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Hi Kelly
I really like your idea about using Google Slides for storytelling in 2nd class. Allowing children to make choices and create their own stories would be a really engaging activity while developing creativity and communication skills.
Over the last few years my use of digital tools in the classroom has developed rapidly. From mainly using the old interactive whiteboards to show powerpoint presentations to actually using technology to support lessons more purposefully to really add to the teaching and learning. Google Slides is a tool I could see myself using more regularly to support teaching and learning. It allows opportunities for greater pupil interaction and collaboration. Pupils could work together on shared slides, add ideas, images or responses, and present their learning to the class. This could support pupil voice and engagement while also allowing me to assess understanding during a lesson. Going forward, I would like to use Slides less as a presentation tool and more as an interactive learning space, particularly within a blended learning approach where pupils can access and contribute to activities both inside and outside the classroom.
Here is my presentation on 2D shapes:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PGgIzRjSXq4xdfQZR6kGi4n0Qc0k1c6VgysVsp2scpM/edit?usp=sharing
Hi Luke
This is a strong approach to using assessment to inform your teaching from the outset in September. I particularly like that you are considering pupils’ confidence as well as their prior knowledge, allowing you to provide appropriate challenge and support from the beginning.Sorry, didn’t see the part about reflecting on the reading along with the Google Form submission – I think the standout point of William’s paper is that it highlights that formative assessment is not simply about collecting marks or checking whether students have completed a task. It is about using evidence of learning to decide what should happen next.
This reflects my daily experience as a teacher, where students do not always learn what I have intended to teach. For example, during a 3rd Class Maths lesson on 2D shapes, a quick Google Forms quiz could show that students can identify shapes but are less secure in describing their properties. Rather than simply recording their scores, I could use this evidence to adapt my next lesson, perhaps through practical activities involving sides, corners and sorting shapes.</p>
Also the emphasis on students becoming owners of their learning struck a chord with me. Asking students to explain an answer or identify what they need to practise makes the assessment an ongoing part of teaching, allowing me to respond to student’s needs rather than following a fixed plan regardless of their understanding.I created a quick quiz on 2D shapes for third class just to help familiarise myself with how to do it. Choosing different question settings was quite intuitive and didn’t take much time. I can see how these quizzes could be created throughout the year quite quickly and easily to keep track of student progress and also to see where students need additional help.
Hi John
I have to agree with your example of how Google Forms can show how pupil and parent feedback easily and can also meaningfully inform teaching and school improvement. We have recently started using Google forms for this and find it invaluable in school.
One topic I would like to make more inclusive is creative writing. I have found over the years that even very able students can have in expressing themselves in writing and when it came to finding their voice in their writing. An activity I would like to try is a collaborative writing task where pupils could work together to create a short story based on a picture or other stimulus.
I would Google Docs, particularly voice typing function as a way to provide different options for pupils to engage with. Voice typing could support pupils who find handwriting or spelling a barrier, allowing them to focus more on generating and developing ideas. Shared documents would also allow pupils to contribute at different levels so they can all engage in the activity without changing the learning intention.
Importantly, I would use the activity to develop pupil voice by allowing pupils to choose elements of their story and explain why they made particular decisions. I could review their contributions and use this evidence to inform feedback and next steps, such as modelling story structure, revisiting vocabulary etc.
I love your adjustment idea Leo, flipping the order so that they present their slides first and then writing a summary of another research topic the observed would really help to focus the class attention.
For this activity, I created a Google Classroom learning sequence for 3rd Class Geography based on the topic of Weather. The main design choice I made was to keep the sequence simple, with one piece of learning material followed by one clearly defined assignment. I think this supports clarity and consistency because pupils can follow the same pattern each time: access the material, complete the task, check their work and submit it. Keeping it simple is particularly important for younger pupils who may not yet be confident navigating digital platforms independently.
The instructions are broken into short, numbered steps and use language that is appropriate for 3rd Class. I would also demonstrate the process on the interactive whiteboard before asking pupils to complete the task independently.
One adjustment I would make would be to provide a short model weather report so pupils can see exactly what a successful finished task looks like. I could also provide additional support for pupils who need it.
This activity could link to SSE by gathering pupil feedback on how easy they found Google Classroom to navigate and using this information, alongside teacher observation and assessment, to evaluate the effectiveness of Digital Technology in supporting teaching and learning.
Using google classroom to create an e-portfolio for the students is a great idea, they could keep it going throughout the whole school and receive a copy of it at the end as a graduation present! What a great way to collect students work that would be easy to manage and perhaps most importantly – store! I will definitely have to try it out.
What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)?
Digital Technology can be used to enhance learning when it is used purposefully rather than simply as an additional tool. Last year I began using Google classroom and found it to be really beneficial as I could access students scores and results of any quizzes or tests and quickly and easily see where the students were having difficulty. Instead of leafing through copies or test pages the information can be quickly tabulated to make a super time saver. While this was extremely beneficial to me I realised I wasn’t using it to its full capabilities and that it can be further used to enhance learning in the classroom, that is in part why I am doing this course, I want to learn about more ways it can benefit my teaching and classroom.One resource I would like to explore for the new school year is Google’s Digital Citizenship and Safety training. The Teacher Centre provides resources to help teachers and pupils develop safe and positive online behaviours.Google for Education Teacher Centre – Digital Citizenship and Safety resourcesI could begin with a whole-class discussion about how pupils use technology at home and in school, followed by short scenarios where they decide what they should do in different online situations.I can apply the School Self-Evaluation process by gathering evidence about how effectively Digital Technology is being used and, importantly, whether it is having a positive impact on learning. I could use pupil feedback, teacher observations, assessment results and samples of digital work as evidence. This would help identify strengths and areas for development and could contribute to a realistic School Improvement Plan.Developing my own Digital Technology skills can also have an impact at whole school level. As teachers become more confident, good practice can be shared with colleagues, creating greater consistency in how technology is used across the school. Digital tools can also make gathering and analysing evidence for SSE more efficient.