Exploring Google for the Classroom

After viewing these different google tools and sites, I learned a lot of things that can be used within the classroom for several purposes. Google Sketch Up is a great tool for career tech and agriscience teachers as well as general education teachers. It can be used to design offices, tables, cabinets, etc. A school teacher could use it to design his/her classroom. Students in a career tech or agriscience classroom could be introduced to this tool to create and design a table, cabinet, toolbox, etc. Great tool for designing. Google Earth is a really cool, yet scary to some, tool. I love it just because I'm able to see where I live and view local areas from the earth. This tool could be used within a science class to teach mapping skills, surfacing, directions while students can determine the cordinal directions and be able to see it on their houses or schools. Google tools using wikispaces is great for all types of classrooms and age groups. These tools are great for projects, reminders, in-class activities and more. All of the google tools are free and great to use for personal and professional uses. I didn't quite understand Google Lit Trips of how to use it but it seems to be quite a good site for all grades. It's a great site to explore stories using Google Earth and pretend going there with younger grades and readers.

Infographics

Infographics is super neat! When broken down, it's info-information shown into graphics, designs, and visual explanations. Infographics show representations or comparisons of things used in everyday life. I've never know what they actually were until viewing for class. I've always seen them in magazines, newspapers, etc., but never knew I could create one of my own. It would be nice if I could actually learn to create one, I will one day, but right now it's not working very well. Most of us have probably always looked at them as just graphs of statistics that has been put out there for us, but they are actually giving us accurate information about certain topics using visual representations and colors. I have posted two pictures of inforgraphics I found online showing the places where the wealthy shop and how the digital world is taking over how people in the UK pay for things. Not only are a lot of people in the UK paying for things using digital tools but the US as well because I'm a witness of it. I love online shopping and paying online for things versus mailing using a stamp or going to pay at the place of business. So, you should try infographics for your own personal reasons just for information, classrooms or family because it's really cool and helps to learn more about particular things. So stay tuned for my own created infographic. Not too soon, but eventually...