WOW where technology has gotten us today. Does anyone like myself remember taking a computer class to learn to type and how to make business cards. I look at today’s classrooms and am I blown away. Students that are 3D printing prosthetic limbs to help others across various countries. Where all I was thinking about is how to make my business card look like a hockey rink. Now I am sure you are all thinking to yourself wow that is so cool! NOT. Times have changed and we are continuing to see change in our classrooms. That is what I am here to talk to you about today. Google Classroom as I am sure many of you have heard of it however I want to dig in on how this platform should actually be used.
Google Classroom has been around for several years now and with that being said you would think that teachers would understand the idea behind it. I still see teachers using it to post notes, classroom worksheets, and what they are doing that day. It is more of the teachers posting to say oh well check here as I made an announcement but there is no interaction among the students. There are so many things that we can do and teachers across the country are using it to make their worksheets they have used for ten years digital so they can say they have met their technology portion. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE! To back up a bit I do have to comend those veteran teachers that may not want to use technology within their classrooms that this is the best way for them to use it at this point. Big round of applause from those teachers that are wary however are still trying to find a way to use technology for their students.
The way I look at google classroom is where students and teachers can collaborate together to then create and design and think about their learning. Every morning my students have to answer a google classroom question. This question may have nothing to do with their assignments however it gets them writing and interacting with their peers. This past year they not only had to answer the question but then they were able to let me share their answers if they would like. The conversations that we had were very impactful from this one little activity they expected everyday. Now I could have taken this same idea and asked my students to raise their hand if they wanted to answer today’s question and if I did so I would not see any hands go up. However this way students can sit and think about how they want to answer and not be criticized by answering out loud. Sometimes this type of questioning makes the students to feel safe from getting made fun of. This is just one feature I love about google classroom.
The next thing that I LOVE about google classroom is when a student completes a task or an assignment it is all right there. There is no more digging through our stacks of papers to try and find Jimmy’s homework. It is all online. Unless of course your students are super techs and try and fool you. Well google is amazing and 99.9% we are able to get “lost work” back. Don’t you just love when students “loose” something! Or have you been that teacher to actually loose a stack of papers and stress about it. HERE no more google classroom here her to save the day! Now with google classroom we now not only have a common place for students to turn in their assignments but we also have a place where we can grade, check in, and even remind students while they are working.
I think the biggest thing that I love about google classroom is that you can make documents that are collaborative. So if a student is working on a writing assignment and is struggling but you can’t be two places at once you can go in and make a note for them and they will see it instantly. As a teacher you can continue to get to as many students as possible and they will get the message right away. Instead of the old process. Of write this paper turn it in I will correct it and get it back to you now these things can be done instantly and benefit all.
So for all those google classroom haters learn and try and don’t just use it to post your book digitally. Make our learning authentic by using technology as it is intended in our classrooms!