Gmail in the Classroom

I really love the idea of teaching students proper email etiquette at the beginning of the school year. Not only does this teach them an important life skill, but it also allows them to take ownership for their own learning. After teaching the students email skills and etiquette, I would then encourage students to email me with questions, missing work, absences, etc., rather than everything going through their parents. At 8th grade, I think these are important skills that students need to be developing in preparation for high school and beyond.

I also thought about using Google Hangouts as a place to post a question that would pique interest and discussion about a topic that we would cover the following day. By requiring everyone write one post and two responses, all students are held accountable for participating and are given a voice.

I also like the idea of using Gmail and Google Lists to help students stay on pace with writing projects. I am excited to both use the tools myself and implement them in my classroom for my students.