One of the biggest trends in the last few years is that entire school districts are choosing to “go Google.” Recent sales figures indicate that Chromebooks have become very popular, primarily because of cost. Optional: Watch the video for an explanation of how Google Apps are being used in the 1:1 classroom: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/03/googles-chromebooks-make-up-half-of-us-classroom-devices.html. Whether a district chooses Google, Microsoft, or Apple products, teachers must adapt their teaching to integrate technology seamlessly into the one-to-one computer classroom learning environment.
Go to Google for Education – https://edu.google.com/
Examine the free productivity tools and classroom resources.
Productivity Tools – https://edu.google.com/products/productivity-tools/
Classroom – https://edu.google.com/products/productivity-tools/classroom/
EdWeek blog: One-to-One Laptop Initiatives Boost Student Scores, Researchers Find (2016) http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/05/one-to-one_laptop_test_scores.html.
Measuring the Impact Beyond Test Scores
Among the findings from that review:
A 1-to-1 laptop environment often led to increased frequency and breadth of student technology use, typically for writing, Internet research, note-taking, completing assignments, and reading.
Students used laptops extensively throughout the writing process, expanding the genres and formats of their work to include writing for email, chats, blogs, wikis, and the like.
Student-centered, individualized, and project-based learning appeared to increase in at least some instances of 1-to-1 laptop rollouts.
Student-teacher communications (via email and Google docs, for example) and parental involvement in their children’s school work increased in some instances.
Students expressed “very positive” attitudes about using laptops in the classroom, as findings consistently showed higher student engagement, motivation, and persistence when laptops were deployed to all students.
Students’ technology and problem-solving skills improved and their ownership of their own learning increased, according to some evidence.
There were mixed findings on whether 1-to-1 laptop programs helped overcome inequities among students and schools.
Journal Prompt: What do you think might be the advantages of going Google with one-to-one devices in your own classroom? What Google Apps would you want to incorporate in your classroom? Share several ideas of how you would use G-Suite for Education to help your students meet academic content standards for your curriculum. How could going one-to-one in the classroom help your students develop skills with communication?
How might G-Suite foster greater student interaction and collaboration? What products could students generate in G-Suite in your academic content area and grade level? How might those products also serve as formative and summative assessments? How would one-to-one access to computers/mobile devices improve student research tasks? What are the advantages of going paperless? Disadvantages?
Start brainstorming ideas for your Google Classroom. How would you use Google Classroom in your school setting and classroom learning environment? How might Classroom help you communicate better and collaborate more effectively with students? Select a grade level, subject matter curriculum content you feel would align with the Google Classroom learning environment. What standard might you meet with these activities and resources? List a few possible resources, links, files, videos, presentations, discussions, and announcements you might want to include in your Google Classroom.
Share curriculum, instruction, and assessment ideas you think will promote student engagement in your topic. Click through the tutorial above or other Google training sites to see how you create discussions, add files, share videos and presentations, etc.
2. Prompt A: What is Digital Literacy? https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-digital-literacy
Select one of the age groups you plan to teach: little kids, big kids, tweens, and teens. Click through and read article under that age group following the suggested links. Summarize one of digital literacy issues or questions posed and share your own concerns about digital literacy in your own classroom. How will you teach your students digital literacy skills – searching effectively, protecting their and others’ private information online, giving proper credit when using other people’s work, understanding digital footprints, and respecting each other’s ideas and opinions? One of the current concerns relates to helping students know how to recognize fake news. Read through the report and infographic. How will you help your students determine
News and Americas Kids Full Report – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/news-and-americas-kids
Poster – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/2017_commonsense_newsandamericaskids_infographic.pdf
