DFI Session Two

Today we got to experience Google Hangouts/Meet. I had already used it many times but today I became familiar with some other features such as turning on captions and sharing my screen with others. I became more confident with creating Hangouts via Google Calendar. It made me think about the possibilities of teaching without necessarily being in the same room as students. I might have a play with this in the coming weeks. 

Google Keep is another app that I have used for years but have never dug deeper enough to find features such as labels and reminders. This should help me organise my many lists and remind me to return my library books on time. I will definitely use the audio feature (after clicking the + button) to record thoughts as I rush between classes. Photo to text (click photo - more actions - grab image text) looks like an amazing feature when looking for resources!


And there's always more to learn about Gmail. From now on I will archive all emails (rather than deleting them or letting them sit in my inbox). I've already archived hundreds of old emails and set up 'reply and archive'. I will also experiment with scheduled send (so that people receive emails when they are fresh in the morning) and I have set up a filter so that all emails from blogger go straight to me 'everything else' folder (settings - filters and blocked addresses - create new filter).

Away from the tech and tools side of things, I found myself again reflecting on the RATE acronym (recognise, amplify, turbocharge, effective practice). I want to encourage more teachers in the cluster to amplify their practice but also need to ensure I am modelling this in my cybersmart sessions in class.