During the final months of the 2013-2014 school year, Our Lady of Talpa School introduced the use of Google Apps for Education. At that time, students in grades 5th through 8th, faculty, staff and administrators began to use the Google applications (such as Gmail, Google Docs and Google Drive) for a variety of purposes, and have continued to use them this school year.

Students first learned to use the applications as part of computer class curriculum. Classroom teachers have built upon students’ early knowledge by incorporating the applications into classroom instruction. According to Ms. Karina Gutierrez, Computer Teacher, all of this has helped students become increasingly proficient with the various applications.

Overall, Google Apps for Education have provided a positive experience for everyone at Talpa School. Students are able to use Google Docs for homework, reports and projects. With Google Docs, they can access documents they’ve created at school, home, the library or anywhere that has internet connectivity. This removes the need for students to use flash drives to save their work, and it eliminates problems that arise from software on a computer in one location being incompatible with software on a computer in another location. Additionally, by using the applications, students are able to submit drafts of their work to teachers, who can then comment on the work and return it to students to make corrections and to move forward with further drafts.

Beyond the classroom, teachers, staff and administrators have been able to use Google Apps for Education in preparation for Talpa’s upcoming WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation process. They are able to write and share documents in real time, which allows for a smooth, collaborative process as our school compiles necessary reports for the accreditation.