Due for week #4

1. Google Apps is definitely a powerful tool, for teachers and for students. As a educator I found many things that would be useful in the classroom and as a student, the resource material is endless. I teach automotive technology at a rural school district's career center. I know for a fact there is a large number of students who do not have Internet access at home. In my classroom we have two student computers with about 25 students at any one given time, rough I know. Watching the videos all I saw were classrooms with monitors and keyboards in front of every student; not going to happen where I am at. But that wont stop me from having technology in the classroom. I joined the technology committee last year, which helped me land a 'smart board' in my classroom this year. I have used it since day one and the students love it. Not to mention all the jealous teachers im my department. Taking this class has my mind spinning with so many different ideas, I can't wait to use them all (already started). What I have to do is break things out in units that I can focus on each quarter. The school does have a traveling laptop cart that can be signed out and I just booked two dates in October. Along with the Math coach here at the career center we just completed an excel assignment that is similar to the one we did in class. But the data I am going to have them input is the cost of owning and operation a vehicle over the course of three months. That relates to cars and I am teaching them how to do things in excel. Now what I want to do is create something using the google apps that the students and I can do together. Maybe create a blog or a wiki, not sure yet. Something that can be shared with other teachers, administration, and parents. Even though I am not a technology teacher, I can still use those tools to help bring my automotive students along in the 21st century.
2. As far as browsing the Google Apps for lesson plans in my area, I was unsuccessful. I did view several of them and noticed they are very well written. I wish it would be like that for automotive technology. All that I can do is borrow that technology and incorporated those ideas into ideas that will work in my program area.