets like you can in Excel, but for most daily tasks in the classroom, they work wonderfully. Over the next couple of weeks, keep checking in to my Google Apps for Education (GAFE) tips page. On this page, I detail how I have been using Google tools in my classroom.
Welcome to Musings in the Margins! I'm excited to join the blogosphere. Creating a blog has been on my to-do list since I attended the 2012 Great Plains Google Summit almost a year ago, but something I never found time for in my first year of teaching. As I start my masters program this summer working towards a School Librarian degree, alas, creating a blog happens to be the last assignment. So, finally I have to commit and make the plunge! I envision this as a space for educators and students alike to come and find ideas and inspiration in their reading and writing adventures.
A little about the title of the blog, Musings in the Margins. We rush around from day to day worrying about work and family and friends never taking time to slow down and think about what is going on in and around the text of our lives. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines muse in this way, "to become absorbed in thought." Times are changing and it seems like there is never enough time for the one extra task or request put on us, let alone to become lost in thought. However, if we take the time to slow down and really think about the words in the text of our lives, we might find the true meaning of our passions in life or how one event connects to the next in our life to form the person we have become. The margins of teaching are what this blog focuses on. I sometimes get so caught up in the moment of class and lesson planning and extracurricular activities, I forget what it means to teach and why I chose this as my profession. Join me as I step back and look in the margins of teaching to see what is really important in the classroom and for the students. |