What happened at Google I/O 2017?

May 17, 2017 was the opening session of Google I/O, an annual developers conference organized by Google. This is one of the signature public events that Google organizes annually and usually contains some important new products and features that are planned in the next 12 months.

During the 2016 I/O conference we learned about Google Home, Android Apps for Chromebooks, and Google's VR initiatives. You can ready my review of the 2016 conference here.

I watched the 120 minute opening keynote during which Google shared their vision and plans for the next 12 months. Honestly, a lot of it is super nerdy and over my head (the word "petaflop" was used multiple times; and people cheered ).

You can watch the entire 2 hour keynote here, or you can read my summary below. = )

As an educator, I am primarily interested in the features, products, and services that will impact teachers and students in the coming year. My summary focuses on those elements of the keynote.

Machine Learning:

Google continues to work really hard on artificial intelligence / machine learning. Google CEO Sundar Pichai believes we are moving from a "mobile first" world to an "AI first world." Google's work in machine learning is already impacting you on a daily basis:

• Facial recognition in Google Photos
• Smart reply in Inbox
• Better search results
• Ability to spot and stop spam and phishing attacks
• Google Assistant
• Better voice recognition

Google also announced a few new features powered by machine learning:

• Smart reply is coming to all Gmail users
• Google Lens can understand visual imagery and location
• Google Assistant is now available for iPhones

With Google Lens, your smartphone camera won’t just see what you see, but will also understand what you see to help you take action. #io17 pic.twitter.com/viOmWFjqk1

— Google (@Google) May 17, 2017

Classroom implications for machine learning: accessing information is becoming easier and easier; even when you don't know what to search for. In the very near future, students will be able to snap a picture or ask a verbal question to find what they need. Finding information is no longer a challenge. Teaching them what to do with that information is the critical skill we need to focus on.

Chromebooks

Interestingly, the only mention of Chromebooks came during the portion of the keynote dedicated to Android. The blending of ChromeOS and Android continues to be a top priority for Google. There are other sessions during I/O that will hopefully yield information about the future of ChromeOS.

Google did mention that Chromebooks now comprise 60% of classroom devices. That's up from 53% earlier this year.

2017 Google I/O Keynote

Virtual Reality: 

Google has devoted a lot of resources to virtual reality. Specifically, the development of Daydream, Google's VR platform. This year Google quietly included augmented reality into their VR segment. They announced a cool new capability called VPS (Visual Positioning Service). VPS is very similar to GPS in that it helps identify your location. But while GPS uses satellites to triangulate your position on a map within a few feet, VPS uses visual elements in your surroundings to triangulate your position to within a few centimeters.

This ability opens up some really cool possibilities for Augmented Reality (AR). Watch Clay Bavor, Google's VP of VR and AR explain:

Later on in Clay's presentation he also shared an update on Google Expeditions, the VR kit for schools. Over 2 million expeditions have been taken in classrooms around the world. Starting in 2017, Google Expeditions will also support Augmented Reality tours. Take a look:


Expeditions AR is not yet available to the public. You can register your school as a "Pioneer School" here.

While Google I/O 2017 didn't reveal any major new features or services for the classroom, it provided a glimpse at Google continued efforts to organize the worlds information. Machine Learning and Augmented / Virtual reality are top priorities. These technologies will certainly trickle down to the classroom and impact how we teach and the skills that we need to prepare our students with in order for them to be successful. 

RIP Google Spaces

Google Spaces, a products that most of my readers probably haven't even heard of, will be discontinued on April 17, 2017.

Spaces was developed as a organizational tool for teams. It has elements of Google Keep, Classroom, and Drive rolled into one. Given the greater popularity of these three tools, it's not surprising that Spaces never gathered momentum.

I suspect that the end of Spaces is also due in part to the pending launch of Team Drive (read my review here).

I don't expect many tears to be shed for Spaces. We can, however, observe a few interesting trends from the development and now end of this collaborative team tool:

1. Google likes internal competition. 

It's not uncommon for Google to launch competing projects and wait to see what sticks. Even when a project is cancelled, we frequently see the best features from that product rolled into an existing tool (i.e. Wave being absorbed by Google Drive).

