Day+1

=Creating Professional Learning Communities Using Google Docs= = = =Objectives:= Participants will be able to:
 * 1) create methods for using Google Docs to facilitate communication between colleagues
 * 2) evaluate resources available to Gmail users

Materials:

 * Laptop/desktop
 * Internet connection
 * Gmail account: click here to create an account if you don't have one already
 * A current unit lesson plan with support materials

Content:
Do we ever use the technology that surrounds us to its full potential? How many aspects of these technologies are we completely unaware of? How would we use these products if we were to realize just how useful these unknown components are? In today's Professional Development session, we are going to get to know how to use features in Gmail for better communication among AP teachers in the county. Gmail and its suite of applications offers teachers unprecedented levels of communication abilities, but many educators are unaware of them. As funding continues to be diverted by the county, there will be less opportunities for AP teachers to take subdays to sit in on other AP teacher's classes. Using Gmail and Google Docs to communicate and collaborate on units will be a free and easy way of allowing such collaboration to continue.

Learning Activities:
To begin the professional development, there will be a meet and greet for AP teachers and the facilitators. During this time, the lead facilitator for the Professional Development will present the benefits of a system based on Google Apps, using this video as a starting point. media type="custom" key="13903242"


 * 1) Once the presentation is finished, teachers will be divided into content areas, will go to seperate computer labs, and will set up Gmail accounts if needed
 * 2) Facilitators for each content area will then lead teachers through the use of Google calendar, docs, gmail, etc.
 * 3) Once the participants are familiar with the program, they will be asked to brainstorm answers to this question: What are the biggest issues that are preventing your students from being successful on the AP exam and in your class?
 * 4) Teachers will populate a list of answers to this question as the facilitator keeps track of them using a Google Doc
 * 5) The facilitator will then create groups of 2s and 3s from the larger group of AP teachers in order to work on creating solutions to these problems by using Google Apps. Teachers will reference the websites listed under resources to assist their solutions.
 * 6) Teachers will be brought together as a whole group to listen to the solutions and discuss the use of Google technologies in the AP classroom
 * 7) After a short break, teachers will return to their content area groups in order to get more practice with the Google suite of technologies
 * 8) Teachers will be given the following tasks to complete before the end of the professional development:
 * Upload a presentation to Google Docs to be shared with the group
 * Post comments on at least 2 other teachers' presentations
 * Using Google Calendar, set up 5 dates over the next month where a minimum of 3 teachers can meet online to share and critique ideas All
 * 1) All the AP teachers at the professional development will be brought together at the end of the day in order to get contact information for 3 AP teachers who teach a different content area in order to foster cross discipline studies.

Resources:
Google Apps Case Studies Google Apps Training Modules

Session Evaluation:
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