Design Experiment 1: Google Apps

Image courtesy of Google.com

Let's just admit Google is awesome. I am glad I am not new to Google and its products. I have been using various google products over a decade. Since I also have computer programming background, Google was my best friend learning programming languages. I used Gmail, Drive, Calendar on a daily basis.  The school districts that I have worked for used Google products in the past, and still using it.

Google Classroom is a great example of Learning Management Systems (LMS), like Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, with easier user interface. As Alice Keeler (leading expert on Google Classroom) defines Google Classroom as "Google Drive Management". This makes more sense to students and teachers, because they don't have to waste their time to access and share Google Drive files. Google made collaboration and sharing easier with its Google Apps for Education (GAFE) products. I think teachers feel more comfortable working in Google Drive than spending time creating courses in a CMS. Instead of spending hours of work to construct multiple choice questions into CMS like Moodle, teachers can use Google Forms  for assessment. Google Classroom is accessible from all computers, mobile phones, tablets. Another great advantage is that it provides effective communication and sharing.

I used Google Classroom last two years. It was fun experiment for me and my students first year. The user interface is very user friendly. In our school, school gave Chromebooks to everybody, as you might not know google Chromebooks works only with gmail credentials. So registering students to my Google Classroom was very easy task, I just shared the registration code with students, and that's it! or you can just invite your students to sign up.

Creating assignments are very easy task with Google Classroom. In each assignment or announcement or question allows you to attach either Google Drive file, YouTube Video, link, or attachment. 

After I create assignments, there is an option to make a copy for each student, then Google Classroom duplicates that file for each student, their name next to the file name. By doing this, as a teacher, I save a lot of time. I just create an assignment template once, and it duplicates for each student. Then students open this file in their google drive, after they finish the assignment, there is a"Turn In" button where students can submit their work right away. After that, Google Classroom puts this submission and organizes into a folder, so later you can check and grade them all easily in one place.

Image courtesy of bpsedtech.org

Then I can provide effective feedback for every single students enrolled in my Google Classroom. If the assignment is not complete, you can return it back to students, and ask for revision. I used no papers last two years for my classes thanks to Google Classroom. Since all my assignments are stored in Google Drive, there was no need to print them, hand them out, or even lose my students' work.

I think one of the limitation of using Google Classroom is that there is no automated quizzes and tests. Another limitation is that you can't grade students work by multiple rubric or criteria, you have to use point value. Also, it would be awesome if Google can add Google Calendar option to Google Classroom, so due date of assignments can show up in students' calendars.

TPACK

In our school, many teachers use Google Classroom in their classes. Since we provide Chromebooks to everybody, they carry their devices to all their classes.

Technology: Google Classroom, Chromebook or Laptop or Mobile Phone or Tablet

Pedagogy: Inquiry based instruction, project based learning, group working, independent study, discussions, debate, collaborative learning, student-centered, reflections, etc.

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Content: it can be used in any classes, including Math, Social Studies, English, Science, Art, Music, etc. 

Example Lesson: Split your student into teams and use Google Classroom to initiate a debate about whether cell phones are safe or no in Cyber security class.

Google Sites

Google Sites is a free service from Google which lets you create, edit and share websites. It is entirely web-based - you create, edit and share your website entirely online using the Google Sites editor. In our school every student from 6th to 12th grades are required to do a Project Based Learning (PBL), and they have to create a website about their PBL project by using Google Sites on their Chromebooks.

Technology: Google Sites, Laptop or Chromebook

Pedagogy: Project Based Learning, E-Portfolio, Independent study, group work, 

Content: can be used for any class

Example Lesson: Students create their digital e-portfolio on Google Sites.

Google Drawing

Google Drawings is a free, web-based diagramming software developed by Google. It allows users to collaborate and work together in real time to create flowcharts, organisational charts, website wireframes, mind maps, concept maps, and other types of diagrams. In our school, this tools is Social Studies teachers' favorite one. Students can do drawings easily.

Technology: Google Drawing, Laptop or Chromebook

Pedagogy: Collaborative learning, independent study, group work,cognitive, etc. 

Content: can be used for any class

Example Lesson: Students create timeline of United States Presidents in groups by using Google Drawing.

Google Earth

Google Earth is a geobrowser by Google that accesses satellite and aerial imagery, ocean bathymetry, and other geographic data over the internet to represent the Earth as a three-dimensional globe. Sometimes I let my students to explore some cool places in the world. This tools can be very useful in the instruction.

Technology: Google Earth, Laptop or Chromebook

Pedagogy: Independent study, group work, exploratory etc. 

Content: can be used for any class

Example Lesson: After reading Around the World in 80 Days, have high school students to locate 19 placemarks mentioned in the book. Have them select 19 places they would stop and explain why

Overall, Google Apps are very useful to integrate in any subject. As you see, it promotes better collaboration, productivity, and  creativity among both students and teachers.