Design Experiment 1: Google Applications


For the first week in ETEC 591 Online Learning Systems, we will be reviewing Google Classroom, and several of Google's Apps that are available for anyone who has created their own Google account. The aim of this is for us to get our "feet wet" while using online technologies. The goals are to: try out several features of the technology, examine how they might be used in an online learning environment, and then determine what kinds of content would be ideal for that particular technology.

Google Classroom

The Classroom environment that Google has created has a lot of features that could assist an instructor in teaching remotely, or aid a face-to-face teacher by providing additional ways to connect to their students. Since I am not associated, or work with, an ISD at the moment, I simply created a dummy account to see what the interface looks like:



This gave me the opportunity to play around with most of the features that it has going for it. As the instructor, you can create questions, assignments, and announcements along the right side. Along the left, you have the opportunity to personalize what the current topic is, and create reminders for your students. And, of course, you have a tab in the middle that allows you to see students enrolled, and lets you invite students via your Gmail contact list. The only thing that I didn't see (as I think it would be valuable) is an interface that allows for video-conferencing, but perhaps that is on the "to-do" list for Google.

I can see the benefit of Google Classroom (at this point) as being more of an assistance to your in-person teaching. I.e., you can teach the students during the day, and then have them access your Google classroom on nights and weekends for additional info, a refresher, or for reminders. It's definitely a great way for teachers to contact students - for instance, any new info added to the stream is going to alert the student to check their account. A good example might be a history teacher who has assigned for the students to read up on The New Deal. The teacher may, over the weekend, remind the students there will be a quiz on Monday, and simultaneously send out a YouTube video that summarizes The New Deal, to assist them.

Application 1: Google Earth

Teachers could use Google Earth in a few creative ways. Google Earth is so much more than their Maps program. Earth basically lets you interact with the world, and works as a 3D interactive Wikipedia. Don't believe me? Here's what you Google Earth, and click "I'm Feeling Lucky" over on the left side. It will zip in to a specific location on the map, and bring up a couple of flashcards with general information, and points of interest. You can then zoom in further, and see a 3D topographical map. Not close enough? Ok, then drop a little stick figure on the map, and you can see the street view.

Plenty of social studies and geography lessons could take place using Google Earth. Even history lessons and discussions about current events could use it. The world is growing closer by the minute - things that happen halfway across the world are no longer mentioned on the 9pm news...it gets plastered all across the web, due to Social Media. An application such as Google Earth might be used by a social studies teacher to strengthen the class knowledge base on the area of Qatar, which has been in the news recently. Where it is, what kind of governmental system it uses, what language the people speak, etc.

Application 2: Google Translate

Translate is another application that could be useful for teachers. Though it may not look like much at first glance, the Translate feature of Google has some extremely powerful processing dynamics running behind the scenes. At risk of repeating myself, the world is getting smaller by the minute - translators are being used to connect to connect with people through the web, or neighbors who speak a different language next door.

Teachers could use Google Translate at its most basic level, to simply convert words or phrases to another language. However, it could also be used to show students how words evolved over time, as they passed from continent to continent. Teachers could use Translate to show root words, prefixes, suffixes, and other Etymological concerns. Oh, did I mention- it also translates images and provides sound files of the words in the new language?

Application 3: Google Books

Lastly, Books is an application that speaks volumes, pun intended. Now, this may be different from what you are thinking it is. Google Play Books, and entirely different concept, is from their store: an online marketplace where you can purchase electronic versions of books. Google Books, on the other hand is the process of scanning texts; in other words, Google's book search engine. As of October 2015, the busy bees of Google had scanned in excess of 25 million books, all with the author's approval, or within the public domain.

Simply click here to be taken to the Books search engine. Practically any of the results you get will be free to browse. You can also click on "Add to My Library" for ease of finding the next time you log in. If you make your "library" of books visible, friends can then see what your have on your digital shelves, and get inspired. Books also allows you to write a review, and you can link your library up with your Google Play Books list, if you want to combine them. Teachers could use these online books to allow students to study an author's style, or to compare specific authors.

I tried to do a test drive of the applications Google provides that seemed to offer the best online features to education but, to be honest, I am really anxious to see some of my classmates posts of the ones I missed!

REFERENCES

 Google Books. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 6, 2017, from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Books

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