In class, we have been using some of the GOOGLE APPS FOR EDUCATION (GAFE) which includes Google Drive and Google Classroom. I have been testing out new uses of GAFE with the students throughout the school year as GAFE is just being rolled out this year TDSB wide. The students have been my GAFE guinea pigs as I am a technology leader for after school workshop for teachers. We have all quickly learned together how to use GAFE! We have used Google Slides collaboratively for a math scavenger hunt, we have used Google classroom to access assignments and today I introduced students to Google Drive. Using Google Drive will eliminate the need for students to use Microsoft Word and save and send files all the time. I think it is a great tool for them to learn how to use and it saves their work automatically which helps avoid the problem of students loosing their work because of it not saving! More and more, students are going to be encouraged to use their TDSB Google Drive accounts at school so this is a perfect chance to practice how to use their account.
Tonight, students are encouraged to try logging into their Google account from home. They simply go to Google.com and use their login info which is as follows:
Google account: first.lastname@student.tdsb.on.ca
Password: their normal tdsb password they use to login to the school computers.
Their Google account is their full legal name including all hyphenated last names.
I encourage students to give this a try at home and see if they can access their poems in Google Drive that they worked on today in class. They can share their completed poems with me though Google Drive when they are finished publishing them. Also, they can read their poems to you and practice reading the loems in front of a mirror for our Poetry Café!
Please note, we are not using the actual Gmail app at this point as we need to review digital citizenship and email etiquette before we branch out to using the email function.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- Mlle Segreto
