I had a brainwave this morning whilst my my Year 8s were commenting on the students blogs from St Helena as part of our Quadblogging initiative.
I wondered about the possibility of using Google plus for a hangout in order to see and talk to our blogging partners. Of course this might not be possible due to time constraints but got my mind racing with the possibilities of using Google + in the classroom. If course at present it is restricted to those students who are over 18 and studying in Highr Education. This doesn’t of course restrict my use of it and would be a great tool to connect with other learners, teachers and professionals to share ideas and improve their learning opportunities.
I contacted our Managed Service about the possibility of using Google + in the classroom and they were keen to unblock it from their end. I know have to jot down the pros and cons of using google + with my students. I don’t intend for my students to use google + on an individual basis but more collectively using an account I will create on google just for this basis.
As part of their BTEC qualification students need to be aware and have knowledge of:
- Select, set up and use a specialist communication channel to communicate and exchange information
- Justify why a specialist communication channel is effective for a given purpose
- Explain how to ensure safe and secure use of a specialist communication channel
- Explain the social impacts of the use of IT
- Discuss the potential threats which the use of IT has introduced.
We are using Twitter and Posterous to blog ideas / progress and wider reading on ICT issues. Recently we have dicussed the use and access to Facebook in school. Like in most schools Facebook is blocked in our school. However I do see its possibilities both as a teaching and learning tool and also to communicate with students. Another developemt I am currently looking at is App devleopment and the idea of devleoping apps for Facebook is something that I know will appeal to a lot of my students.
In the past I have contributed to the excellent interesting ways series set up by Tom Barrett to crowd source ideas on topics ranging from google docs to using an interactive whiteboard.
I discovered that there doesn’t appear to be a one set up for Using Google + in and out of the classroom even though im sure i did see a link some months ago via twitter. (If you know the link please let me know 
)
My intention is for students to find out about the potential about Google + by adding ideas to a Google Presentation in a similar fashion to Tom’s idea but with a twist. As well as students adding their ideas, im also appealing to my Twitter PLN to add their own ideas to give my students inspiration.
Google + In and Out of the Classroom
If the resource does not load please click here to access
My students will be able to use this as a basis for some of their coursework and of course I will be able to use to show my SLT the potential of not just Google + but a PLN.
If you can contribute any way to this idea both I and my students would be very grateful
