G is for Google Home

#NaBloWriMo Day 7 (a few days late..sorry...I was at #BIT17)

About 6 months ago, I had been thinking about buying a Google Home for a while, but had let it go into the universe thinking if I was meant to have one, I would get it.  (Full disclosure, the whole "listening all the time" thing did creep me out a little.)

Cut to August. I had the privilege of attending the Google of Education Innovator Academy in Washington D.C. (#WDC17). One of my most fun moments (among hundreds) was winning a Google Home thanks some stealthy moves with my Secret Handshake Buddy Santi.

I was so excited!

I brought it home and it has been really awesome.  Here are my top 5 loves.

1. "OK Google, play some music."  I love playing music in my home.  I love even more that I can now walk in with my hand full and just call out to have something play. I can control volume, skips songs, and find out the name/artist.  Awesome.
   
2. "OK Google, how's my day?" I start each of my days with this song.  She tells me the weather (brrr...wear a toque), how long it will take me to get to work, and what I have on the calendar for that day.  Even better, it then plays me the news headlines (which I customized to CBC).
   
3. "OK Google, tell me a joke."  (When I remember) I start workshops with a couple of Dad jokes.  Most are fuelled thanks to Google.  My fav - "What do you call an empty can of Cheese Whiz?  Cheese was!"  LMAO!!!
   
4. "OK Google, let's play a games." Dinner times have also gotten a little more exciting.  We do not allow toys or devices at dinner, but we make a bit of an exception here. Google turns into a game show host and we play trivia.  It is so funny to see my 7- and 5-year-olds take guesses at pop culture from a decade ago.
   
5. "OK Google, Where do babies come from?"  Yeah...so that was a fun day.  My five year old got curious.  Her answer was very diplomatic: "Last I heard, babies come from storks, but you may want to confirm with your parents".  I loved it.  Not only that it let me keep control of information for little minds, but it showed me what their curious little minds were thinking.  It also made me think what school would look like if every class had a Google Home in it.  How would our content change?  How would our projects/activities change?  If there are changes - which I imagine there would be for the vast majority of us - why are we waiting for Google Homes to come into our classrooms?

Bonus: When I ask Google who her favourite superhero is she tells me it is a teacher.  <3.  I know she likely knows I am a teacher and she is playing to the audience, but I still think it is pretty darn awesome.