Using Google Suite to Foster Digital Citizenship

Our entire school this year adopted Google Apps for Education (now known as Google Suite, but I'm still struggling with that new title).  This adoption was not without its struggles and concerns, from how to access and share documents to how to deal with a classroom of students who suddenly have a "chat" feature built into their word processing software.  There were many considerations we had to take into account, some of them involving legal and ethical concerns.

To begin, as a former English teacher and media specialist (librarian for those of you who are still "old school"), I spent years teaching students how to cite their sources, and that task has grown exponentially as students can so easily right-click on any image or CTRL+C on a piece of text and call it their own.  It is vital that we spend time talking to students about intellectual property and how to use the information they find online legally and ethically.  I teach them about Creative Commons and fair use, and we talk about how much they would hate to have someone steal their creative works and claim them as their own.  Fortunately, Google docs does a wonderful job with its advanced search of allowing students to search only for items labeled for reuse.  It also reminds them to only use items which they are allowed to use.  

We click on the learn more link and spend time talking about what commercial reuse and modification mean.  Soon they learn how to properly insert images and how to cite those which they are able to use.

Beyond teaching them the basics about citing their sources (something we've been doing for years, just in different ways), we also have to address issues of collaboration.  One of the strong points of Google Suite is its ability for students to engage in real-time collaboration.  There is even a chat feature so that students can engage in discussion while working together if not in the same physical space (or separated across a classroom).  This chat feature, however, not only allows for typical teenager chat (much the way passing notes used to function when I was in high school), but it also allows those with more malicious intent a venue for harassment or bullying.  As teachers, we have to be on the watch for such behavior, and we have to teach students about the dangerous effects of bullying for both sides.  We discuss what bullying is and whether it is different online.  We talk about cyberbullying and how and why to report it when it happens.

Ultimately, there have been many lessons to learn this year as we make our transition into digital curriculum.  So many issues pop up each day that we did not or could not anticipate.  As teachers, we try to meet them head-on and to focus on the students and how to best prepare them for this new world in which they are living.

Office Mix and UDL

Microsoft PowerPoint is a tool that often gets a bad rap.  However, I think this is an unfair assessment, particularly with the relatively new introduction of Office Mix.  Office Mix not only changes the dynamics of PowerPoint, but it improves its accessibility for learners with special needs.

In terms of its usability, Office Mix is not a huge departure from PowerPoint.  If you already have some familiarity with PowerPoint or other slide-based presentation software, then the learning curve is minimal.  If, added to that, there is some comfort level with screencasting, then Office Mix will pose no problems at all to the new user.  If the user has no familiarity with PowerPoint, Google Slides, or any other slide-based presentation software, then some time may be needed to familiarize oneself with the more advanced features; however, making a simple presentation with slides and text should not be too difficult.  Creating a Mix may be a bit challenging to first-time users with little comfort level with adding video or recording audio.  Furthermore, special equipment such as a webcam and microphone may need to be acquired based on the computer setup the instructor is using.

So why bother?  What Office Mix essentially allows the instructor to do is add voice-over and picture-in-picture video to an existing PowerPoint presentation.  He or she can also insert a poll, quiz, video, webpage, or educational simulation into the presentation.  Thus the PowerPoint becomes more engaging and more interactive for the viewer who before had no role besides passive observer.  Once complete, the instructor can export the Mix to video and upload it to an LMS or publish it on a designated website which houses all of the instructor's Mixes.  From there, it can be shared via a link.  The learner simply clicks on the link or the video itself and can watch, listen, and interact with ease.

Office Mix toolbar which demonstrates its main functions

In terms of UDL, the Office Mix affords greater access to the presentation.  Not only can the instructor discuss what is on the slide through audio recordings, he or she can also use a webcam to create video as well.  Thus, those with vision problems can hear the presentation, and those with hearing disabilities can read the text as well as see the instructor.  If the learner reads lips, this video will make the presentation more accessible to the DHH student.  If the instructor knows ASL, then he or she can also sign the video which adds one more component in terms of its accessibility for all learners.  Furthermore, for those students with attention disorders, the instructor can "chunk" the presentation into smaller portions separated by interactive features, such as quizzes, polls, or short videos.  This variation will be beneficial for those students who struggle with watching or listening to a long presentation.