2. Google's pace of innovation has increased

Google has been on a tear over the last 18 months in terms of launching new products (Spaces, Trips, Allo, Duo, Home, Pixel phone, Daydream...) and discontinue unpopular products (Spaces, Research tool, hangout apps). When engineering talent is at a premium, you have to pick and chose your projects.

3. Google is focused on teams

Over the past year Google has focused a lot on helping teams work more efficiently. They have added improved search through machine learning, launched Team Drive and cloud search (coming soon).

What do you think? Will you miss Spaces? Are there any missing pieces to Google's collection of collaborative team tools?

New Products from Google and their Implication for Educators

Google's much anticipated October 4 product launch matched many leaks and rumors leading up to the event and features 4 new products, 1 product refresh, and several new connections points between new and existing hardware.

Google CEO Sundar Pachia kicked off the event by saying Google anticipates the next big advancement in technology will be in the area of Artificial Intelligence. Google has been working hard to develop their own AI capabilities which, for the consumer, is most visible through the Google Assistant already built into several Google products such as Google Voice Search and Allo.

Google also recognizes that as each of us continue to create and store more personal digital information (music, photos, documents, email, etc), we have a greater need for personal search, not just general searching of the web. AI tools will help us find and organize this information more efficiently.

Google has been working to improve artificial intelligence in three specific areas:

• Image Captioning - 94% accuracy. Helps with search accuracy in Google Photos. 
• Machine Translation - switching from sentence translation to phrase based translation which is more accurate. 
• Text to Speech - Using "wave net" to analyze audio input rather than recorded phrases.

Google believes that in order for AI to take off, it must be combined with high quality hardware. Which is why they launched 4 new hardware products.

New Product - Pixel Phone

• Pixel comes in two sizes - 5" and 5.5"
• Three colors, white, black, blue (limited edition)
• Improved battery life with rapid charging- 7 hours of power in 15 minutes. 
• Ships with Android Nougat
• Updates and patches directly from Google. 
• New updates are installed and updated in the background without a restart. 
• Pixel includes 24/7 live customer support with screen sharing. 
• New tool to transfer content from an old phone to Pixel. Supports iOS and includes a "quick switch" adapter.

Purchasing and Availability:

• Available from Verizon or unlocked via the Google Store. 
• Works with ProjectFi
• Starts at $649
• Pre-order starting 10/4/2016

Five Key Components of the Google Pixel

1. Google Assistant is built into Pixel

• Google Assistant understand context and work with the existing apps on your phone. 
• Test is out by installing Allo on your existing Android or iPhone. 

2. The best mobile camera available in any smartphone. 

• Highest camera rating on the market. 
• 12.3mp rear facing camera
• Smart burst
• HDR+ (used by default)
• Video Stabilization

3. Google Cloud prevents running out of storage

• Google Photos is built in. Photos are automatically uploaded to the cloud. 
• Purchase of a Pixel includes unlimited full resolution storage via Google Photos. 

4. Talk with anyone on any OS: Pixel comes preloaded with Allo and Duo

5. Pixel is designed for Virtual Reality: First phone to be DayDream VR ready

New Product: Daydream View

The Daydream View is Google's VR headset that couples high quality hardware such as the Pixel phone with a VR headset that is comfortable to wear. It also introduces a new remote which enables a user to interact with VR content without the need to touch their phone. 

• Optimized for individuals who wear glasses. 
• Includes the new Daydream controller
• First daydream experience lets you explore the world of Harry Potter
• Working with Netflix, Hulu, and HBO to bring their entire libraries to Daydream.
• 50+ partners will launch content to Daydream in 2016.
• Google Play video, Photos, Street View, and YouTube will also be Daydream ready.
• Viewer launches in November for $79

For Educators, the Daydream View indicates Google's commitment to the VR platform. It is unlikely that schools will have the financial means to purchase large quantities of this headset which would also require a Daydream compatible mobile device. VR is still a developing technology which educators should observe and watch closely. I would not recommend heavy investment in VR technology at this time. Purchasing Google Cardboard is a reasonable investment which allows exploration of VR without a long-term commitment. 

