Getting Started with Applied Digital Skills

Raise your hand if you use any Google Apps (search, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc.) in your personal life?

It’s as simple as this blog post, which I drafted on Google Docs, and inserted images and links. Or the spreadsheet I created to compare and contrast different cars to organize my new car search. Even geekier, I use spreadsheets is to keep track of the books I read each year–this one is massive, complete with charts and formulas.

These digital skills, plus collaboration and communication, are essential for our students to learn to prepare them for the working world beyond our classrooms.

Teaching these skills

This is where Google’s Applied Digital Skills comes into play!

Applied Digital Skills a student-paced “project-based video curriculum” where students create and collaborate on real-world-applicable lessons. And, it’s FREE!

Before you turn up your nose at the word “curriculum,” it’s not strict and boxy. Instead, it provides the skills for students in short video lessons, and allows the teacher to circulate the room and assist students. Additionally, these sample projects can easily be customized to your content class.

Watch Google’s intro video to learn more!

Getting Started with Applied Digital Skills

1. Sign up for Applied Digital Skills
2. Create your class
3. Click “add a lesson” and pick which lesson you’d like to use. I highly recommend “If/Then Adventure Stories” and “Organize College Information in 

   

   Google Sheets” for starters.

I made a quick screencast to show you how to get started.

For each lesson, there are sample projects and a rubric too!

My students love Applied Digital skills because it gave them the freedom to create and explore, and work at their own pace. Students who finished their “Organize Information in Google Sheets” early added in additional columns and rows as they researched more universities.

Since we are 1:1 iPad, I took my students to the computer lab (you can’t freeze a row/column on the iOS app). Most either watched the videos on their iPad and created on the computer, or split screen their computer monitor to watch and work. I loved watching how each student organized their physical and digital workspace.

Try it out as a student

Join my demo class to see Applied Digital Skills from the learner perspective!

1. Go to g.co/applieddigitalskills
2. Click “Sign In,” and sign in with your Google account
3. Select “I am a student”*
4. Enter class code T2WZYB

In this demo class, you can get a feel for how students will access their lessons, watch the videos, and begin creating their project.

*You can switch back to teacher mode by clicking on your email on the top right > join a class > I am a teacher.

Have fun!

Applied Digital Skills is a whole lot of fun! K-12 and adult learners love the self-paced engaging curriculum.

Have you tried Applied Digital Skills? What are your favorite activities and how have you customized it for your classroom?