USING THE GOOGLE DOCS SERVICE TO ORGANIZE GROUP WORK USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE LESSON “INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES”

Dronova Ekaterina Nikolaevna
Altai State Pedagogical University
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Theoretical Foundations of Informatics

annotation
The article describes the organizational forms of training (frontal, group, individual), and reveals the potential of the Google Docs service for organizing a group form of work. The experience of using the Google Docs service for organizing group work is presented using the example of the lesson “Introduction to Databases”.

THE SERVICE GOOGLE DOCS FOR GROUP WORK SESSIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF "INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES"

Dronova Catherine Nikolaevna
Altaian state pedagogical university
candidate of pedagogical sciences, associate professor of department of theoretical bases of informatics

Abstract
The article described the organizational forms of training (frontal, group, individual), unlock the potential of the service Google Docs for the organization of group forms of work. The experience of using the service Google Docs for group work sessions on the example of “Introduction to the database”.

Bibliographic link to the article:
Dronova E.N. Using the Google Docs service to organize group work using the example of the lesson “Introduction to Databases” // Modern technology and technology. 2015. No. 4 [Electronic resource]..02.2019).

In modern didactics, the following organizational forms of training are distinguished: frontal, group and individual.

Frontal form of training characterized by joint educational and cognitive activity of all students, a uniform pace of work for the entire class. The effectiveness of this organizational form of teaching depends on the teacher’s ability to keep the entire class in sight and see each student. An inevitable consequence of this organizational form is a focus on the “average” student, as a result of which some students lag behind the given general pace of educational and cognitive activity, while others are frankly bored.

Compared to the frontal form of training individual training has exactly the opposite characteristics. Individual organizational form focused on individual characteristics a specific student, his abilities, individual pace of educational and cognitive activity. Individual learning does not involve contact with other participants in the pedagogical process; in essence, it is the independent completion of any educational tasks. As a result, smoothing out the main “shortcoming” of the frontal form of teaching here entails another - a lack of communication between participants in the pedagogical process, the inability of students to work in a team.

It is intended to resolve the contradiction that has arisen group form of training. This organizational form allows not only individual adjustment of volume and pace academic work, but also makes it possible to organize joint activities members of the same group. The group form of training allows the learning process to give the character of a search, research activities, during which there is an exchange of opinions, a search for objective arguments in defense of any position, the formation of the ability of mutual control and mutual assessment of the educational and cognitive activities being carried out.

However, it should be noted that group learning will be truly effective provided that students have experience working in a group. Unfortunately, today the group form of training is not widespread and occupies a very modest place among other organizational forms.

Currently, the expansion of the boundaries of the use of group organizational forms is facilitated by the use of information technologies V educational process. They allow “to organize cognitive activity more actively, compared to ordinary activities, to influence such psychological processes as perception, thinking, memorization, and assimilation of information.” This article will present the experience of organizing group work using the Google Docs service.

Google Docs is a free online office that includes word and spreadsheet processors, a service for creating presentations, forms, drawings and other applications, as well as an Internet cloud file storage service with file sharing functions, developed by Google. Let us characterize the series its advantages.

1. The service allows you to immediately start working with online office applications if this moment There is no office application package installed on the work computer, but documents created by the user are saved on a special Google server and can be exported to a file (importing documents is also supported).

2. The service allows several users to simultaneously work with the same document, which allows you to effectively organize the joint work of a group of people (including those physically remote from each other). Wherein:

– all changes in the process of collaborating with a document are displayed in real time in the place where editing occurs, and there is no “Save” button on the toolbar in applications; all changes are saved automatically. The documents keep a record of the history of changes with the ability to open them in preview mode or download to a computer;

– a chat is available in the sidebar, so you can have a discussion in the document, and users can also comment on the text;

– document access rights are easy to manage: you can share the document, add a user and specify their access level (editing, commenting, reading) (Fig. 1); User contacts can be easily combined into groups, which makes the distribution of rights over a document more efficient.

Figure 1 – Dialog box for setting up access to a document in the Google Docs service

3. Synchronization of Google documents with the Google Drive folder on your computer is supported, provided that the Google Drive application is installed, which allows you to edit documents not only online, but also offline.

