Gmail in the Classroom

Because I teach high school students, I think that Gmail is a very powerful tool to help them learn communication with adults as well as self-advocacy.  In a future work or college environment, they may not be able to stop into someone’s office or classroom any time during the day if they have questions, so email becomes even more important for reaching out to others.  Having that open line of communication also makes it easier for students to seek help.  When they are working on an assignment and have a question outside of class or school hours, they need to be able to reach out for help or request extra time.  Gmail would allow them to be proactive with their questions and needs rather than waiting until the next day or possibly after a deadline has passed.