New Product: Google Wifi

• Multiple routers can be connected to cover the entire home. 
• Optimizes wifi signal behind the scenes. 
• Provides family access controls via a smartphone app
• Pre order in November
• $129 for individual router
• $299 for a twin pack

Product Update: Chromecast Ultra

• 30 million Chromecast devices sold
• Chromecast Ultra - supports 4K streaming
• Google Play movies will support 4k starting in November
• Performance and reliability improvements for wifi and connection stability
• Chromecast Ultra includes ethernet port 
• Launches in November for $69

New Product: Google Home

• Play Music: YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tunein and iHeartRadio
• Get Information: uses Google knowledge graph and snippets to provide relevant information. 
• Manage your Day: provides weather, traffic, and appointment reminders. 
• Control your home: currently works with Nest, SmartThings, iFTTT, and Philips Hue
• Also supports casting video (YouTube only) to Chromecast throughout your home. Netflix support is coming soon. 
• Supports searching and viewing photos via Google Photos via Chromecast on your TV. 
• Supports voice casting your your speakers via Chromecast Audio or speakers with Chromecast support. 
• Multiple Google Home devices can be setup in a single house. Only the device that is closest to you 
• Google Home is available for $129. Includes a 6 month trial of Google Red
• Shipping and available in retail stores on November 4.  

Google Home is obviously targeted at the consumer market, however it could prove to be a powerful and very useful tool for the classroom. Such a device would allow teachers to "Cast Susan's Chromebook to the TV" or "show us pictures of the Great Wall of China" without the need to pick up a device. 

Google also announced a developer APK for Google Home, allowing anyone to integrate their product with this voice-activated device. This would allow tools such as PearDeck, Remind, or Newsela to integrate with Google Home, allowing teachers to launch content using voice commands. This is the ultimate goal of technology in the classroom - seamless integration that focuses on people, not devices. I will be watching the development of Google Home 

What does this mean for the Classroom? 

Overall, these product launches will not have an immediate impact on the classroom. The products launched today are designed for the consumer market, not for the classroom. 

There are some long term implications for educators, however. 

1. Google is committed to artificial intelligence - Google is working very hard to help provide contextual information to people where they are, on the device they are using. This lends further important to educators helping students understand how to use and apply information rather than teaching them how to find information. 
2. Google is committed to virtual reality - VR continues to be the new technology that everyone (Google, Microsoft, Facebook) are talking about. Each of these companies is investing tremendous amounts of money and development resources into designing and launching a comprehensive VR platform. This is going to change how we interact with and consume information. VR is here to stay, but in its present for it is very unstable. Educators should watch and observe VR develop, but I do not think it is ready for large scale adoption at this time. 
3. Google is committed to hardware - Google has historically been a software company. That has been slowly changing over time, starting with the Chromebook. Google recognizes that their software tools work best when carefully matched with the right hardware. I anticipate significant improvements to hardware that runs Google software (specifically Chromebooks and Android Devices). Look for rapid improvements on both fronts in the next 12 months. 

Google Doesn't Care About Grades or Test Scores

In a recent interview with Adam Bryant of the New York Times, the Senior VP of People Operations at Google discussed how Google hires and how they analyze job performance and hiring data. One of the few things that the data has clearly shown is that there is no correlation between job success and GPA: 

Link to Full Article | Click image to enlarge

I have been reminding educators that it is not about what you know, it's about what you can do with what you know. Teaching (and learning) facts will not prepare students for success. Teaching them how to interpret, analyze, and evaluate and apply information will. Google is looking for critical and creative thinkers, not Jeopardy champions.

Thanks to Peter Monnerjahn and Sir Ken Robbinson for tweeting this article.

Web Search War: Bing vs. Google

An interesting marketing initiative by Microsoft challenges internet searchers to do a blind side-by-side search using Bing and Google and to then select their favorite results.