There is not much I would add to improve its usability or accessibility.  Perhaps Microsoft's toolbar could be a bit more streamlined, but again, anyone with familiarity with PowerPoint already will not find Mix to be a great departure.  What Mix does is take something we are all already familiar with and make it stronger and more accessible to all learners.

Creating a Learning Environment

Two main goals of the learning environment I would want to create are
1.  A place for delivery of instruction and feedback
2.  A place for robust collaboration and communication

Therefore, two technologies that I want to integrate into my learning environment are GoFormative.com and G Suite (formerly Google Apps for Education), particularly Google Docs/Slides for collaboration and Hangouts for communication.

GoFormative is a wonderful site for delivery of instruction and assessment of understanding.  Using this site, I could embed video and documents and assign students tasks to assess their learning based on these objects.  I could also give them feedback on whatever they do on the site, and if that instruction were to occur at a specified time, that feedback could be instantaneous.  Obviously, this is not always going to be possible; however, it is also not always necessary.  Feedback is important, and it must be timely in order to truly be effective.  With GoFormative, I can give feedback as soon as students submit tasks, and students can see it right away.  I can also allow them to edit their work based on this feedback to allow for more learning opportunities.  The site is incredibly user friendly and affords many different options for delivery of content and instruction.

With Google Docs/Slides, students can collaborate on learning tasks.  They can brainstorm ideas, create documents, create presentations, etc.  This collaboration can be real-time, but it does not need to be.  Regardless, it makes collaboration more efficient and effective.  With Hangouts, students could speak face-to-face regardless of location.  Small groups could meet, and everyone could participate with nothing more than a phone and an internet connection.  Students can use the chat feature as well which might be more appealing to some.  Furthermore, students could meet with an instructor in real time without the need for transportation and without having to coordinate office hours.  All that is needed is an email address and a few minutes to explain sharing / collaborating of documents and setting up a hangout.

In conducting professional development in the spring, we are planning to use GoFormative to guide teachers through PD sessions.  This will allow us to give real-time feedback and to keep a record of not only who attended but how well they understood the material we delivered to them.  We can use these reports to differentiate future instruction and to set up small groups which might need additional assistance.  Google Hangouts would be perfect for these small group settings, particularly as it allows us to work around multiple teachers' schedules.  The instructor could share his or her screen, and students could get the benefit of working on their own computers in a split-screen mode.  Both GoFormative and Google Apps are going to be crucial to our ongoing PD for digital curriculum.

Differentiating Instruction with Technology

I am a digital coach at a large high school in Orange County, FL (the 11th -- or 10th, depending on whom you ask -- largest school district in the country).  This year, our school, along with every other high school in the district undertook a 1:1 initiative; that is, every student and teacher has a hybrid laptop which they bring to school every day.  Our teachers and students use Google Suite for creation and collaboration, online textbooks for core content classes, and a variety of assessment platforms and web 2.0 sites for instruction, practice, and evaluation.

As I write this, we are almost halfway through our first year.  This year the focus has mainly been on making the transition to digital curriculum.  Teachers and students have had to become proficient with using online textbooks and taking assessments online.  They have had to learn how to shift from paper and pencil tasks (e.g., worksheets) to digital formats.  Needless to say, there has been quite a learning curve.

Beginning next semester, we will start preparing for phase two, which is how to differentiate instruction and assessment for students using technology.  In other words, how can technology assist teachers in reaching every student?  And how can teachers allow for more student choice so as to increase student engagement and learning?

My job is to coordinate the training for this next phase.  All teachers in the school will need to be trained.  Instruction will take place in a blended environment; some of it will be face-to-face; some will be recorded; and some will take place live via video conference (Safari Montage Live or Google Hangouts).  I would also like to incorporate the use of social media, such as Twitter, by reinforcing the role of PLN's outside the walls of our school.  Next year our district will begin using Canvas as our LMS, so we will likely use it to facilitate the professional development so teachers develop experience with it in a practical way.

Though we have been working in a digital environment for five months, we still have many teachers who we know are not as "tech savvy" as others, and these will need additional support.  The training will be conducted by myself and a group of five other Digital Curriculum Teacher Leaders (DCTL's).  We have been working together this semester to create a training plan for next semester and throughout next school year.  I am the lead person for this group, but each will bear responsibility for assisting with their respective departments.

We have a busy semester ahead of us, but I am excited about the prospect of moving my teachers forward into the next phase of this digital initiative.