Gmail in the classroom

As a former elementary education teacher and SAM (School Administrative Manager) there would several ways to use gmail to increase communication in the school system. As a teacher, setting up a parent group and sharing newsletters, daily/weekly updates, etc. through gmail would be a great way to communicate on a regular basis. You can also quickly and efficiently communicate and share ideas with teammates and other staff outside of meeting times.

As a SAM there are several documents that need to be shared with staff (safety plan, time change form, custodial evaluations, etc.). Although hard copies are given out, it is always nice to have an original copy to access. Gmail would be the perfect way to send documents electronically for easy access.  Also, classified staff have a limited amount of time each day and most of that is spent working with students. Instead of pulling them away from instructional time, communicating simple items to them through gmail would be the most effective form of communication.