“What’s my favorite G Suite for Education tool?” asked a Google Educator Level 1 session participant. “Google Slides. You can do so much with it!” said another. Slides offers many exciting features that make it a versatile assistant for educators. In this blog entry, let’s take a look at five Google Slides hacks you may find useful. These may deepen your appreciation for Google Slides and increase your productivity. https://blog.tcea.org/five-hacks-for-google-slides/ #GoogleEDU #Teacher #Education #Edutooter #TCEA Be sure to check out this online course on Google Slides - https://courses.tcea.org
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@mguhlin have you checked out any of the open source options in this space? They'd have a LOT of advantages for learners and educators alike.
@lightweight Yes, I run Linux Mint and LibreOffice. I have used NeoOffice, OpenOffice, and many others. I love Gnumeric. I haven’t tried NextOffice yet. I have encouraged use of FOSS my entire career, but at this time, I work in a situation that I write about questions educators have. They don’t get a choice in what they are allowed. Thanks for the offer.
@mguhlin I encourage you to look at it, because you're clearly a conscientious educator who 'gets' that education cannot happen without sharing... and proprietary technologies like Google's and MSFT's are diametrically opposed to sharing. If you're not at least also promoting those open technologies alongside the closed ones you're actively encouraging people to use tools that rob them of agency and create a fundamental barrier to their learning.
@mguhlin what's more, encouraging the use of Google's technology also means that you're actively encouraging learners to allow themselves & their data to be exploited by Google for the benefit of Google's ad business. Here's some useful info on that: https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/05/25/how-dare-they-peep-my-private-life/childrens-rights-violations-governments
@lightweight I am comfortable with my actions. I have learned to answer questions for Android, Apple, Google, Chromebook, Microsoft…and GNU/Linux. People want answers to questions, and I like to write them.
@mguhlin Some of those systems you're implicitly encouraging people to use are actively working against their interests. They are fundamentally unethical. Your rationalisations are not something I can accept or admire Sorry.
@lightweight Yes, thanks for clarifying how you feel. Keep up the good work! No need to be sorry, a little passion for a cause is good to have. Overzealousness, that’s something that can lead to high blood pressure in the long run. 😄 as i know well.
@lightweight Yes, Dave, I am familiar with and use OnlyOffice on Windows 11. I referenced it here - https://blog.tcea.org/mobile-file-management-part-two/ and other locations such as https://www.mguhlin.org/2021/11/office-suites-abound-which-do-you-use.html
@lightweight Yes, I am not of the Stallman variety of FOSS advocate. When I was in charge, I deployed FOSS solutions as was appropriate and made sense. OwnCloud, Moodle, Wordpress, and a host of other FOSS solutions. But, I am not in charge now, and I am not interested in proselytizing of any kind. You catch my meaning? 🙂
@mguhlin yeah. I get it. That's a very disappointing response.
@lightweight I get it. It will be ok.
@mguhlin I don't think it is or will be. Here's an observation from here in Aotearoa NZ where educators have made a similarly major error of judgement: https://davelane.nz/explainer-digitech-risks-school-boards - we need educators like you, who appear to know better, to actively oppose this deeply flawed direction.
@lightweight Thanks for sharing. I have spent my time encouraging educators to use FOSS, but I see now I have fallen short in my efforts.
@mguhlin I get that. We need to be making sure that educators unfortunate enough to be subjected to either one of the MSFT/GOOG technology monocultures realise that there's a parallel (brighter) world outside their monoculture. Also to be clear, I'm talking about OnlyOffice, not to be confused with OpenOffice or LibreOffice. It can be combined with NextCloud to provide an experience equivalent to Google Apps. I think you should look at it.