Google Hangouts Tour

This week in EDTC 300 we explored some of the many ways teachers can use Google Apps in the classroom. We then had to create a short video tutorial for a Google App. I chose Google Hangouts because I think this app in particular could be beneficial for teachers working in rural communities. Hangouts could be used to have guest speakers “visit” the class from anywhere in the world. This would provide students the opportunity to meet and speak with people they would not otherwise be able to due to their location. This is essentially substitution on the SAMR matrix as it simply replaces having guest speakers visit the class in person. However, since it provides the potential to have experts from a variety of fields and places share their knowledge with students, I believe it has merit. Of course there may be obstacles such as connectivity that should be considered before utilizing this technology in a classroom.