In addition to what has been said, I would like to add that the Google Docs service has an intuitive interface and has a Russian-language help guide: https://support.google.com/drive/?hl=ru#topic=14940.

As an example illustrating the use of the capabilities of the Google Docs service for organizing group work in the educational process, we present a lesson summary on the topic “Introduction to Databases.”

This lesson was conducted within the framework of the discipline “Computer Software” in the 2nd year of students of the specialty “Mathematics and Computer Science” at the Institute of Physics and Mathematics Education of the Altai State Pedagogical University. This discipline is an elective course and is aimed at developing systematic knowledge among students about modern software COMPUTER. According to work program discipline, the topic “Database Management Systems” is considered after studying the following topics: “Text processor LibreOffice Writer”, “Equation editor LibreOffice Math”, “Tabular processor LibreOffice Calc”, “Presentation editor LibreOffice Impress”, “Graphical editor LibreOffice Draw”. The development of practical skills in working with a database management system was carried out using the LibreOffice Base DBMS.

The lesson below was the first practical exercise students after listening to lecture material on the topic “Database Management Systems”.

It should be noted that the Google Docs service was used for the first time in the lesson, although some students in the group were already familiar with it before. With a view to more optimal organization Before the lesson begins, it is advisable to ask all students to register on Google and provide their account, which was done. After this, a text document was created with the accounts of all students in the group and access was given to everyone to read this document.

Lesson topic:"Introduction to Databases".

Duration: 2 hours.

Lesson form: laboratory work.

Form of organization of educational activities: group work using Google Docs.

Target: developing an understanding of databases and database management systems; familiarization with the capabilities of the Google Docs service for organizing group work.

Lesson structure

1. Organizational moment (2 min.)

2. Setting the goal of the lesson (1 min.).

3. Updating knowledge (2 min.).

4. Individual work (5 min.).

5. Group work (75 min.).

6. Staging homework(2 minutes.).

7. Summing up the lesson (3 min.).

Progress of the lesson

1. Organizational moment

Activating students' attention, checking those present in class.

2. Setting the goal of the lesson

Setting the goal of the lesson, a brief description of lesson structure.

3. Updating knowledge

1. What are the benefits of Google Docs? (Answer: Allows the user to store their data on servers in the cloud and share it with other users on the Internet.)

2. What should you do first to New user were you able to start working with google drive? (Answer: create a Google account.)

4. Individual work

1. Go to your google mail.

2. In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the “Services” button and select “Disk”.

3. Examine the interface of the window that opens.

4. What documents does it allow you to create? virtual office Google Docs? (Answer: text document, presentation, spreadsheet, form, drawing).

5. Create a text document. Write in it the sentence “It’s my birthday... and what about you?” and give editing access to the neighbor on the right (command File>Share). Wait for the neighbor on the left to give you access to edit his text document and answer his question about your birthday.

5. Group work

Students are divided into groups of 3-4 people. Each group defines speaker, opponent, expert.Speaker takes a leading position, organizes joint work small group. Opponent monitors the content of the work, formulates questions based on the information provided. Expert forms a value judgment based on the results of the group’s work, compares the group’s work with the work of other groups.

First task for groups (theoretical)

Jointly prepare a presentation, the slides of which will contain answers to the theoretical questions posed on the topic “Databases” (Table 1). When preparing your presentation, use lectures, educational literature offered to you, and the Internet.

Table 1 – Content of theoretical questions for groups

1 group	2nd group	3 group
1. Definition information system. Examples of information systems. 2. Database definition. 3. Functions of the information system. 4. Various classifications of databases.	1. Basic concepts of a database (object, attribute, key field). 2. Definition of hierarchical, network, relational databases. Examples. 3. Basic concepts of a relational database (field, record, key field). 4. Types of connections in a relational database (1:1; 1:M; M:M).	1. The concept of normalizing relationships in a relational database. 2. Stages of creating a database. 3. Definition of a database management system. 4. Types of objects in the Base DBMS (tables, queries, forms, reports).

After completing the work, give the developed presentation access to read to all students in the group. Time for groups to work on the presentation: 12-15 minutes.