According to a study conducted by Microsoft, and widely heralded on their website, users select Bing results over Google 2-1. This link will take you to a short overview of the study however it appears that Microsoft has not released the full study to the public.


I took the five round challenge. Here were my results:

It's no surprise that I am a huge Google fan. I am, after all, a Google Certified Teacher and Trainer. I'm certainly not a reliable or unbiased source when it comes to choose a search engine! The war surrounding search engines is fascinating, however. A web service that was once seen as a waste of money and a "give-away" service, has become one of the most profitable aspects of the web. Everyone wants a piece!

If you're interested in taking the challenge, you can give it a try here. Let me know if which search engine you prefer, if you care, and if you can tell a difference.

Google Moderator in the Classroom

Mr. Aaron Hammers uses Google Moderator in his
10th Grade Bible class each week. 

Google Moderator is a simple crowd-sourcing tool that makes it possible to better understand the thoughts, idea, questions, or motivations of a group, crowd, or audience. One of the best things about Google Moderator is that it is simple. There aren't many buttons to click and it doesn't overwhelm you with features and options.

For a more detailed overview Google Moderator I would encourage you to read my previous post.

This year my school began a 1:1 iPad program in the high school. We provided our staff with a considerable amount of training on how to use the iPad and possible classroom applications. We did not, however, specify exactly how we wanted teachers to use the iPad in the classroom; we left implementation up to them.

We are now into the second quarter of our school year. The newness of the iPad has worn off and many of our original ideas on how to implement the iPad into the classroom have failed due to technical challenges or overall complexity in a classroom setting. Some idea, however, are going very well, engaging students and extending classroom learning. One such idea is the application of Google Moderator in the Bible class or Mr. Aaron Hammers.

Mr. Hammers uses Google Moderator every week in his 10th grade New Testament Survey class. Student post and vote on questions during the first 15 minute of class. Mr. Hammers then spends the remainder of the class period answer the posted questions in order of popularity based on class voting. View the video below for a glimpse of this process and an interview with Mr. Hammers.

Exploring Google+

This week I've spent a lot of time exploring Google+ and blogging about it on the EdReach network. I'd encourage you to take a look at some of the posts that fellow blogger Chad Kafka and I have written:

• Google+ in Education
• An Introduction to Google+
• Circle Me Up: Exploring Circles in Google+
• Light the Fire: Learning Through Sparks

First Glimpse: Google+

I was fortunate enough to be granted an early invitation to the new Google social media experiment called Google+ today. I would recommend that you take a quick look at the Google Blog for a quick overview

I approached Google+ with great skepticism. And for good reason:

• Orkut: Fail (in the US anyway). 
• Google Knol: Fail
• Google Wiki Search: Fail
• Google Wave: Fail
• Google Buzz: meeeh...
• Google "+1": meeh...

While Google does a lot of things well, connect people through social networking is NOT one of them. Yet they continue to make an effort. 

The launch of Google+ is clearly another attempt to capture at least a portion of the lucrative social media market that Twitter and Facebook are dominating. Part of me even wonders why Google would try to compete. 

All of these thoughts were going through my head as I opened up and began playing with Google+ for the first time. Remarkably, I was somewhat impressed by the smoothness, simplicity, and innovative structure of this new social networking platform. 

Here is what my home screen looks like:

Google+ Home Screen

The updates that you see in the center of the screen are reminiscent of Facebook status updates or Tweet. Not much to get excited about. It is worth noting that my profile information is actually my Google Profile. It appears that Google+ will be the link between various "social" products such as the Google Talk, +1, Buzz, Picassa Web, and YouTube. 

The organization of your network is where it starts to get interesting:

Google+ "Circles"

I created multiple "circles" into which I placed my various contacts. Similar to Google's tagging systems, a contact can be added to as many "circles" as you like. Mousing over a circle allows you to see all of the members of that circle and allows you to view the "stream" from the members of the circle.

Google+ "Spark"

The next innovative thing that I discovered are "sparks". A spark is an interest or passion around which conversations can begin. I quickly added a few: education, educational technology, online learning, and Google Apps for Education. A stream of content was created based on each of these topics. My next task is to figure out how these streams are generated. Much of the content seems to be pulled from large, popular blogs and websites.

