Google for Educators

added on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 am by Margaret Lim

In my last blog entry, I talked about the importance of incorporating computer-based instruction at a young age in order to narrow the gap between boys and girls in the use of technology. One challenge to accomplishing this is finding lesson plans that are both engaging and provide meaningful learning. I have found Google for Educators to be a valuable resource in this regard.

Google for Educators has a growing library of resources for grades kindergarten through grade 12. In addition to being organized by grade level, the lessons are also organized by subject. All subjects are represented, including history, earth sciences, literature and computer science.

There is even a lesson on teaching computer science to students in primary grades! Tim Bell, Ian H. Witten and Mike Fellows, contributing teachers, have created a wonderful series of lessons called Computer Science Unplugged: An enrichment and extension program for primary-aged children. The lessons draw students in with games and activities while teaching challenging concepts in age appropriate ways. Many of the topics are math based, including exploring binary numbers, graphing, searching algorithms, and sorting problems. The lessons help students understand how computers draw pictures, how modems and the internet work, how computers search and sort information, and how we can tell computers what to do through programming languages.

What I like about these lessons is that they draw students in with how things work. The lessons teach kids fundamental concepts about technology and help them develop analytical and critical thinking skills. If we can incorporate more of these types of lessons in the classroom, we as teachers can help foster a curiosity about technology and computers that can benefit students for many years.

What I also appreciate about Google for Educators is that they use free online resources. Google Docs provides allows teachers and students to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations for free, so having to install Microsoft Word, Excel or Powerpoint on every classroom computer is no longer an issue! With Google Docs, math lessons can easily utilize Google spreadsheets, and writing lessons are enhanced with Google word processing. Similarly, lessons in Google for Educators on environmental and earth sciences utilize Google Earth, which provides historical imagery from around the globe (including ocean floors!) Because a major challenge to incorporating technology in the classroom is cost, I appreciate that lessons provided through Google for Educators utilize free resources. The lessons only assume that the classroom have a computer and internet access.

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