The oldest file in my personal Google Drive is from 2008. Since then I have dipped in and out of Gmail and G Suite – mainly for collaborative purposes and for collecting information via the great Google Forms. More recently, I moved to working in an Google Education environment and I would not look back.
Now, whether it is Google or Microsoft is irrelevant, the amplification of cloud advocacy is collaboration, leading to enhance productivity and innovation, followed by workflow and workflow automation.
I last earnestly used the collaboration features in G Suite last April. I used Docs to submit and receive feedback on my Level 5 Coaching submissions. Comments and resolving comments worked really well. Since then, I started to move my personal work to the cloud. Since lockdown, I have move my entire professional work to the cloud too and in the past three weeks, I have been exclusively working in G Suite, Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides and I won’t be moving back any time soon, if ever. G Suite does everything an intermediate users like me (and most teachers and leaders) need, and so much more. So much more, that I will accept that I am not currently able to embed audio within the PowerPoint file.
G Suite is enormous
Investigating all things G Suite continues to be a worthwhile investment of professional learning time. I note, that when I say ‘all things G Suite’ we mostly think G Drive, Gmail Docs, Sheets and Sheets, when it is so much more than that. Starting with Chrome, then Forms, Drawing, Maps, Sites, Scripts, Jamboard…
I spent a fair amount time learning and designing learning in Classroom (like Volvo – Google Classroom is “boxy but good.” Then there is Meet and Chat at your fingertips.. Educationally, Earth, AR, VR… I could go on.
Gets even more with Google for Education
When you move to Google for Education – you get the big picture, premium and full-use tools, user management and admin features across multiple users, secure and private collaboration features, increased storage, various levels of auditing and the ability to use your own gmail domain. Plus a few extras.
Why we have not heard more about Google Chat in education surprises me. Chat has completely disrupted my workflow and although Chat is worthy of it’s own post, Google Currents is out of Beta and arrived July. Be prepared, this is a fast moving space.
And still it goes on, with endless extensions available via G Suite via Google Marketplace.
Why Investigate G Suite?
Here is the thing – remember, it is not whether it is Microsoft or Google, cloud advocacy is collaboration, leading to enhanced productivity and innovation, followed by workflow and workflow automation.
However, with Google there are two significant, if almost underplayed strengths.
- Google Support is excellent, baked deeply into your user experience, it is a hidden gem. It empowers the end user.
- The second, this strength only becomes apparent once you are invested, waist deep in Google. Even though the G Suite, Marketplace, ecosystem is vast, everything is interoperable, across every platform: Chromebook, web, mobile, Google Assistant.
What is consistent is that at every step, Google has much to offer.
Recommendations
Staff – I urge you to revisit G Suite for your personal, professional productivity and teachers, for the education and learning tools.
Leaders – I urge you to revisit G Suite for your personal, professional productivity, for harvesting the hive intelligence of the team, for co-creating and co-curating teaching resources. For and education and learning tools,
School Leaders – I urge you to revisit G Suite for your personal, professional productivity, allowing you to be physically and emotionally present. For harvesting the hive intelligence of the school, for the ability to be eyes-on hands-off, trusting leaders to develop their leadership. For and education and learning tools.
CEO’s – I urge you to revisit G Suite for your personal, professional productivity, allowing you to be physically and emotionally present. (For and education and learning tools.) For harvesting the hive intelligence of the organisation, for the ability to be eyes-on hands-off, trusting School Leaders to develop their schools. The ability to replicate at scale. For the efficiency savings. For and education and learning tools.