For the blog post this week I have chosen to try out google classroom. I have looked at it in the past however I never really fully used it before. I was planning on using this within my pre-internship however I dropped it in favour of trying out discord instead. Here is my take on Google classroom.
Overview:
Google classroom is a management tool designed specifically for teachers. Through Google classroom teachers are able to assign tasks and assignments, grade their students, and receive assignments as well. The best way that I can describe it to people at the University of Regina is that Google classroom is the same thing in theory to URCourses. Yet, unlike URCourses Google classroom is funded by a multi-billion dollar company which means that integration across all platforms is accounted for, it is extremely more optimized, and it is able to sync up to the rest of your google services.
Strengths:
The largest strength of Google Classroom is how easy it is to use and access it. The user interface is organized and minimalist making it easy to navigate even if you are new to the program, There is an entire section dedicated to assignments making it easy to know what is due, and there is a really good mobile app that can be downloaded on ios and android.
Out of all of the classroom organizers that I have seen on the internet, Google classroom stands out to me as the best one for teachers that are able to incorporate technology in the classroom. When looking to find similar resources the only ones that really compare to it are programs such as slack and Discord, yet these programs were not designed with schooling in mind.
Weaknesses:
Google classroom has very little weaknesses when it comes to a classroom tool. Teachers are able to use it as something to base their class around, or they are able to use it to hand out simple assignments.
The only downside of Google classroom is that it does not offer the level of communication that Slack and Discord have. This is not a bad thing however as google classroom can be used in combination with these resources.
Potential for teacher's use in the classroom:
I know that I am going to be using this resource in my own classroom, there is no doubt about that. Going over Google classroom in this past week has really made me love the program. Yet, a lot of schools are already using a similar tool to this resource. Where the University uses URCourses, a lot of schools use programs such as blackboard. Both of these tools are used the same way as Google Classroom, however in my opinion they lack some of the key advantages that Google has. Google is one of the largest online sources which means that they have much more foothold in the online space. Any tool created by google that would benefit education would be more likely to work with Google classroom than it will URCourses and Blackboard.
Where this falls on the SAMR model:
In my opinion Google classroom falls under the redefinition category for technology integration. Through Google classroom the teacher is able to lay out very detailed plans for their students that can be accessed at anytime, anywhere for both the teacher and their students. If a teacher wanted their students to do something after class they can send the information home in a way that it cannot be lost. Tools like these are already seen in the classroom setting, but a lot of them do not integrate within daily apps that people use. Things like syncing google calendar, posting assignments through Google docs, and being easily accessable on almost all mobile devices is something that has not existed to this point.
Overview:
Google classroom is a management tool designed specifically for teachers. Through Google classroom teachers are able to assign tasks and assignments, grade their students, and receive assignments as well. The best way that I can describe it to people at the University of Regina is that Google classroom is the same thing in theory to URCourses. Yet, unlike URCourses Google classroom is funded by a multi-billion dollar company which means that integration across all platforms is accounted for, it is extremely more optimized, and it is able to sync up to the rest of your google services.
Strengths:
The largest strength of Google Classroom is how easy it is to use and access it. The user interface is organized and minimalist making it easy to navigate even if you are new to the program, There is an entire section dedicated to assignments making it easy to know what is due, and there is a really good mobile app that can be downloaded on ios and android.
Out of all of the classroom organizers that I have seen on the internet, Google classroom stands out to me as the best one for teachers that are able to incorporate technology in the classroom. When looking to find similar resources the only ones that really compare to it are programs such as slack and Discord, yet these programs were not designed with schooling in mind.
Weaknesses:
Google classroom has very little weaknesses when it comes to a classroom tool. Teachers are able to use it as something to base their class around, or they are able to use it to hand out simple assignments.
The only downside of Google classroom is that it does not offer the level of communication that Slack and Discord have. This is not a bad thing however as google classroom can be used in combination with these resources.
Potential for teacher's use in the classroom:
I know that I am going to be using this resource in my own classroom, there is no doubt about that. Going over Google classroom in this past week has really made me love the program. Yet, a lot of schools are already using a similar tool to this resource. Where the University uses URCourses, a lot of schools use programs such as blackboard. Both of these tools are used the same way as Google Classroom, however in my opinion they lack some of the key advantages that Google has. Google is one of the largest online sources which means that they have much more foothold in the online space. Any tool created by google that would benefit education would be more likely to work with Google classroom than it will URCourses and Blackboard.
Where this falls on the SAMR model:
In my opinion Google classroom falls under the redefinition category for technology integration. Through Google classroom the teacher is able to lay out very detailed plans for their students that can be accessed at anytime, anywhere for both the teacher and their students. If a teacher wanted their students to do something after class they can send the information home in a way that it cannot be lost. Tools like these are already seen in the classroom setting, but a lot of them do not integrate within daily apps that people use. Things like syncing google calendar, posting assignments through Google docs, and being easily accessable on almost all mobile devices is something that has not existed to this point.
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