The third and final piece of Google+ are "hangouts."  This is where things really start to get interesting. Creating a "hangout" allows up to 10 people to simultaneously video chat with one another. The service integrates with Google Talk. I had to install a significant update to the Google Talk client in order to enable this service. In addition to video-conferencing, it appears that there are some new sharing features baked into "hangout." including the ability to watch a YouTube video together or participate in a text-chat. The services are built using Google "shared spaces" lab. 

Google+ "Hangout"

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to test the video-conferencing feature as none of my contacts have received invitations to Google+.

After playing around with Google+ for a little while I went over to the Google blog to read their post about the new feature. I was struck by a sense of humility. I noted very little fan-fare or hype related to this major product launch. It appears that Google is also tempering their expectations for their latest social network. 

Google on the iPad

This past week I had the privilege of training the middle and high school staff at Southfield Christian School on how to integrate Apple's iPad with Google Apps. As part of my training I put together a Google site containing instructions, handouts, and resources. You are welcome to browse and borrow as well!

How do you write a "Google-Proof" Question?

A while back I wrote a post about "Google-Proofing" questions. The quick summary of the post was this: why ask a question to which an answer can quickly be found with an internet search? Certainly we all need a core of knowledge upon which to build. I certainly have no intention of banning the memorization of multiplication tables! My point is that as learning progresses, the questions that we as teachers should be asking involve higher order thinking skills. Bloom's Taxonomy has been a valuable tool for helping write such questions.

I'd like to get your advice on writing "Google-Proof" questions:

• What strategies do you employ to write challenging questions which force students to think critically and deeply about a topic?
• What resources have you found that are helpful in writing challenging questions?
• What verbs have you found particularly useful in your question writing?

If you have a question that has worked particularly well for you, please share it! Even if it's related to a different content area that I, or other readers, teach, we can learn from the setup and construction of the question and apply the principles to our disciplines.

I look forward to reading your ideas and suggestions!

Google-Proof Questioning: A New Use for Bloom's Taxonomy

The internet has revolutionized information collection. The answer to virtually any question or problem is at our fingertips. Google has made this possible.

While I am a great admirer of Google and an avid user of its products, in a way, Google has made my life as a teacher a LOT more difficult. Let me explain. In the "old days" (that would be pre-internet) when a teacher assigned a worksheet with a series of questions on it students had a few options to get the answers.

1. Ask mom.
2. If mom doesn't know, ask Dad.
3. If Dad doesn't know look it up in the textbook.
4. If the answer isn't in the textbook, give up.

Now I am a teacher. When I give worksheets with questions on them my students immediately type the entire question into the omniscient search box on Google and in an instant, they have their answer. They have expended absolutely zero energy or effort to find the answer and as a result will not remember the question or the answer.

There are two solutions to this problem:

1. Ban the use of Google by all school-aged children.
2. Learn to write "Google-proof" questions.

Through extensive research and investigation I have come to the conclusion that option number one will prove to be an ineffective strategy. Therefore, we will proceed with option number two.

So, what is a "Google-proof question?" It is a question that can not be directly answered via Google (or any other search engine) because it requires, analysis, interpretation, and investigation. Writing such questions can be challenging. A helpful tool is Bloom's Taxonomy.

Bloom's is arranged into six different levels of questioning ranging from knowledge (the simplest) to evaluation (the most complex). It is only the top two levels, synthesis and evaluation that can be considered Google-proof. The verbs associated with these two levels include "compose, create, construct, rate, evaluation, design, appraise, argue, and assemble." Here are some sample questions that would fall into the analysis and evaluation levels of Blooms:

1. Rate the importance of the parts of the cell from least to most important.
2. Construct a graph to display the cost-benefit data of three types of biofuels.
3. Design an experiment to test the consumption of oxygen by germinating seeds.

These questions can not be Googled. The web will be a very helpful resource in collecting information related to these questions, but search engines will not lead to easy answers.

