A FREE Technology Curriculum offered by Google

Google is now offering a FREE technology curriculum for grades 7-12.  These courses offer students a project based learning environment with meaningful lessons, instructional videos, and hands-on activities that teach students how to use G Suite applications.  It will also teach them digital literacy skills too.  

The curriculum is offered through the CS First website.  All teachers and students must visit the www.cs-first.com/en/apps website to interact with the curriculum.  

Additionally, it will empower students to take control of their own learning, encourage them to solve problems in new ways, teach them to behave ethnically online, connect students to the world, and prepare them for future careers.   

For Students

The curriculum is self paced and it offers instructional videos, and activities for students to complete. Students will use G Suite applications, and programming to complete the tasks. Students will need to join a class similar to Google Classroom.

Once students join a class, they will be asked to complete a survey on their knowledge of Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and app scripts. All of the activities revolve around these apps.

For Teachers

Teachers must create a class, similar to Google Classroom, and identify a school location.  Once this is created, a code will be generated and this code must be shared with students.  Then, students will join the class and start to watch the videos and complete the activities.

Teachers will have lesson plans, a a student tracker, and a teacher guide available once a class is created.  Here is a list of sample units that can be used with students.  

For example, in Unit 1: If-Then Adventure Stories, students learn how to use Google Slides.  By hyperlinking slides within the presentation, students learn about if-then scenarios.  If this scenario occurs, then that result happens. Additionally, they will learn how to add animation to text and insert slide transitions and much more!

Another example, students will be able to use Androidify to create a customized Android avatar.  This activity was part of an extension in a unit that allowed them to experiment with the website.  Once completed, students can download their avatar, share it to social, use it as their profile picture, or email it to their teacher.  Below is an example of my Android avatar.  

  

In Conclusion

I highly recommend that any educator who is using G Suite for Education at their organization, try this free technology curriculum from Google.  The lessons and activities are meaningful and will allow students to showcase their work using G Suite for Education through project based learning.  Give it a try and let me know your feedback.

Enjoy!