Thanks, Google!

This coming school year marks a new adventure for me:  I will be incorporating Google Apps into the lessons I teach.  Having been cut to one and a half days a week this year, the cloud will be my colleague, allowing me access to my students after the brief sessions the school budget allows have ended for the week.  Beginning the Blackboard classes this past April was a wise and very timely choice; without this training, I would be frustrated beyond belief at the new time restrictions.  It was hard enough before the cuts, but the cloud makes possible the gift of time.

Is computer time a replacement for face-to-face time?  Certainly not (as many online articles including one from the IELTS indicate); however, my once-a-week meeting will allow me to set the tone and build relationships that the cloud time will extend.  Students will be able to access and collaboratively work on projects at laptop stations newly created in the classrooms for this year.  They can interact without disturbing their classmates.  I can view their progress and give them feedback before seeing them again the following week.

I apologize if this posting simply seems like an ad for Google.  No, they're not paying me.  As the beginning of the school year draws closer,  this time question is first and foremost in my mind.  Not that I'm the only teacher struggling with this issue - far from it.  We all face the pressure of cramming the curriculum into shortened schedules and making the tough decisions of where to cut and trim.

So, I am grateful to Google for giving me a fighting chance to deliver a quality experience for my students this year, many of whom I've worked with for four or more years.  We are bonded.  There were tears last year when we all thought I'd be cut.  Now I can be a genuine part of their journey this year. More than just a fast-moving blip, a blur across one small part of one day a week, but an available, on-line presence that can cheer them on, celebrate the victories, and guide them when they've stepped off the track...before the week is up.