An important result of working on the first task is database creation steps:

1) determining the purpose of creating a database(at this stage it is necessary to determine the purpose of the database, how it will be used, what information it should contain);

2) defining the tables that the database should contain(Determining the tables needed in the database can be the most difficult stage of the database design process, since the results that the database should produce: reports, forms, etc. do not always give a complete picture of the structure of the tables from which they are created.

Basic principles for developing tables:

– information should not be duplicated in the table or between tables;

– data stored in only one table is updated only in this table, thereby eliminating the possibility of duplicating records;

– each table should contain information on only one topic (work independently of other topics);

3) determining the fields required in the table(each table contains information on a specific topic, and each field in the table contains a specific fact on the topic of the table, and: the contents of the fields should be divided into the smallest logical units; it is not recommended to include data in the table that is the result of an expression);

4) defining fields with unique values ​​in each record(each database table must contain fields or a set of fields that uniquely identify each record, that is, a primary key);

5) defining relationships between tables(after breaking the information into tables and defining key fields, you need to choose the way the DBMS will combine related information);

6) improvement of the database structure(you need to review the database structure again and identify possible shortcomings);

7) data entry and creation of other database objects(if the table structures meet the requirements, then you can enter all the data, and then create all the necessary queries, forms and reports).

Second task for groups (practical)

Develop database table structures (Table 2), key fields and establish relationships between tables. Present your work in the form of a diagram on the last slide of your presentation (Fig. 2). For the fields of each table, indicate their type (Tables 3, 4).

Table 2 – Database topics for groups

1 group	2nd group	3 group
Subject area: library Type of publication (book, magazine, newspaper, etc.); Name; The year of publishing; Is it a new edition? Library card number; Reader's full name; Reader's address and telephone number; Date of issue of the publication to the reader; Reader submission date	Subject area: applicants Minimum list of characteristics: Full name of the applicant; Date of Birth; Information about previous education; Faculty for which the application is submitted; The specialty for which the application was submitted; The number of points for each of the three entrance exams; Is the applicant a medalist? Address and telephone number of the applicant; Date of submission of documents to the admissions committee	Subject area: Minimum list of characteristics: Name of product; Date of receipt of goods; Information about the supplier of the goods; Information about the store employee who accepted the goods; The department of the store where the goods were received; Current price of the product; Are there any restrictions on the sale of goods; Product expiration date; Number of units of goods received; Number of units sold

Figure 2 – An example diagram illustrating the structure of the database

Table 3 – Example of designing field types for database tables

Field name	Field type	Length
Client code	Whole
Surname	Text
Name	Text
Surname	Text
Passport	Memo

Table 4 – Types of fields in the LibreOffice Base DBMS

VARCHAR	Text	line up to 256 characters. If the actual length of the string in the field is less than the specified length, memory can be saved.
VARCHAR_IGNORECASE	Text	a string that does not distinguish between lowercase and uppercase letters
CHAR	Text (fixed)	a string with a specified number of characters.
LONGVARCHAR	Memo	big text. In other databases this type is called MEMO.
BOOLEAN	Boolean	boolean data (yes/no)
DATE	date	calendar date
TIME	Time	time
LONGVARBINARY	Picture	variable size binary large object, such as a picture, sound recording, OOWriter document (this type is called a BLOB in other databases)
TINYINT	Short integer	most often used for numbering small quantity positions (0 to 255)
SMALLINT	Short integer	integer (-32768 to 32767)
INTEGER	Whole	integer (From -2147483648 to 2147483647)
BIGINT	Long integer	integer of increased bit depth (From -9223372036854775808 to 9223372036854775807)
DECIMAL	Decimal	floating point number. You must specify the number of places after the decimal point.
FLOAT	Floating point	floating point number (same as DECIMAL).
VARBINARY	Binary	variable size binary object. It is possible to save memory if this field actually has different sizes in different records
BINARY	Binary (fixed)	fixed size binary object
NUMERIC	Number	natural number. The range of numbers is determined by the bit capacity of the system.
REAL	Real	real number. On a 32-bit system, it is represented as a 32-bit mantissa and order.
DOUBLE	Double precision	double precision real number.
TIMESTAMP	Date Time	so-called UNIX timestamp. Indicates the number of milliseconds that have passed since the beginning of the UNIX era
OTHER	Other	data of any other (not specified above) type

Time for groups to work on the task: 15 minutes.

