Recently, Kelly Weldon and I conducted a presentation titled Leading in the GAFE Era at the Garden State Google Summit. You can find the embedded presentation below. It's imperative that classroom, school, district, and organizational leaders commit to a growth mindset in a Google Apps for Education learning environment. There are so many unique ways to leverage the power of Google tools to push teaching and learning to new levels. The collaboration and efficiency that comes with having access to Google Apps for Education is a game-changer. So how can educational leaders integrate GAFE tools into their daily lives? In addition to the many examples Kelly and I share in our embedded presentation below, here are a handful to consider for immediate implementation...

1. Flip your faculty meetings and professional learning communities with Google Classroom. Collaborate and share more efficiently by creating a virtual class that fellow colleagues can access on their time. 

​2. Provide your administrative office staff with time and support to become acclimated to the various GAFE tools that will make their jobs much easier in the long run. A paperless learning environment must extend past our classrooms and into main office area. 

​3. Utilize the SnagIt Chrome extension to record tutorials, parent information presentations, and enhance student learning experiences.

​Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter@bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

Almost every week I curate a list of best practice resources for staff to browse through. It's called the Bulldog Bulletin and contains five resources in the form of blogs, apps, and websites that teachers in our K-8 district would find beneficial. It's similar to the Marshall Memo that has been around for years. I try to find resources that are relevant and can be put to use immediately. Sometimes staff members will send me links to be included in a future Bulldog Bulletin. I come across these wonderful resources by way of my PLN on tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, blogs, and email list servs. Click here to access the latest Bulldog Bulletin.  

Another great way to stay in the loop is to subscribe to the 3 Minute Google Tip provided by company Evolving Educators. These are brief webinars that show viewers how to utilize Google Apps for Education. The latest episode shows how to use the new scheduling feature on Google Classroom. This new update allows users to pre schedule questions, announcements, and assignments. Click here to view the 3 Minute Google Tip. 

One last resource that you will find useful is the Next Generation Science Standards and EdTech webinar series that I recorded recently in collaboration with the Rider University School of Education. I examine the NGSS through an edtech lens so that people can understand the true power that educational technology can have for science educators and students. Click here to access the webinar series. 

I am a firm believer in the more best practice resources educators share the more likely student success will be impacted in a positive way. How do you share all the great ideas that are taking place in your classroom, school, district, or organization? Commit to sharing a few ideas and resource every month. It will be beneficial to all involved.