5 Ways to Go Google in the Middle

Imagine a world where students can collaborate on a document at the same time from two totally different places. Better yet, imagine using a program that no longer requires the user to click the save button. Google has made this a reality for people inside and outside the educational world. Middle schools near and far are going Google to make their environments more engaging and efficient. Here are five ways you can make Google work in the Middle...

• Create and maintain a Google Classroom for your advisory group. One of the main tenents of AMLE's This We Believe is that every child must have an adult advocate. Communicating and sharing in the virtual world can help further strengthen the relationships that have been established in the physical world.
  

• Monitor student's appropriate use of Google Drive with Gaggle. Anytime a student's content raises an alarm, Gaggle sends an alert to the appropriate school authority. A healthy conversation can then take place with the family of that child to ensure critical issues are addressed. It's less about "We gotcha" and more about "We care."
  

• Organize and run a one day Middle Level Google Summit for your own staff and also educators from outside the district. This event will provide your colleagues with a chance to share their innovative methods and learn from others. Need help with this? Contact the Evolving Educators at evolving@evolvingeducators.com.
  

• Go 1:1 with Chromebooks at your middle school to drive student creation, collaboration, and connectivity. Students should not have to learn in isolation. Technology has provided the educational world with an oppportunity to support environments that are real-time and interactive.
  

• Stay current with best practices in the Google worrld by following the #HackGoogleEDU and #GoogleEDU hashtags.
  

There are so many great opportunities for educators and students to leverage the power of Google tools in the middle school setting. Examine the ideas above and pick one to try out. The positive impact on yourself, fellow colleagues, and most importantly students, will be felt for years to come.

Get your copy of Hacking Google for Education: 99 Ways to Leverage Google Tools in Classrooms, Schools, and Districts by Brad Currie, Billy Krakower, and Scott Rocco.