Welcome to Falcon Apps!

Google Apps is a set of online tools for communication, collaboration, time-management, and document storage. Provided by Google at no cost to the District, these tools include:

• Gmail: a fully functioning e-mail program

• Calendar: a customizable calendar and to-do list

• Contacts: an address book

• GoogleDocs: a word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing program that allows multi-user access and editing

• Sites: a web-page design tool

• Video portal: a place for students and teachers to store and share video projects

• Groups: a fully functioning threaded discussion tool

• Aviary: a set of image and audio creation and editing tools

• Most other Google Tools!

The District’s primary reasons for supplying these tools to students are:

• To provide our students with practice in using current technology applications and tools, including e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet use, survey development, graphics use and slide show creation

• To provide students with planning and time management tools to develop 21st century skills

• To facilitate “paperless” communication and transfer of work between students and teachers

• To provide adequate (7 GB) long-term storage space for student work

• To help students work collaboratively, engage in peer-editing of documents, and publishing for a wider audience

-- Additional Resources

• • Is it responsible for schools to teach Google Docs instead of Microsoft Office? - If you've asked this question, read this blog post.

• Google Apps Security Policy - Key points: It's our content, not Google's. Google doesn't look at our content. Google doesn't share our content.

• Google Apps Training Videos - Learn to use Google Apps by watching the videos below provided by Google

• Google Apps Education Center - This is an online learning environment dedicated for educators and students to learn how to effectively use Google Apps in an educational context.

• Google Apps Lesson Plans - Easily incorporate Google Apps into your curriculum with these classroom-ready lesson plans. Have a Google Apps lesson plan? Submit it for review.

• Using Google Forms as formative assessment

  • Google Tools for Education - site containing resources shared during a professional development session (not sure of the district)

• Links to various Google Apps sessions at ISTE 2011

  • With Flubaroo, You'll Never Have to Grade a Test Again - Flubaroo is a free auto-grading tool that you can use with Google (Falcon Apps) Spreadsheets to instantly assess your students.

• Working with Google Sites - You can find videos and other tutorials to help learn the features of Google Sites.

  • Integrating Google Tools for Teachers - Tips, resources, and ideas for using Google tools such as Docs, Presentations, Sites, Maps and more in the classroom, including a section on using Google tools to help with STEM education. It even has a list of pro's and con's for Google Apps for Education and regular Google tools. The site is run by Colette Cassinelli, a Google Certified Teacher. 

  • Google in Education - Check out the the lesson plan index and the classroom tools index for links to information about each of the services available to teachers and students as well as tutorial or how-to resources.

Contact Chris Smith (csmith@salisburysd.org) with questions.