In the previous post, I looked at the core Apps GAFE gives you access to. But as cool as they are I find that it is the extra apps that I use more often than not.
Nothing is as satisfying as ticking things off on your to-do list. Google Keep is the ultimate list keeper. You can create as many notes/lists as you want, colour code them for easier reference, at labels to help you find something, you can even add pictures and links. But that is just the start, like all Google apps, you can share lists with other people. This is super useful sharing your shopping list with your spouse, but also to brainstorm on a project.
Another advantage that goes with all the Google products is the fact that you can access your list on any device. I use the desktop interface to set up most of my lists and tick the items of one by one on my phone or tablet.
If you have not created a Google form yet, you have no idea what you are missing. If I can only have one app, Forms will probably be it. Over the past two years, it has saved me from hours of admin. Forms are as useful simplifying admin as it is helpful to do a quick test. If you add Flubaroo to the deal, you do not even have to mark the test by yourself. Forms allow you to create a user-friendly…well form… that you can share through your website, email or Classroom. The best part is that it compile all the answers in an easy to use spreadsheet, throwing in some nice graphs as a bonus.
Except for quick tests I have used forms for:
- Survey students and parents
- Subject choices
- RSVP’s for events
- Contact details of parents
- Lunch choices for staff lunch
- Record of absentees
- Voting for the RCL.
Draw is a simple design program, very similar to Paint. It definitely does not have enough features for a graphic designer, but for the everyday things you and I design it is more than sufficient and easy to use. Once you have created your poster or picture, you can download it as a JPG, PGN or PDF file. This make it perfect to create meme’s to jazz up your lessons and presentations. I created this one for a staff training and it literally took me 3 minutes.
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