Grade Keeper: Google Shared Spaces in education

I have always been a great fan of Google and never stopped exploring the endless possibilities it offers to educators . In this regard , I have come across a very useful application called Google Shared Spaces . A shared space lets you “ share a collaborative gadget with whoever you want and chat with them at the same time .“

Here are some other google services that you might also like to read :

How can I get started using Google Shared Spaces ?

Firs go to Google Shared Spaces main page and click on log in . You need to sign in using any of the supported login providers which are Google, Twitter, and Yahoo.
Now that you are signed in you can start creating your space. As you can see , there are many gadgets out there you can browse different categories like games , polls, to find the gadget you want .
After choosing a gadget , you will be directed to your newly created gadget space where you can ping the url to a friend or use the email / buzz/ tweet buttons to share it .

Here are some gadgets that we can use in education

1- Wave Tube

This service allows you to watch a video , add comments, and see other people watching it. You can use this gadget with your students. Upload a video and have them watch and comment on it ; you can also do a group discussion with them using the chat box on the right side of that page

2- Yes/ No/ May be Gadget

You can use this tool to organize question polls in your classrooms and have your students answer and add comments ( use the code snippet as example )

3- Concept Draw Mind Wave

This is a cool gadget to help you achieve a real-time collaborative mind mapping and brainstorming with your students

4- Listy

Use this tool to create to do lists , you can include the students in the participation of this list , after you are done , you can share, print or share it

5- Magnetic Fridge Poetry

This works pretty good with scrambled text activities . Add your text and let students drag and drop the words wherever they want .

These are just some samples of the gadgets I think you might benefit from in your classroom . Google still has many more to offer for educators and I will be posting about other google applications from time to time .
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That’s it about Google Shared Spaces in Education .