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I am either a substitute or guest speaker in the classroom, so I likely won't be using all of these helpful tools with students on a regular basis. I do think the gmail, the calendar, the filters, the labels, the drive and all of the other things I have learned about Gmail so far in this course, can only serve to improve communication all around: between students and teachers, students and parents, teachers and parents, etc. And good communication is one of THE MOST important components to healthy relationships.
Teachers can use canned responses like they use rubber stamps: "Good job today!" or "Thanks for participating in the discussion this afternoon; we all learn more when people chime in" or "Relax. You'll get it. Just keep trying!" etc
I also think calendar and gmail can be used as a means for teachers to address topics or issues that might be important, but aren't necessarily a part of the curriculum. For example, I have worked with our district on implementing the Green Dot violence prevention program in the high schools and middle schools, Teachers could use these tools as a way to reinforce respect or non violence on a daily basis. So, for instance, on Monday, the teacher sends an email that says, "Did you know that people are the grouchiest on Mondays? Let's all try to remember today that many of us might be struggling to get back into the groove of school. And if you are really having trouble today, let me know. You all deserve respect!" or on Tuesday, "The video that we watched yesterday made me sad. What about you? What makes you sad?" and on Wednesday, "It's HUMP DAY! Let's have a contest to see who can make the best camel sound, and if someone is really struggling today, they can let us know by sounding like a camel and we can come to their rescue!" etc. This would be a great way to find out what students are thinking and feeling.
Or, Perhaps a teacher wants to build vocabulary beyond Language Arts class. Putting a word of the day on the calendar feature and via gmail they can come up with different ways to use it in a sentence.
Because gmail (and all its tools) is a form of communication, I think it is also important to recognize that it can be misused, so some ongoing discussion about this could be helpful.
Finally, let's acknowledge that technology will continue to develop and that gmail will likely become obsolete at some point in the future. Identifying and recognizing the skills that are important to learn from using these tools - time management, setting priorities, meeting deadlines, communicating effectively and succinctly, understanding and being understood, respect for others, respect for self, respect for time, being organized and prepared - are what is really important. Are the ways that we are using these tools helping us to develop those skills well enough that they are transferable regardless of the program or specific tool?
I did not have gmail until 3 weeks ago. I am grateful for this class in helping ME learn how to use it effectively!
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