Camp Plug and Play 5.0: Get Going with Google

Notes:

Camp Plug & Play 5.0 offers a world-class professional development experience where participants dive into one of five topics for the week. Strands offered in July are: Be Active with Your Whiteboard, Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling, Fantastic Films with iMovie ’09, Get Going with Google, and Visuals, Photography & Design. Each strand is taught by knowledgeable and patient trainers who have a strong passion for empowering teachers and students with technology.

Registration includes your own room Monday until Friday and delicious breakfasts, lunches and breaks at the Westward Look Resort. Most importantly, you receive practical instruction and lots of hands-on time so that you leave with new knowledge, skills, and confidence to use what you’ve learned in your classroom.

The week kicks off Monday afternoon with an opening presentation from Dean Shareski, Digital Learning Consultant for Prairie South School Division in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Much of Dean's work with teachers and students is documented on his blog, ideasandthoughts.org. After the keynote, participants meet in their learning strands where they will spend the rest of the week learning, playing, and creating. In addition to direct instruction and work time, Camp Plug & Play offers evening breakout sessions about popular topics like productivity and iPods. Another evening session is Pecha Kucha. Campers are invited to make presentations consisting of exactly 20 slides which are shown on the screen for exactly 20 seconds each. Those that present these fast-paced speeches are entered to win terrific prizes.

To make sure the technology works smoothly, the Arizona K12 Center provides a MacBook for each participant to use during the day. Although you might not be a Macintosh user, what you learn at camp will certainly be applicable to computers running Windows. Watch for email from the Arizona K12 Center in the weeks leading up to Camp Plug & Play for information about the camp's online social network, your learning strand, Pecha Kucha, and breakout sessions.

Camp Plug & Play is a great way to spend some of your summer! This is your opportunity to join a group of Arizona educators who, like you, are passionate about engaging today's students in their learning.

Get Going with Google
 
You've used the Google Internet search engine, but did you know that Google offers teachers much more than simply helping to find information? From sharing documents and spreadsheets that facilitate student collaboration and peer editing, to creating a custom search engine that guides students to quality resources, explore many of Google's online tools that can be used to support teaching and learning. Not only are Google's tools free, but they work on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. Teachers are introduced to ideas for using Google Earth, Docs, iGoogle, Sites, and Search effectively in classroom activities. Time is focused on giving teachers the knowledge of what the tools can do, practical exercises, and the ability to find further online resources for using Google in classrooms.
 
Expect a high-energy experience where you learn, share, and create innovative ways Google tools can be used in education. Moderately-paced presentations and hands-on activities include experience with advanced search techniques, collaborative web-based applications, creating a custom page of information, and se tting the scene for geography, history, literature, astronomy, and other lessons.

In Get Going with Google, you will:

•    Collaborate on word processing, spreadsheet, and slide show documents.
•    Set up an iGoogle start page with information specific for your curriculum.
•    Save time with effective search techniques.
•    Insert text, links, and photos on a map.
•    Discover creative ways to use Google's virtual globe in classrooms.
•    See what's new in Google's laboratory.

Note: Get Going with Google is designed for those who are fairly new to Google Tools. Prior to camp, each participant must set up a free Google Account (https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount) and know his or her login and password. Before registering, participants should have knowledge of their school and district policies on teacher and student use of Google applications.

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