I work in educational technology for a school district of ~5000 students. I am also a Google certified trainer. My opinion is obviously bias, but here it goes.
1) It will integrate with my current student database (active directory, synced with Google through GADS)
2) It will work with the tech my teachers are already comfortable using (Google Drive)
3) It solves a problem I already have, rather than giving me new ones to deal with. I already have teachers struggling to assign/grade/return assignments using their Google accounts. If I were to set up (for example) Moodle, now I have a list of new problems (managing _another_ set of accounts, integrating it with our scheduling system)
4) Staff interest. I'm going to get more people to come to my PD if I say "Come learn about Google Classroom", than if I say "Come learn about blackboard"
Last, and most importantly
5) Price. It's free. I don't have to ask the board for permission, I don't have to create a future cost projection, I don't even have to make a PO. I just have to turn it on and train the staff.
mathgorges|11 years ago
1) It will integrate with my current student database (active directory, synced with Google through GADS)
2) It will work with the tech my teachers are already comfortable using (Google Drive)
3) It solves a problem I already have, rather than giving me new ones to deal with. I already have teachers struggling to assign/grade/return assignments using their Google accounts. If I were to set up (for example) Moodle, now I have a list of new problems (managing _another_ set of accounts, integrating it with our scheduling system)
4) Staff interest. I'm going to get more people to come to my PD if I say "Come learn about Google Classroom", than if I say "Come learn about blackboard"
Last, and most importantly
5) Price. It's free. I don't have to ask the board for permission, I don't have to create a future cost projection, I don't even have to make a PO. I just have to turn it on and train the staff.
I'm excited for this.