Two goals I set for my students this year are for them to use their school email and create a google account. I'm happy to report that 90% of my students have met these goals.
Why use school email? In years past when students emailed me from their personal email acount I sometimes would get e,ails from them they were unintended. Also, I think it is critical to communicate on a professional level with them. I was flabbergasted to find out the majority of students never used their school email and did not know it existed.
Why google? I think we all appreciate the services that google offers. I'm trying to prepare my students for life after high school and whether this life involves education, or other pursuits- google is pertinent.
Working with our district's technology specialist, I set almost every student up with both a school email and google account (within our RSU domain). After showing everyone basic functions, it was time for a little shock and awe. Using the overhead projector I put guiding questions into a document which when shared with everyone in the classroom, began our collaborative writing experience. I look forward to continuing on with these types of activities.
I think a shared writing experience is wonderful. Including students, peers, colleagues, and significant others during a writing experience is beneficial to all participants.
Found this article interesting:
http://www.pw.org/content/enduring_discovery_marriage_parenthood_and_poetry_0
We have been using Google also. It has helped us professionally as well. Meeting notes.. are a lot easier when they are shared. Some teachers have started blogs within their classrooms to make a connection to the other classes who are taking the same course, but a different section. I have seen some of our after school clubs picking up on this, too.
ReplyDeleteSmart move to have students use their professional account at school. As students have been writing resumes with me, one conversation I have been having is that a "cute" or private joke email address isn't so cute on a resume. It could be a show stopper.
Kudos on leveraging Google documents in your work with students (if I'm reading this correctly). Question on the email: Do students consider that kind of one-to-one direct connection old-fashioned in comparison to the publish-to-all nature of social media?
ReplyDeleteI think most students understand the service of email. We are using google to share documents, but at times the one-on-one email is utilized. Old fashioned? eek, already?
ReplyDelete