EEND 676 Module 4 Discussion: Google Tools
Hello class,
For this weeks discussion we are supposed to focus on Google tools for collaboration. I will tell you that if asked to write this piece two years ago, you would have read a completely different review. Our school has recently gone 1:1 and have become a "Google School" . This was a big change for me even though I felt comfortable with technology, I had little experience with Google Apps and only used google as a search engine. In fact, I was one of the few that was hanging on to Internet Explorer and didn't want to switch over to Chrome because of my comfort level. After working with Google apps over the past 2 years I can say that they are often amazing tools to use in the classroom. Using these tools enhances the curriculum but also brings challenges for the educator to provide a safe collaborative environment that students can benefit from. For this blog I will discuss a few tools that I feel have been beneficial to our curriculum and the challenges that teachers may come across while implementing them.
The first tool I use frequently is our class Google Site. Although most classrooms in our school use Google Classroom, I decided that the Google Site is much better for my needs. One of the biggest advantages is that I am able to post my google calendar on the site dashboard and link it to any activities or assignments we do that day. This is really beneficial to students that are absent or students that lose material. I also can post important links or articles that I want students to read. Lastly, I created folders for each unit during the year and every presentation, activity, or worksheet can be found in those folders for review or when students are absent. I cannot think of a tool that has been more valuable to my classroom than this Google Site. There is a small learning curve to setting one up, but after that it is really easy for students and teachers alike to utilize.
Another Google tool I use frequently for collaboration among students is Google slides (presenter). In the past, one of the biggest issues with students creating presentations on PowerPoint or Prezi was that beyond the classroom collaboration on the project was borderline impossible. The best part about Google slides is that students can work on the same project, at the same time. Furthermore, you can work on the project in class, or from the comfort of your own home and it updates automatically. This really cuts down on a lot of issues with group projects, most of which stem from one group member taking home all the work because only one of them has the project saved to work on. There are some issues with google slides. The "bells and whistles" are minimal and the projects aren't as appealing as Prezi or even PowerPoint. Also, because content can be manipulated by any user, you have to be careful that students don't delete or change each other's work. I have had a few issues in the past where students will add pictures or inappropriate words on another student's slides. Any ideas for the future to monitor this is appreciated.
The third tool Google offers that I really enjoy using is Google Communities. I have started a lot of communities for individual projects, extra credit opportunities, and study groups. I find it to be an awesome collaborative tool. I actually use it similarly to our class's online discussions at SFU. Students post a comment or a question and others can reply, or discuss their thoughts on the topic. Sometimes I also have students post projects or videos as a central hub to play in class or for students to view later as a review. I also like using the community to create study groups. This allows students to ask each other questions and discuss material on upcoming tests. Teaching digital citizenship is really important with these tools as it is difficult to constantly police the content that is shared on these sites.
At first I was really hesitant about turning my room into a Google Classroom but with all the tools available, it really does make content delivery easier for the instructor. The tools also create collaborative opportunities for the students outside of the classroom that didn't exist in the past. I see myself exploring more of the tools available and look forward to everyone's post on the tools they utilize in class.
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
For this weeks discussion we are supposed to focus on Google tools for collaboration. I will tell you that if asked to write this piece two years ago, you would have read a completely different review. Our school has recently gone 1:1 and have become a "Google School" . This was a big change for me even though I felt comfortable with technology, I had little experience with Google Apps and only used google as a search engine. In fact, I was one of the few that was hanging on to Internet Explorer and didn't want to switch over to Chrome because of my comfort level. After working with Google apps over the past 2 years I can say that they are often amazing tools to use in the classroom. Using these tools enhances the curriculum but also brings challenges for the educator to provide a safe collaborative environment that students can benefit from. For this blog I will discuss a few tools that I feel have been beneficial to our curriculum and the challenges that teachers may come across while implementing them.
The first tool I use frequently is our class Google Site. Although most classrooms in our school use Google Classroom, I decided that the Google Site is much better for my needs. One of the biggest advantages is that I am able to post my google calendar on the site dashboard and link it to any activities or assignments we do that day. This is really beneficial to students that are absent or students that lose material. I also can post important links or articles that I want students to read. Lastly, I created folders for each unit during the year and every presentation, activity, or worksheet can be found in those folders for review or when students are absent. I cannot think of a tool that has been more valuable to my classroom than this Google Site. There is a small learning curve to setting one up, but after that it is really easy for students and teachers alike to utilize.
Another Google tool I use frequently for collaboration among students is Google slides (presenter). In the past, one of the biggest issues with students creating presentations on PowerPoint or Prezi was that beyond the classroom collaboration on the project was borderline impossible. The best part about Google slides is that students can work on the same project, at the same time. Furthermore, you can work on the project in class, or from the comfort of your own home and it updates automatically. This really cuts down on a lot of issues with group projects, most of which stem from one group member taking home all the work because only one of them has the project saved to work on. There are some issues with google slides. The "bells and whistles" are minimal and the projects aren't as appealing as Prezi or even PowerPoint. Also, because content can be manipulated by any user, you have to be careful that students don't delete or change each other's work. I have had a few issues in the past where students will add pictures or inappropriate words on another student's slides. Any ideas for the future to monitor this is appreciated.
The third tool Google offers that I really enjoy using is Google Communities. I have started a lot of communities for individual projects, extra credit opportunities, and study groups. I find it to be an awesome collaborative tool. I actually use it similarly to our class's online discussions at SFU. Students post a comment or a question and others can reply, or discuss their thoughts on the topic. Sometimes I also have students post projects or videos as a central hub to play in class or for students to view later as a review. I also like using the community to create study groups. This allows students to ask each other questions and discuss material on upcoming tests. Teaching digital citizenship is really important with these tools as it is difficult to constantly police the content that is shared on these sites.
At first I was really hesitant about turning my room into a Google Classroom but with all the tools available, it really does make content delivery easier for the instructor. The tools also create collaborative opportunities for the students outside of the classroom that didn't exist in the past. I see myself exploring more of the tools available and look forward to everyone's post on the tools they utilize in class.
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
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