Google in the Classroom ~ Supplies and Education for Young Searchers

It is perhaps not very well known, but Google has an Education Center containing resources for educators. They sponsor a educator's Blog, called Infinite Thinking Machine. Educators even have their own Google Group for discussion.

Google offers many free resources for educators.

1. Custom search function can be used in the classroom web interfaces, in school libraries, and more....free of charge.
2. There is the Vertical Engine Book Search.
3. Google Earth, is an incredible geography tool.
4. Educators can make great use of Docs and Spreadsheets, online word and spreadsheet editing for anyplace with an Internet connection. Educators can upload documents to be shared and downloaded by students.
5. Free web page and site builder. Google will host the educator's simple web page and give them Page Creator to build and maintain it, with no coding necessary.
6. Google Sketch Up Use 3D modeling to explore concepts and ideas!
7. Google Aps Education Edition - Google provides custom shared calendars, GMail, instant messaging, Docs and Spreadsheets, and Page Creator.....for the whole school at no charge.
8. Google has an entire page of ideas and ready made activities using Google Tools in pdf, free and ready to go.
9. Free posters for your classroom. Posters teaching children about search and how to search, and even a quiz! Google Earth poster, and Google Book Search too.

Google also has the Google Teacher Academy, which is also free to join, for K through 12 teachers and education staff. What Google will do is this, they will invite members to a training and certification event within 90 minutes of their location. They will be trained on technology and Google's tools in the classroom in an innovative train the trainer setting. The the teacher becomes a Google Certified Teacher.

In addition to a free day of training, Google Certified Teachers get:

• Access to the GCT Online Community
• Access to additional free ed tech resources
• Opportunities to give Google feedback on educational uses of tools
• Invitations to join Google at special events

You may all find this cheesy, and perhaps off topic, but let me ask you this.... How valuable to your website is a end user who can effectively navigate on the Internet and use search functions properly? Besides the fact that these are the SEOs of the future, developing their first little impression on how a search engine might find a website, these teachers could very well be giving birth to genius in the classroom. Our children will live in a seriously digital age, I see no reason that it should not be included in their education. We teach them to use phone books, and calculators, and other common tools. In their lives the Internet will be a COMMON tool, they should be prepared to succeed.

Comment if you like, as always I will credit and edit for relevant additions to the content of the post.

Peace and SEO for our Children

Melanie Prough
"Baby"


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