We are in an age of information. Storing facts in our brains is a pointless exercise (unless you plan on being on Jeopardy!). In the era of the iPhone, any fact, statistic, or desirable piece of information is only a few clicks away. The skill of the 21st century that will set people apart is what they can do with the information that is available to them. What new products, services, or procedures can be improved, created or derived from the information that we have? Knowing is not as important as using.

Google has made my job as a teacher a lot harder, but I'm glad. Now I have to think of new ways to challenge my students to evaluate and synthesize information.

9 Ways to Use Google Wave

It has been great watching the stream of potential uses for Google Wave roll in. I wish that I had more than nine invitations to give out! Here are what I believe to be the best potential uses of Google Wave. Some are ideas for specific classroom lessons while others are big picture concepts. I am proud to be able to provide access to Wave for these 9 individuals. Your invitations should be arriving shortly!

Mrs. Davis: Our school district (in New Hampshire) is piloting a program for the state this year where three of our snow days will become online learning days (and will not have to be made up in June). I could see the Google Wave being used for class discussions and assignments on these snow days. Since I teach language arts, I could hold a Wave class discussion with my students and be able to continue with whatever we should have been doing in class.

Wave has great potential as a continuation of learning tool. The H1N1 flu virus has closed several schools this year already. When a school closes, a large percentage of the student body may be sick, but a large percentage is not. A tool such as Wave enables the students who are well enough to collaborate together in an online environment. Wave replaces the need for multiple services such as a Wiki to post work, Google Docs to collaborate on documents, email to communicate asynchronously, and instant messaging services to communicate synchronously. From personal experience with using technology with students I have learned that the simplest solution is the best. Using one tool instead of four is a great advancement.

Pamela D: I'm the director of a special education cooperative that provides professional development for teachers of students with disabilities. I can think of LOTS of uses for Wave in our work but my first use would be as a tool for our Inclusion Project. We have teams of school personnel involved in a yearlong project where they are learning how to effectively integrate a student with disabilities into general education classrooms. Because those teams are in 17 different school districts across large geographic area, this tool would allow us to collaborate in real time as we work with our consultant in New Hampshire and our teams here in Kentucky.

I have great respect for special education teachers. The pressure that is put on this group of professionals to meet deadlines and keep track of volumes of paperwork is amazing. As Wave begins to integrate with software and hardware tools it will become even more valuable. I can see Wave applications for the iPhone and Android handsets in the very near future. Arming each of these special ed. teachers with such devices would extend their ability to communicate and collaborate.

Johnsonlabz: I am interested in using Google wave for writing class scripts. The old version would be a student starts a story, then passes it to the next student. Here we could have 30 students at once writing the same story. A group of students would be working on introducing the characters, another on the trial that needs to be overcome, another on the conclusion. As the teacher adds information or twists, each group needs to change the story to reflect the changes. Any changes that happen in the intro need to be developed by the other groups, and equally any spins that happen later, have to be eluded to by the earlier groups. This will completely change the method of story development.

A lot of uses for Google Wave involve online learning however this idea involves students using wave in a traditional classroom setting. Whenever I promote a new technology I always remind teachers that the fundamental aspects of effective instruction remain the same. Technology doesn't change the basics, it simply repackages them in a new and exciting way. Class stories have been around forever. They were great when a sheet of paper was passed around the class. I watched two students do this for the sheer enjoyment of it this week. Utilizing Wave simply repackages this effective teaching strategy in a new and exciting way. I can only imagine the story that would be written. Who knows, perhaps the next Harry Potter will be a collaborative work written through Wave.

Abdul Rehman: One of the advantages of Google wave will be "Globalization". This way people from different cultures who speak different languages, can communicate with each other. Thus, bringing them closer to one another, another step in the direction of making this world a real "village". I spent two years in Germany for my Masters degree which was in English, where I also spent some of time in learning German. I could not communicate with some of people at University there because I could not speak German at first, By using Google wave I could have communicated with those people as well and this would have also helped me to learn German more quickly. In short Google wave will bring different cultures of the world closer, thus, bringing more peace and harmony to the world.

