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In our experience in the last few years we’ve been using Google but not to its full capability and this is something I want to embrace in September. We have invested in Chromebooks and I think the use of Google classroom is where we will best use the Chromebooks in the classroom.
I teach fifth class and while they are very used to using Google Docs and Google slides to research and complete projects. I do think they could be further progressed by having their own accounts and personal Drives to save and retrieve their work which is an essential skill to have moving forward into secondary school.
While I do believe Google Meet and Google Groups do have a place in certain schools it is not something we will use in our school. We have a very effective way of sending information to groups and therefore we would not need Google groups. Hopefully we will not need Google meet as I am very hopeful we will not have any future school closures such as we did during covid-19. Saying this Google meet is a very useful tool to have an understanding of for a blended classroom.
I do look forward to using Google classroom which will enable me to assign work and especially group specific work to either English language learners or children with specific learning needs. I think it will allow the children to work with more independence and will enable them to stay on task and should they need to review learning material it would be at hand.
Google classroom would make it very easy to share a class choice board which would enable children to choose how to present their work on a specific topic ensuring total inclusion. This is the interactive Google slide I have included here.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xiSnkRfgyZzHPlNT6J6NXjALYKDCXkeb/view?usp=drive_link
We use morphology for the teaching and learning of spelling and this is the area I chose to use Google Form for assessment. This form would be used for assessment of learning to ensure the pupils have understood this specific lesson. They will have to fill in the blanks with words they will have used in the lesson, linking meaning to the spelling. It is a spelling assessment. Their progress of the pupils can be easily tracked.
A similar quiz can now be easily created with the next lesson. Pupils progress can be tracked and a large bank of words will be built up. Not only how to spell the words but also how to add meaning and use the words in meaningful sentences.
These grades can be then compiled on the google slide grade page. Comprehensive data can also be built on individual students and their progress in spelling. Children that need additional help would be easily spotted and supported.
This google form is a great idea to gather opinions on anti -bulling in your school. It could be used to gather class opinions as the new year starts or as the Bí Cinealta is implemented.
Collaboration skills are really important for the pupils going forward. The skills involved such as negotiation, conflict resolution, distribution of tasks, listening to the ideas of others and integration of ideas into a final product are very important skills for all children to learn. These are valuable skills children will use in secondary school and eventually in the workplace.
Collaborative projects in history / geography provide many opportunities for collaborative learning. The new maths curriculum involves solving real life problems and therefore provides real opportunity for collaborative learning. Therefore I have chosen a topic in maths.
For this activity I have given the pupils the challenge of deciding what cake/ buns to make to sell for a profit at a class bake sale. Pupils would have to research recipes, buy the ingredients within a budget. They would then have to decide how to divide/ package their product in order to make a reasonable profit at the cake sale. Pupils would work together sharing the responsibility, work together on making important decisions. They work collaboratively and each individual is accountable for themselves within the group. The children would present their solution in a google doc adding pictures to enhance their work.
https://classroom.google.com/c/Nzg4NTUzNDI1NzQ0
Google Classroom works well as a flipped classroom because it allows teachers to easily share videos, assignments, and resources for students to access at home or independently in school. Students learn new material often through videos or readings—then use class time to ask questions, collaborate, and apply what they’ve learned. Google Classroom supports this by organizing content in a clear, accessible way and letting students learn at their own pace. Teachers can post lessons, quizzes, and discussion questions, while students can rewatch videos, complete assignments, and leave comments or questions. This system encourages active learning and gives teachers more time during class to help students individually or lead group activities. Google Classroom also integrates tools like Google Docs and Forms, making it easy to check for understanding and give feedback. Overall, it creates a flexible, student-centered environment that makes flipped learning effective and easy to manage. It enables pupils to work individually or in groups collaboratively at the same time, in real time would prove very beneficial in my classroom going forward.
Having access to Chromebooks in September I really look forward to working with children in this way so they can complete projects/ exercises/ independently.
https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1715527/activity/3304605#/page/63333208d2fcb5092f147d2d
This could be used to support individual learners. Having many English language learners in my classroom, I would use this feature of Google classroom to support their individual learning. When teaching a theme in Irish I use this opportunity to teach the vocabulary in English to children who need it. This aspect in Google classroom would allow me to share docs / videos with students to target this language. A google doc could be created to enable children to complete assessments for language as they go. Other quizzes and worksheets to complete could also be added for them to complete. This would enable children to work independently at their own rate.
This could also be used to differentiate work for individual learners that would require an easier worksheet or alternative work on a specific topic. As it would be complete individually specific children would be unaware that they are working on an alternative assignment.