When looking at examples between restrictive and choice broadening types of solutions, I had a conversation with my sister around the decision to go with Google Apps For Education (GAFE) vs other alternatives for the Calgary Board of Education (CBE). As she was a part of this decision, her team looked closely at, and tested and compared all features of Microsoft Office 365 and GAFE. At the time, the decision to use GAFE ultimately came down to the seamless synchronous functionality and the ability for collaboration to occur on Google in real time. I then questioned the decision to go with a Google cloud-based service and the privacy issues related to FOIP. She mentioned that after much prototyping of the product, it came down to the fact that the educational benefits of using GAFE far outweighed the risks in terms of FOIP.
Taken from: http://www.baschools.org/pages/uploaded_files/tigertracks_apr08-2015.pdf
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Microsoft Office 365 Office 365is a cloud-based service that offers several upgrades from older Microsoft versions including the ability to: • Create and edit Word, Excel andPowerPoint files wherever and whenever. • Enjoy a consistent Office experience across PCs, Macs, Windows tablets, iPads and most mobile devices. • Utilize Microsoft OneDrive, which gives users unlimited personal cloud storage that can be accessed from anywhere and that syncs with their computers foroffline access. • Access Outlook and OneDrive from home or your personal devices. • Share and edit documents with other colleagues throughOneDrive. • Download Office 365, including Word, Powerpoint, Excel and other tools, for free on up to five devices. |
Google Apps for Education Created as a teaching and learning tool, GAFE gives educators and students the ability to create, edit, and collaborate with one another. It also organizes and simplifies workflow in the classroom. This teacher to-student tool creates a teaching and learning experience that enhances engagement while also preparing students for current and future technology. • This does not replace Outlook for email or other Microsoft Office applications currently utilized for various job functions, but it is intended to be an additional tool for instructional purposes. • You can share and collaborate on Google products with other staff members OR students. These may include documents, presentations, spreadsheets or forms. • Educators can instruct students to collaboratively work together in real time without having to be in the same room. • A student’s ability to organize and access work is now easier than ever |