After this, the speaker of each group comments on the work of his group, opponents of other groups ask questions about the information offered. At the end, the group experts speak and evaluate the results of the work.

6. Setting homework

Develop a database structure in your individual assignment (in the individual assignment, students were offered only the subject area of ​​the database).

7. Summing up the lesson

1. What was the most difficult part of the lesson for you?

2. What was the easiest part of the lesson for you?

3. Did you have any difficulties organizing work in a group?

4. Did you have any difficulties working with the Google Docs service?

5. How would you rate the Google Docs collaboration service on a scale of five?

In conclusion, I would like to draw several conclusions:

– students did not have any difficulties working in the Google Docs service, but they had difficulties when working in a group, because this organizational form of training was unusual for them;

– collaboration with one document in the Google Docs service, all students liked it without exception;

Bibliography

1. Tretyakova N.V., Dronova E.N. The use of information technologies in computer science lessons as a means of increasing the cognitive interest of students // Materials all-Russian conference“Informatization of education” // Pedagogical education in Altai. – 2014 – No. 1. – P. 36-42. – Access mode: http://www.uni-altai.ru/info/journal/vestnik/13606-1-nomer-za-2014-god.html
2. Google Docs. – Access mode: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs
3. OpenOffice Base: databases. - Access mode:

15 Every day, 16% of all queries in the Google search engine are unique. This means that they have never met before. Every minute, 2 million search queries are made on Google, and in a year the search engine processes more than 2 trillion queries (about 270 for every person on Earth).

1. Gooogle, Gogle, Googel...

Google owns many domains in order to minimize typing errors. Some examples are Gooogle, Gogle, Googel...

2. Google Doodle

Today everyone knows Google Doodle - postcards on the occasion of significant events that appear on the Google home page. And the first “doodle” was dedicated to the Burning Man festival, in which Page and Brin participated in 1998.

3. Social guarantees

When a Google employee dies, the deceased's spouse is paid half of that employee's salary for 10 years. And children are paid $1,000 a month until they turn 19.

4. Digital libraries

Very popular today digital libraries. Google once again plans to outdo everyone and is going to scan all the known 129 million unique books by 2020.

5. Error during registration

Interestingly, the Google company name was registered by mistake. The creators misspelled the word “googol,” which means one followed by 100 zeros.

6. Fragment of the global Internet

On August 16, 2013, Google servers crashed for 5 minutes. At this time, the global Internet collapsed by 40%. Another example of the company's importance on a global scale is that in 2010, Nicaraguan troops accidentally invaded Costa Rica due to a bug in Google Maps.

7. Gmail

Since Gmail first launched on April 1, 2004, many people thought it was an April Fool's Day joke. Moreover, Gmail immediately at launch provided users with an incredible 1 GB mailbox. And in 2004, Hotmail offered a mailbox with a capacity of only 2MB.

8. Traffic on Google Maps

Just one Google search requires more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. Also, few people know that road traffic on Google Maps is calculated by tracking how fast devices running on operating system Android, move on the roads.

9. Calico is immortality

Google has been acquiring an average of 2 companies per month since 2010. And in 2013, Google founded Calico, a company that is developing anti-aging efforts and hopes to ultimately “cure” death.

10. The first server case made from LEGO

The case of the first Google server was made of... LEGO. And today Google is developing “ artificial intelligence"- a computer that can program itself. It is also interesting that the total size of the Google Earth database is over 20 petabytes.

11. Website in the Klingon language

The following fact will make all geeks rejoice. Google has a version of its website translated into the language of the Klingons... the fictional alien civilization from Star Trek.

12. I'm lucky!

Google offers employees free condoms that are colored blue, red, green and yellow (the colors of the company logo). They also have the slogan “I’m lucky!” printed on them.

13. "BackRub"

Google was originally called "BackRub". In 1999, Google's founders actually tried to sell it to Excite for just $1 million, but Excite backed out of the acquisition. It's also interesting that the woman who rented out her garage to Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, while they were starting their company, later became general director YouTube.

