Google Apps for Education Suite

Google Apps for Education is an innovative platform that provides students and teachers the ability to communicate and collaborate in ways that break down the barriers of the traditional classroom. Traditional classroom communication has two main components the one is by talking back and forth with each other and the other is by writing back and forth, both have limitations. The first limitation is that when you are talking verbally with someone you are limited by the contact time, the limited amount of feedback, and the distractions of your surroundings including others in the classroom, body language, and tone. The second is with writing, it is a time consuming process with many drafts and the time in between those drafts. The feedback is sporadic and can be overwhelming when done in large doses. Google Apps for Education has brought a new appreciation for real time feedback, unhindered by the classroom walls, and unfettered by the limitations of class time in which we pigeonhole students.

The first and one of my favorite applications that has transformed the classroom is Google Meet and Google Hangouts. These two apps are similar but they perform the same function they help students and teachers to communicate in real time. Using these two apps, teachers can have virtual teleconferences with their students as a whole or individually. They can be scheduled using Google Calendars or a link can be sent out on an as needed basis for one on one tutoring. Teachers and students have the ability to monitor the chat rooms in Google Hangouts for questions or they can have discussion forums on the most recent assignment. These virtual spaces break down the barriers of the traditional classroom and creates a learning environment that is student centered and accessible at any time or place. Add in the mobile device applications that come in the app store or google play store, and now we have walking classrooms that travel where ever there is a mobile device. Virtual teleconferencing using Google Hangouts and Google Meets delivers the power of communication to the students fingertips.

One of the best features of Google Suite is the ability to share and comment on another persons work. Students can be paired or grouped and then tasked to create an assignment virtually using a variety of apps such as Google Docs, Google Draw, Google Sites, Google Slides, Google Forms, or Google Sheets. This collaboration leads to draft after draft of work, comments, additions, and leads to a more refined product. It also leads to teachers being able to share documents, work, and assignments making for a better education across the grade level and curriculum. Students and teachers are not limited by the constraints of the four walls of the classroom as they can assign and collect work from anywhere on the planet and at any time. Collaboration is key when talking about the benefits of Google Suite.

In all of these examples, providing guidelines is essential. Teaching students and teachers digital citizenship skills on how to communicate online, how to give criticism in a constructive way, and how to develop safe relationships online are just a few constructive ways to guide students. Students should communicate clearly and not use slang and inappropriate posts when in chatroom's. Students should keep on topic and not post spam. Students should mute their mic when entering a teleconference to avoid interrupting the speaker and to cut down on background noise. When available you should use a microphone headset to avoid echos and feedback. Creating some norms and procedures makes for a better and safer classroom environment physically and virtually.