Comments on: Is a Google Teacher Academy Really Such a Good Idea?

By: Tempted by Google? - José Picardo

Tempted by Google? - José Picardo — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:53:13 +0000

[...] by the whole Google Teaching Academy thang or, indeed, about becoming a Google Certified Teacher. I’ve had my doubts for a while now. That’s not to say that it does appeal a little deep inside, after all, it [...]

By: jim

jim — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:20:18 +0000

Hi, I just discovered your blog and love it. What a great range of topics you have tackled.

Jim

By: jim

jim — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:20:18 +0000

Hi, I just discovered your blog and love it. What a great range of topics you have tackled.

Jim

By: Analysis: Google Teacher Academy « Epic Epoch

Analysis: Google Teacher Academy « Epic Epoch — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:18:19 +0000

[...] before attending, I was skeptical. And perhaps maybe even a little cynical, and I know I’m not the only educator out there who’s ever had this sentiment. Even though I wanted to go and applied to go, I was leery of [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:39:56 +0000

I think it is fine for us to use Google Apps in school. We are saving money while having our students use some great applications. What's the difference between using Google Apps or Microsoft? Microsoft also has incentives to get students to use Office – the student version is 1/4 of the price of the professional version.

I love the fact that Google offers free training for teachers on ways to use their applications in the classroom. More companies should do the same.

By: johnsutton

johnsutton — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:43:28 +0000

Is there any difference between this and any other “Distinguished Educator” program? From Google's point of view it's all about getting a bunch of educators advocating their products and using them in the classroom. I have no moral objection to this. If there was absolutely no commercial incentive for companies to be involved in education, most of the educational software we know and love would never have been developed. At least with Google products you can teach children that ads are ads and not succumb to some of the more insidious marketing techniques that some companies use that lock users in to their own products.

By: paul martin

paul martin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:09:43 +0000

!! If it did not happen in the summer 0f 09 I am pessimistic that Google, whose focus is now elsewhere, will cross the pond for even 70 people in Sheffield. Besides, there are lots of national events that teachers get together at – I reckon using the moniker YouTube would generate far more interest in the younger generation (there might also be a smaller area for us oldtimers called GoogleBookFest)

By: Chris Hyde

Chris Hyde — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:45:25 +0000

Hi, Tom.
I recently attended the Google Teacher Academy in Washington, D.C. and I will tell you I found it to be absolutely worth it. I am not a foot soldier for Google sent to indoctrinate the kids in my district. I use Google tools when they are the most appropriate tool to achieve what I or other teachers want them to. If one of their tools isn't the most appropriate, I will suggest they use something else. When I attend a state or national conference I attend sessions to learn how to make our classrooms a better place for learning. I may attend a session on how to use wikis, voicethread, mixbook, or glogs more effectively in the classroom. That is precisely why I attended the Google Teacher Academy. Before I applied, my district already used Google Apps for Education, Google Earth, Google Maps, etc. I applied to learn how to use them more effectively, how to use them in new ways, and to see how others were using them. One of the most powerful outcomes of the GTA is the network of professionals with which you will always have a connection. I would have to answer your question by saying the GTA is a long overdue professional development event for UK teachers. Best of luck!

By: Phil Bagge

Phil Bagge — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:10:42 +0000

Great point
“'Are the skills/knowledge we want the children to have at the end of the lesson best served by using this method?' If it's yes, and there are no negatives from it then we should go for it.”

By: Phil Bagge

Phil Bagge — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:08:10 +0000

Hi Jan
I really agree with your point about teaching children how to deal with adverts at home. There is a real need for more digital citizenship alongside esafety. Lets have dialogue with pupils so they can make right choices.