14. YouTube

Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion just 18 months after YouTube was created. Interestingly, YouTube is the second largest search engine, just after Google, and receives more searches daily than Bing, Yahoo! and Ask combined.

And it all started quite simply: fellow graduate students from Stanford University, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, came to the conclusion that greater interest in an Internet resource would increase its third-party links. In their search, these were the sites they paid attention to. Is it true, creation of Google had to be postponed indefinitely, because its implementation required a lot of investments, and investors could not be found.

Google's rise and first success

Without losing hope, Sergey and Lari continued to look for investors to make their idea a reality and already in 1998 they had a million dollars. This is how a company appeared, the name of which looked like one and one hundred zeros - googol. At first, the search system worked in test mode on the university domain. And after some time, already in beta test mode, the system processed more than 10 thousand requests every day.

The company's growth and success can be dated back to 1999, when the number of requests per day amounted to search engine has already reached more than one hundred thousand. At the same time, the company's owners began to enter into contracts with large global companies (Internet business giants such as Netscape or Yahoo). Google's first significant profit came in 2001.

Trading Google shares on the stock exchange

Google stock appeared first on stock exchange in 2004. Initial cost valuable papers was 100 dollars. Almost 20 million non-preferred shares became available to investors. Already in 2013, Google's market capitalization was more than $300 billion. This meant that the corporation was inferior in value only to such giants as Exxon and Mobil Apple.

The Google brand stock price chart looks like this:

Today you can buy Google shares on the world's largest stock exchange, NASDAQ. There are several types of securities for traders: class A ( ordinary shares issuer of Google) and class B (assets of the company's management). The founders of Google Corporation, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are the main holders of Class B shares.

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Including all its parts. This separated many young projects like Calico, Nest and Fiber and incubators like Google X from the main core of the company.

But after a slight shake-up caused by the restructuring, all employees simply calmly returned to their duties. The fact is that Google always takes care of its staff, providing employees with many opportunities and encouraging them to stay with the company. Let us remember that, unlike the company of Sergey Brin, many Apple employees consider working in the Apple corporation too stressful.

Some former and current Google employees spoke about the benefits a person receives when working for this company, writes Business Insider.

Free delicacies and endless snacks.

Google employees eat well, receiving healthy and varied food for free for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner if they stay late. There are also many non-alcoholic cafes and bars scattered throughout the campuses. It is believed that the benefits of free food cannot be overestimated. One Google employee, commenting on this food benefit, said that it not only saves time and money, but also allows you to better build relationships with colleagues.

When you work at Google, you're surrounded by wonderful, smart people.

One Google employee said the company was a great place to meet the people he grew up reading about. “Never in my life have I met so many people from Wikipedia as I did last year!” - he wrote.

Another Google employee also speaks positively about his colleagues: “We are surrounded by smart and innovative people who create an ideal environment for learning. I don't mean technical discussions or formal training, but the work itself with amazing colleagues, even not the most famous ones. I've worked at several other Internet companies and have never been as motivated and professionally inspired by my colleagues as I was at Google. People are happy to work for this company. They come from different backgrounds and almost always have an interesting story behind them.”

In addition to direct contact with IT leaders, company employees often have the opportunity to communicate with invited celebrities.

Google employees feel like they're living in the future.

Since Google is one of the world's leading technology companies, it is not surprising that its employees are surrounded the latest technologies. Google employees use the company's products themselves and also test products that have not yet been released.

“Chrome was my main browser even before it was released to a wider audience. I've been using smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks since before they went on sale. This is cool. It’s like I’m spying on the future,” one of the employees shares his thoughts.

Dogs are welcome!

Google employees are allowed to bring pets to work. Former employee company explains why it was so important for him to bring his dog to work. According to him, this not only gave him a boost of energy, but also allowed him to communicate more directly with colleagues and meet people whom he otherwise would not have met. Here's what he says about this:

“Sometimes it was difficult to look after the dog between important meetings. But it also meant that every few hours I had to take time off from work and go outside. These walks maintained my own energy. In addition, my dog ​​brought a lot of joy to my colleagues. Sometimes they looked for her, needing a break. Everyone needs a break to watch your dog play with other pets or chase a ball. In the end, my dog ​​became more famous than me. Surprisingly, she introduced me to so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Google employees get free rides to and from work.