The integrate translation feature of Google Wave is pretty amazing. To see it in action, view the video below:



The possibilities for exchange programs, 21st century pen pals, and language classes are endless. Great idea Abdul. I'm not quite convinced that Google Wave will lead to world peace however! = )

Jeanie Robinson: I work at the Career Center Middle College High School. Our construction classes are building a house nearby. We have a mobile lab onsite that is wired for high speed internet and close circuit observation back at the high school. The idea is to integrate the building of the house into our academic curriculum. I think Google Wave would be a perfect way for teachers and students to collaborate with whoever is at the mobile lab on the construction site. It would also make it easier for the staff to coordinate lessons and lesson planning. The instant communication tools would allow us to look at pictures...maybe solve geometry problems in math class and then communicate back to the site. Look up regulations for licensing in civics and communicate back. The possibilities are endless.

Cross-curricular projects are wonderful and authentic learning opportunities, but boy are they hard to coordinate and arrange. This sounds like a fun way to utilize the power of collaboration in two different disciplines. I hope you get a chance to try it out!

Nash Sherchan: I'm from Nepal and envisioning a prototype school in Mustang village one of the most remote place on earth where we could test the eLearning (Distance Education combined with Face to Face) to those less privileged leveraging wireless internet technology and Google Wave and other social media like Ning. I would like to use Google Wave with volunteer teachers and students from different parts of the world that are interested to help the school. It would be a common platform to share, collaborate on lessons and deliver the digital contents to those students in the rural village. One of the problems we have in rural villages in the mountains is that the cost of carrying those physical books to the village is so high, that the education becomes expensive and it is not affordable to a simple farmer to send their kids to the school. Another major problem is that the talented teachers are not motivated at all to go to the villages rather be in the big cities to enjoy the benefits that Big cities offer. With web 2.0 technologies we have a chance to solve these problems. I see a great future where for the first time in the history that we can provide education to the poorest people of those remote villages at a very low cost that is affordable or could be funded by Education Foundation backed by social entrepreneurs around the world. I'm excited and thrilled about the future. I'm very positive that we can make a difference.

The cost of delivering information has essentially reached zero (for a full discussion of this idea I would recommend Free by Chris Anderson). This enables us to send valuable information anywhere in the world. I can't imagine a much better use of Google Wave than educating the poor and underprivileged. Good luck Nash, I hope that your invitation to Wave is the start of something great!

I'm a student in Cádiz, Spain. I'm fourteen years old. In school, we are creating a digital newspaper and it would be great to use Google Wave technologies on it. Our intention is to win the "Cadiz newspaper prize" so, if you help us, we will be very happy.

Using Wave to collaborate on a school newspaper or even the school yearbook is a great idea! Each department of the publication can maintain their own Wave which the editors can monitor and edit throughout the process. Different writers and photographers would be able to post their articles and pictures which could then easily be transferred in to the layout program. Thanks for submitting a great idea! Good luck with your paper and the contest!

Christy Tyler: I am a middle school science teacher. Wave would be a great tool for use in my classroom. It would allow my students to collaborate on projects as well as create one formal lab write up.

As a science teacher (biology), I understand where Christy is coming from. Wave would be a great tool to use during formal lab reports. My students continually struggle with data aggregation, analysis, and assessment. Working on a formal lab write up as a class would teach them the process without overwhelming them with the amount of work that is required. Over time the collaboration can be moved to smaller groups and then eventually be the responsibility of each student.

Drew S.: I am in search of an opportunity to reconnect with students. As high school principal, I am looking for this type of opportunity to re-engage learners in their environment, getting back "into" the classroom with technology that will allow for collaboration and transformation of education. Google Wave will provide a platform to change the way things are done; to create an open environment in education where many are still so secretive.

