This week I feel like I am standing at the edge of an abyss. I have all the materials I need to build a bridge to cross to the other side…except one. The pivotal piece that is essential to making the bridge hold together. Without this integral piece I cannot cross to the other side.
The online training offered by Google has provided me with a good grounding in each of the apps included in the Google Apps for Education Suite. I understand how they work and what they can do. Unfortunately without access to all of the apps (which will not happen until the fall) I am missing the essential piece to attain mastery…..hands on practice. The past week’s lessons focused on Google classroom and Google Keep. The only access I have had to Classroom was for one hour at a Google playtime session organized by some staff piloting the suite at their schools. Text and video tutorials, such as those found on YouTube can only take me so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K26iyyQMp_g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKXC6nFA7z8
Without practical application I am left standing on the other side of the abyss amongst a pile of essentially useless bits and pieces with the potential to one day become a bridge.
In the meantime, I am taking every opportunity to practice with the apps that I do have access to (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive and Google Keep.) I was excited when I could add due dates from the course I am test-driving in Coursera to my calendar with a single click. I was also pleasantly surprised when Calendar added a map to my appointment when I included an address and Siri proceeded to giver me directions when I tapped it. For such a seemingly simple app it is proving to be amazingly efficient and effective. I hope and get as much background knowledge in the other apps as I can so that I am prepared to explore their practical applications when I finally have access. I am a kid who cannot wait for Christmas.