Buses pick up company workers from anywhere in San Francisco. This way people don't have to use their own transport. In addition, the buses are equipped with Wi-Fi, so passengers can relax or do work while on the way to the office.

Technical support for Google employees is available 24/7.

The company has an internal technical support department, TechStop, that helps employees solve technical problems in the workplace. The department operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. One employee describes TechStop as “an effective solution to simple problems that can bog you down. For example, if you forgot your laptop charger, just go there and get a new one.”

Free “massage credits.”

Employees of the company can transfer “massage credits” to each other in exchange for any help or receive them for a job well done. One credit can be spent on an hour of free massage.

In addition to massages, the company is very responsive to employee health problems. One Google engineer describes his experience after being injured:

“While traveling in the USA, I received a serious injury. It took three surgeries and rehabilitation. I couldn't work for five months. Both my bosses and colleagues treated the situation with compassion and understanding, they advised me to focus on recovery. When I went back to work, it was difficult for me at first, but my boss was understanding and didn’t demand too much right away. She allowed me to smoothly get involved in the work process and continue from where I left off.”

The company is concerned about the careers of its employees.

One anonymous employee wrote: “I'm impressed by how Google cares about well-being and career growth. I've never had the same conversations with my past bosses about my career as I did at Google. Since I am quite shy, it was difficult for me to talk to my manager about a promotion. But Google trains managers so that they themselves take the initiative in matters of career development for their subordinates. That’s what I like most about the company.”

Young parents get leave.

In the United States, it is considered normal for new mothers to receive up to six weeks of leave after giving birth. But at Google it's different. New fathers receive six weeks of paid leave, while new mothers receive 18 weeks. While on vacation, employees continue to receive bonuses and their work experience is retained. “Google even provides a bonus after the birth of a child to help employees with new expenses,” said one company employee.

When parents return to work, the company provides a free place in kindergarten.

Google cares about the families of deceased employees.

If a person dies while a Google employee, the company pays out a large insurance premium to his family. In addition, the widowed spouse continues to receive half the deceased's salary for 10 years. And each of the children receives $1 thousand monthly.

The company cares about physical fitness employees.

Employees receive free gym memberships and fitness classes, and the company encourages participation in sports.

The 80/20 rule encourages creative endeavors.

Google has an “80/20” rule, according to which employees can devote 80% of their time to their main work, and 20% to any personal projects that they believe can help the company grow.

The company encourages reading.

A Google employee from Zurich recalls that when he first joined the company in 2006, each new employee was allowed to choose three books for free. The company has many large libraries with books on technology, machine learning, statistics, production management and other topics. Any employee can borrow and read these books.

The company trains employees.

Google is known for public lectures that any of the company's employees can attend or listen to remotely. “Google's culture is incredibly open to new knowledge and ideas. If you spend your time usefully, you can learn a lot,” says one of the company’s employees. - At these lectures there were things that I knew, but there were also things that I heard about for the first time. Leading experts in a given field are colleagues and will be happy to help and talk.

One of my favorite things to do in college was going to lectures on subjects that I didn't need but found interesting. I have found this to be an easy and unobtrusive way to learn something new. I was surprised that while working at Google I was able to continue attending similar lectures. I think Google is one of the few workplaces in the world that does a wonderful job of supporting something like this. This is an amazing opportunity."

Google employees have more free time to pursue their passions.

In addition to annual vacations, Google gives employees Extra time to explore the world outside the workplace.

Each company employee can take leave at his own expense for up to three months. Medical insurance is retained. A person can use this time to relax, work with non-profit organizations, political campaigns or other interesting projects.

Once you become part of the Google network, you remain part of it forever.

One former employee of the company says that alumni support is one of the company's most amazing benefits. “Xoogler (ex-Googler) groups are the largest support portals in the world. If you are a former employee of the company, then you will find one of your ex-colleagues in any country in the world.”

The Russian division of Google appeared in December 2005. The first employees first sat in Smolensky Passage, and then moved to the third floor of the business center at Balchug, building 7. Then, as the staff expanded, some of the employees had to move to Lotte Plaza. As soon as space was freed up at Balchug Plaza, the team returned. Now the Google Russia team occupies the fourth and ninth floors of this office center. It employs about 150 people: engineers, lawyers, accountants, marketers and sales specialists. After work, they have the opportunity to go to yoga, massage or just sleep. The Village visited the company's office and found out how it works there.

