The Possibilities of Web 2.0 and Google Apps

The skeptical teacher often looks at Internet integration in his or her classroom as just another way for students to find information.  The teacher wonders what is the purpose of another research tool that provides students with content that is often misunderstood or misrepresented in the student’s work.  In fact, I have felt that way myself at times when I’ve had students complete research projects.  But one of the greatest innovations in technology-infused education has been the advent of Web 2.0 tools.  This line of Internet use means going beyond using the web as a tool to collect information, it means becoming a contributor to the Internet.  An interesting point has been made that students are becoming “read-only” Internet users: they take and take, but don’t give back.  As educators, we want students to “write” also.  Web 2.0 tools give students the opportunity to create on the Internet.

One of the absolute best Web 2.0 tools around today comes from Google (not a surprise, right?).  If your district has integrated Gmail for students and staff, access to a myriad of Google Apps is available.  These include some of the most useful, and easily integrated, tools that I have seen in education.  Some Google Apps include Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Drawings), Google Sites, and Google Calendar -- See the table below for some details of each and ideas for their classroom integration.  All of these apps allow for the teacher to communicate easier with students and parents, promote collaboration among students, and easily integrate valuable media to any activity.  These will also eliminate the massive amounts of paperwork often seen on a teacher’s desk any day of the school year.  In order to make the strongest argument for the value of Google Apps, I will focus on one of the newest and most valuable out there.

Google Classroom is Google Apps version of a learning management system (LMS).  An LMS can often be daunting, or a foreign language, to teachers.  Many do not have the time to develop their own website, but are interested in working digitally in the classroom.  Google Classroom is the solution.  Using this app, the teacher provides an access code to students in the class, making this a private and secure website.  In this digital classroom, the teacher can post videos, links, and activities for the students to interact with or complete.  Students can then hold discussions about the content, while the teacher monitors and contributes feedback.  Also, any assignment posted on the site will automatically be created as a folder in each student’s Google Drive (a digital notebook) with needed assignment directions and due date.  Students and the teacher alike are now effortlessly organized, while assignment turn-in can be done with the click of a button.  The teacher can also quickly send needed feedback to the student for real-time assignment reflection (such an overlooked and often impossible prospect in the time-constrained classroom).  This is just a surface-level look at Google Classroom, but the possibilities are incredible and exciting.  Students can access this from anywhere on any device, while authentic learning, discussion, and collaboration can occur at anytime.

Google For Education

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