Google+Calendar

Google Calendar Reflection:

Another problem I was able to solve was another scheduling issue. In the English department, we are lucky enough to have two mobile laptop carts that house 25 computers each. At the beginning of the year, all eight English teachers sat down and discussed how we might create a schedule to sign out the laptops, as well as the two televisions and the many class sets of books. I offered to set up a Google Calendar. Using the Google Calendar, I was able to create a system where teachers could add a note to any given day, which indicated which computer cart or TV they were going to use. Since the Google Calendar updates instantaneously, everyone has a fair chance to reserve the computers in advance. During a department meeting, I showed the English teachers the calendar and walked them through the process. We have been using it all year and it has worked tremendously!

I learned that the web has a multitude of free tools that can help with almost any need or problem. I have talked to two technology leaders about the success of our calendar, and they are considering options of using a public calendar system that the whole school can use to sign out the computers in the Technology Resource Center.

I intend on continuing to use the Google Calendar in the English Department. I hope I will be given the chance to help implement it school-wide. My school is currently looking replacing our "Outlook" email system with "Gmail." This would allow all staff to easily sign into a Goodle Calendar and begin using it.