UNIT 2: Expand Your Access to Help and Learning

In this unit, you’ll learn:

• What online resources are available for you to search for answers
• How to participate in online help forums to both find answers AND help others
• How to create a network of peers who you can reach out to when you need help
• How to contribute to a network of other Google for Education users
• How to join a Google Educator Group for networking, support, and fun
• How to find local experts when you need that extra bit of support

It's all well and good to know how to do something when it works perfectly, but knowing what to do when it's not is what makes someone an expert.  I look forward to becoming one!

Useful tools to know are

• Google+ : Circles and sharing; Photos and Auto Backup; Hangouts and events; and mobile device apps
• GoogleGroups : There are four types of groups: email lists, web forums, Q&A groups, and collaborative inbox - with the main purpose being a way to communicate to a collective without contacting everyone individually
• GoogleSearch : My GoogleFu is strong, I've been told.  The key is to not be afraid to type thought fragments or whole questions, then filter by date or time, by type of source (image, news, scholarly)

ProTip: Often a 30-second video is worth a page of text. If you click on Videos at the top of your search results, you’ll find a set of videos that can walk you through a step-by-step solution to your problem.

The Google Help Center can also guide you step-by-step through troubleshooting in your suite of Apps and tools.

If that still leaves you stumped, there are the Google for Education Help Forums.  You can read and respond to other teachers, and knowing that the people using it are generally using it for the same purposes means there's less explaining WHY you need help, and more discussing WHAT you need to do/fix.  Also, teachers from around the world can share their ideas, so the forums aren't just for when something goes wrong, but for when everything goes right!

Create a Personal Learning Network (PLN): One way to do so is to join a Google Educator Group (GEG) which are locally run groups, bound by common goals, and able to stay in touch through the same suite they are using, GAFE! You can double-dip and join a Google+ Community made up of multiple GEGs, from around the world, all sharing the same goals for an app, or content area.

Maybe you want to reinforce the awesomeness that is GAFE during a PD.  What can you do? I'm so glad you asked...

You could bring in a Certified Trainer, a Certified Innovator (your tech team will thank you!), join up with a Reference School (co-teach GAFE training with a school in another location?! *mindblown*), or an Education Partner (think swag for teachers).

Not sure which one you need? There's a Directory for that!

• Services provided
• Product specialty
• School subjects
• Languages
• Student age levels
• Certifications

Thanks, Google!  It's nice to know you've got our backs!