As a prospective school administrator, I can appreciate the magnitude of what Drew is trying to accomplish. Navigating a huge shift in philosophy and mission requires a lot of work and political will. I am in the midst of a similar battle and sometimes I wonder if it is all really worth it. Education has been compartmentalized for too long. Creating authentic learning and assessment opportunities is a critical component of preparing students for careers in today’s society. If we don't train our students to be successful in the 21st century marketplace, we have failed them. The NETS standards created by ISTE have been instrumental in identifying target skills that students should be developing in school. Google Wave is one method to encourage the development of these skills. Good luck, Drew, I hope that you are successful in changing the culture of your school. Thanks to everyone who posted ideas and observation over the past couple of weeks. Although I have exhausted my supply of invitations, I would encourage you to continue the dialog about Wave and other technologies that help preparing students for success in life. As always I encourage your comments, e-mails, and tweets.

John Sowash
jsowash [at] southfieldchristian [dot] org
@jrsowash

Ready to Wave? Invitations Available Here!

I was excited to receive an invitation email to join the Google Wave today. I haven't had much time to explore Google's latest innovation, but I am excited about its possibilities.

If you haven't yet heard of Google Wave, here's the basic idea: email is now a standard feature of our lives, but it was envisioned nearly 40 years ago. Technology has dramatically improved since then as has the availability of bandwidth. Add web 2.0 (social media) tools into the mix and email starts to feel a little archaic. A team of Google engineers from Australia decided to ask the question "what would email look like if it were created today?" The result, is Google Wave.

Google Wave is a mash-up of email, instant messaging, blogging, and collaboration tools, amongst other things. The applications of Google Wave are virtually endless and are just now being considered.

The usefulness of Google Wave increases as users are added. Because of this, I would like to invite nine people to wave with me. As a Google Certified Teacher I have been alloted 10 invitations that I can give to anyone that I choose. I currently have nine invitations left which I would like to give to anyone who would like to try out this new tool.

If you would like an invitation to Google Wave, here's what you need to do:

1. Watch the overview video of Google Wave embedded below.
2. Post a comment with an idea for a potential use of Google Wave (Include your email address or Twitter ID in the post)

On October 22, 2009 I will select the nine best ideas and send you an invitation to join the wave! Good luck!

**Update: Oct. 21, 2009**
I have been following the comments to this post closely. There have been many wonderful ideas shared! I have already selected a few of these ideas as "winners" but I still have a few invitations left so keep posting! I would like to thank each of you for your contributions to my blog and the web as a whole. I wish I had the ability to award a wave invitation to everyone! Stay tuned, I will post the nine winning entries on Friday, Oct. 22, 2009.

Youtube goes educational...the times, they are a changing!

On March 27, Youtube announced the creation of youtube.com/edu, a dedicated video channel for lectures and material from leading higher education institutions in the United States. Currently this channel hosts over 20,000 videos from prestigious schools such as Harvard, Yale, MIT, and the University of Michigan. Many of the videos posted are full length lectures from noteworthy professors including the ever popular physics lectures by Professor Walter Lewin of MIT.

Now your first reaction to this addition by Youtube might be, "it's about time that there is something useful and educational on youtube, I'm sick of watching song parodies sung by teenagers in the mirror or action shots of people being stupid." While this is a welcome fringe benefit, I would submit that there are two important trends to be considered:

1. Large companies are realizing that there is a huge demand for educational training and information. 

The two largest and most innovative companies that I can think of are Apple and Google. Apple introduced  iTuneU several years ago and it has grown rapidly. Apple recently introduced iTunesU K-12 to further expand their academic offerings. Google (which owns Youtube) is quickly becoming one of the most formidable companies in the world and one of Apple's greatest rivals. I am not surprised by the launch of Youtube/edu and expect to see a K-12 channel made available within the next year. 

2. Education is taking place OUTSIDE of the classroom more and more. People of all ages are learning through their iPods, web enabled phones, wikis, blogs, and other web 2.0 technologies. 

School buildings and classrooms are so 20th century! Online learning has increased exponentially in the past 10 years with no end in sight. I continue to stand by my prediction that online learning will become the dominant form of education within 20 years. 

Youtube/edu has some interesting content which may be of some use to K-12 teachers, however the addition of such a service signals a change in the winds of education. In the words of the great poet-songwriter, "The times, they are a changing!"