Why google apps for education?
It isn't just a technology replacement. It is an education innovation. Great technology doesn't replace what you already do. Great technology is a revolutionary change that allows us to do things we never would have imagined before. Blended classrooms allow teachers to find the right balance between traditional instruction and technology infused instruction that personalizes the learning experience.
Watch the video below for an idea of how Google Apps for Education works in a school.
Watch the video below for an idea of how Google Apps for Education works in a school.
how to think about your classroom and teaching with google apps
The acronym SAMR is a way of thinking about how we are using technology in our classrooms. On some level technology will help us do what we already do. But, to reach the fullest potential, we have to look at technology through the lens of SAMR.
Sure, this is great but what does it really mean? Just seems like a bunch of "buzzwords." Well, think of it this way. . . .
The coffee in the Starbucks cup represents how you use technology in your classroom whereas the coffee in the mug represents the old way we would do the task without technology. When we just "substitute" technology in the classroom for something that can be done in another form, we aren't really creating anything new or different. We're only doing the same thing in a different form. However, once you begin to realize all the functionality of that piece of technology, you can transform that original task into something completely different and much more exciting.
While some of us may prefer the "black coffee" (or, the old way of doing things), how many students want to drink just plain black coffee? We can have the same effect as plain black coffee but engage many more students through technology in the classroom. . . . .and maybe even make coffee drinkers out of students who previously hated coffee.
This metaphor could go on forever. . . . .
So what does this look like specifically in the classroom?
While some of us may prefer the "black coffee" (or, the old way of doing things), how many students want to drink just plain black coffee? We can have the same effect as plain black coffee but engage many more students through technology in the classroom. . . . .and maybe even make coffee drinkers out of students who previously hated coffee.
This metaphor could go on forever. . . . .
So what does this look like specifically in the classroom?
We have the same technology tool being used over in the right hand column, Google Earth, but you can see as you move up the SAMR scale how more of the functionality of the technology tool is used and how it might be more engaging for students.
This is why it's important for us not just to "gloss" over Google Apps for Education or think to ourselves, "Yeah, I'll try that next year." It's important for us to start now so we can slowly work up the SAMR scale to the point where our classrooms are transforming.
This is why it's important for us not just to "gloss" over Google Apps for Education or think to ourselves, "Yeah, I'll try that next year." It's important for us to start now so we can slowly work up the SAMR scale to the point where our classrooms are transforming.