Google Russia office

place: " Balchug Plaza"

the number of employees: 150 people

Square: 2500 sq. meters

opening date: December 2005

Recruitment

All Google vacancies are published on the website, where you can also apply.

The corporate hiring process is different in that the candidate undergoes an interview not only with the manager, but also with colleagues. Candidates must solve unusual problems, such as counting the number of tennis balls that can fit on an airplane. There can be no right or wrong answer here - the speed of reaction and approach to the solution are important.

Google has programs for senior students - for three months or more you can come for an internship in any department: legal, marketing, sales. All office resources, including health insurance, are provided to interns.

Work organization

The schedule of the company's employees is not strictly fixed; only the norm of eight working hours is observed. Engineers often work with colleagues from other offices around the world, so they come late and do most of their work at night.

Each employee can use 20% of their working time on own projects. They should be on a professional level, but may not be related to direct responsibilities. For example, this is how the Gmail email service appeared at one time.

All new employees, as a rule, are sent to training in Dublin, where they are told about the company’s corporate culture. According to the employees, she is cool, but you need to get used to her. There is no formal chain of command in the company - everything is mandatory Address each other on “you” and by name. There is no work dress code - you can come either in slippers or barefoot, the only limitation is common sense.

At Google, it is customary to share knowledge with colleagues, for this there is a googler to googler system. Every Friday, employees gather for TGIF - informal Friday meetings where they eat and socialize over a glass of wine or beer. Here new employees are introduced and shared professional achievements per week (for example, the launch of a new product).

Office decoration

The Google office is an open space. Since employees spend a lot of time at desks arranged in a circle, they have the opportunity to order a transformable desk that can be lifted and worked while standing.

When developing the office concept, the opinion of employees was taken into account, who wanted something local that would reflect Russian history, so the fourth floor is decorated in the style of Russian fairy tales (though there are Soviet films and cartoons), the ninth floor is made in the style of the Moscow metro. It was developed by Fedor Raschevsky from the OFFCON bureau.

The meeting rooms have names corresponding to the theme of the floor: on the fourth - “Postman Pechkin”, “12 chairs”, “Winnie the Pooh”, on the ninth - the names of the metro stations “Pushkinskaya”, “Polyanka”, “Komsomolskaya”, and the meeting room-studio - “ Mosfilm." The meeting rooms have large plasma screens and fitballs - you can also sit on them during a meeting. If you need to be in silence or talk on Skype, you can use a conversation room for one person.

Food in the office

All food in the office is completely free - no coffee machines or limited amounts for food. On the fourth floor there is a dining room “Samobranka”, where you can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Always on the table different types dry cereals and muesli, freshly squeezed juices, sandwiches.

You can also have a snack in the Lukomorye area with an image of Baba Yaga on one side and a roadside stone from fairy tales on the other. There is a coffee machine and trays with snacks - bars, bread, etc. Many employees adhere to the principles healthy eating, and the company supports it. Colored stickers on food trays give recommendations on how much of a particular product you can consume per day: green is the most dietary option, yellow and red are, respectively, higher in calories.

Leisure and entertainment

You can spend the night in the Google office: for this there is a shower and a sleeping place. On the ninth floor there is a gym with motivating Soviet posters and a sleep capsule. Through the huge wall-to-wall window there is a fantastic view of the center of the capital.

The office also features video games and table tennis. On the fourth floor there is a “Lukomorye” zone. People come here to socialize, drink coffee and relax. For this purpose there are chess, a guitar (they say that once the employees even formed a band at work, wrote their own music and played) and a mini-library. True, not a single fiction book was found in the library - only semi-professional literature and discs with films and TV series like Top Gear.

Every week a yoga teacher comes to the office - a large meeting room is set aside for classes. There is a professional massage therapist working in the office, however, his services are not free and you need to make an appointment with him in advance. Those who did not have time to sign up can use a massage chair in a dark relaxing room.

Photos: Maria Turykina