Google Certified Training And a Few Surprises

So, wow, it's been almost a year since I last posted - no excuses, right?  I'm currently taking training to be a Level 1 and 2 Google Certified Teacher and when Blogger came up as one of the assignments, I was a little ashamed that I had to blow the dust off my Blog! 

Have you been certified as a teacher or trainer?  I honestly thought I knew a lot about Google - how to use everything with it - but whoah, it has surprised me how much I DIDN'T KNOW! 

So what have I done with some of this newfound knowledge?

Well, being the end of the year and our poor 3rd-5th graders testing (state mandated), I let them discover, as I had, the more playful side of  Google.  Have you ever played Google Mystery Animal?  It's a 20-questions format where students ask yes or no questions in order to guess the animal Google is thinking of.  Warning:  Google WILL get a little snarky if it doesn't quite understand you, so speak clearly!  The kids had a lot of fun with this (although some thought it was more fun to argue with Google and insult it).  Be careful though - you can't just guess "snake" you have to be more specific, like "rattlesnake."

Another fun Google game we played was Google Quick Draw.  Think Pictionary, but with a computerized voice shouting out guesses.  You have 20 seconds to draw what they suggest - anything from a golf club to asparagus (yeah, I had trouble with that one!).

It was a great way for my kids to destress and just show a fun side to something that they use all the time.

Oh, and the links were all in Google Classroom, so there's a plus too!  I'm a big fan of QR codes but when their chromebooks don't have the app added, it's good ol' GC to the rescue! 

Stay tuned to hear more of what I've been doing this year.  I've been okay with updating my Facebook page with events so if you haven't joined, feel free to look me up!