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I agree that it’s hard to imagine the classroom without some of these tools. The levels of organisation it allows for really helps in the day to day running of the class and allows for more time focussing on teaching and learning than admin.
Slides is something that I will utilise more as well, adding links etc and being able to send the slide directly to the students means they can look through it at their own pace and revisit things if necessary.I like the idea of getting a grasp of their attainment from the previous years work by using forms. Having the results in the clear concise manner given by forms will be really helpful. Using the point system is a great idea as well to give an insight at a glance.
This is a great idea and it touches on a wide variety of skills needed in todays world. Communication and planning are huge parts of it and will be greatly developed. I also like the creative aspect and the use of AI to help envisage how the space may look. It also gives the students a genuine opportunity to make a lasting impact on the school environment, which would mean a lot to 6th class students. For this to happen though, they have to be critical of their plans, ensuring they are both feasible and practical. This self evaluation is a fantastic skill to develop.
The flipped classroom approach is something I’d be very interested in implementing. I agree that GC can help with students who may feel less confident asking questions in front of their class, meaning less students will fall under the radar in the learning environment. I really like that tracking assessments and assignments also becomes more streamlined as well.
This is a fantastic use of the community map tool. It makes it a very personal learning experience for the children. I really like the idea of students from other parts of the country or even the world using this tool to show their heritage and to allow the class to learn about other areas with the personal touch of having their classmate as the tourguide.
I have been using Google Workspace for a number of years now and felt fairly confident implementing various aspects of it into my classroom. This course however has really shown me its full potential. Using slides over the likes of powerpoint helps seamlessly integrate resources in one easy to access area. The templates on offer help children who may lack proficiency in the use of slides, while using blank templates gives space for more proficient children to become creative and I believe increases ownership of their learning.
This course has shown me how useful workspace can be for assessment. I definitely plan on using forms and sites moving forward as part of my AoL and AfL practices. Workspace tools are also very useful at staff level, for sharing, SSE and general day to day running of the school.
I have seen some concern over the use of email for students, which is understandable, however the safeguards around email are very stringent. I have given classes access to email in the past, initially just to log in to various apps and programs like read theory and epic books. I have also allowed for sharing of work both from teacher to student and vice versa. I believe it is a good way to teach responsibility online and that everything that is typed online leaves a footprint. No issue has ever arisen in one of my classes from allowing (strictly monitored) email access.
Here is a Slide I would use to introduce a new History topic, it is to be shared with the class and they can edit their own version.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14O24oflBo0ZU9Z5o-GfhKgyhE-p9y_-ZhWVcMhqyFGE/edit?usp=sharing
I realise now that I lean too heavily on summative assessments across a number of areas in the curriculum. I can see the limits of these assessments as they do not allow for a child centred approach and do not allow me to make working changes to my teaching of a topic. The summative approach does not leave room for the children to direct their learning, which is integral in an effective learning environment. I plan on using more self and peer assessment (Afl) in order to keep a running tab on the learning that is occurring in the classroom, which will allow me to tweak lessons day on day and to focus on areas certain children me be falling back on and to challenge learners who may find the content quite easy. The use of a google form to ascertain whether or not a child found a topic challenging or not can help me tailor future lessons to their needs. I plan on using a quick and short form after visiting a new topic in maths which I hope will help me deliver more effective differentiated lessons. This form will be general, I will tailor it to be more specific for a specific topic.
Skilled communication is an extremely important skill to develop in children. Accurate assessment of learning and for learning isn’t always possible through written tasks, questioning or oral feedback.
Creating a Google slide requires the child to partake in extended communication as it requires a number of different aspects, for example a written article, a vlog, a voice recording, or the use of graphs and images. These need to be developed and collated over time. This allows the child to be self critical and to review their work as they develop their site.
Using a multi modal approach allows a child to showcase their learning in ways they may be more comfortable with. For example, a presentation may cause anxiety as the student is not comfortable speaking live to an audience. A pre recorded presentation can allow the student to showcase their knowledge, while allowing them to stay calm and concise. Graphs and images can be much more effective than written pieces.
Supporting evidence can easily be provided using sites. For example graphs from a google form or links to supporting websites are easily presented here.
Finally the site can be formatted to target a specific audience. Imagery, vlogs, videos, voice recordings and graphs can all target different types of letters. The layout or design may be of interest to certain students, thus motivating them to invest more time and effort into their site.
I will use Google Sites with my 4th class to put together projects throughout the year, focussing on different aspects of communication. From audio recordings, vlogs, the use of graphs and written articles. Some topics may be specifically chosen by myself, or there may be open topics, where the focus is on the media used rather than the topic itself.
https://classroom.google.com/c/NzcxMDgyNzczMjc5?cjc=yonglxqo
Google classroom has been a great tool in my experience. I first started using it just before covid, however it really came to the fore since then. One of its main advantages is how easy it is to keep a record of work, which allows me to track progress. Lost/damaged copies, or paper reports getting stuffed into folders was a bug bear of mine. I use it fro class and homework, of course making exceptions when necessary.
Not only is it great fro assessment and filing, it is a great place to teach students how to act appropriately online. All activity can be seen, comments must be respectful etc.
It is a fantastic tool for SSE as gathering data is quite easy. Trends, gaps in identified areas and engagement can all be assessed. Work can easily be shared between class and SET teachers, or school management who may be involved in implementing a Digital learning plan which is subject to SSE.
https://www.google.com/earth/education/
Google earth can be a great tool when researching a new country, city or natural landmark. The create tool on Google Earth can let the student visit one of these places via their chromebook or tablet. The create function will allow them to add points of interest, which they can use to give information they have learned on the topic. This could then be used as a portfolio of their learning on the topic. They can completely personalise it by adding text and screenshots. I plan on using this tool when covering people and other places in geography. Their creations can also be shared with their classmates which facilitates peer assessment and I believe would also act as a great motivation and improve engagement.
The use of Digital Technology in the classroom can be used to enhance learning as I believe it facilitates more child led learning. A general topic can be facilitated by the teacher, however the student can direct their own learning along a path which interests them, and will lead to better engagement and retention of information. Concrete resources are a good tool, however they are limited to general topics and usually one size fits all.
SSE guidelines can be used to monitor the digital literacy of students. It is important to identify a focus area, such as internet safety, gather information using questionnaires, identify areas for improvement and set in place a plan of improvement.
