Reflection

I created this website as part of becoming Google Tech Certified. Becoming certified is important to me because I want to continue to grow & learn as a professional. I also feel it's important to model ways that technology could be used in the classroom for my students, families, and colleagues.

Lesson 1 Reflection of GoogIe Maps & Screencastify

I have to admit that I was uncertain about using Google Maps and Screencastify with my 2nd grade students. I think it was very helpful that we did a mini-lesson with our 4th grade big buddies first. My students worked with their buddies to locate native plants and animals in our community on Google Maps. They quickly became comfortable navigating Google Maps & Screencastify and were ready to start on their own project. One complication that we had was students' map work was being erased. I quickly contacted tech services and they checked into the issue. There seemed to have been some sort of glitch in the system that day. So, I worked 1:1 with those students and gave them extra time to complete their project. I think that using Screencastify really made the learning more meaningful to students. They had to practice reading and presenting their map prior to recording on Screencastify. Then they had to go back and review their audio/video and decide if the recording was ready to share with their peers and family. I loved seeing the huge smile on their faces when they watched their video! Overall, I would say that using both Google Maps & Screencastify was a success. I can definitely see our class using Screencastify in the future. We may even use it to record audio/video for our College & Career month Google slide and present it at the school assembly this month.

Lesson 2 Reflection of Google Drawings

The Google Drawings lesson seemed to be the most appealing to students. Having the opportunity to label an image of their native animal was fun for students. One challenge students had was really understanding the concept of how animals' external body parts (anatomy) help them to survive. We talked in depth and I created an example of a Google Drawing. I used an image of a gray fox and showed them how to draw arrows to the different body parts, add a text box, and add facts. For example, I added an arrow that pointed to the foxes legs. Then I typed the following in the text box, "It has thin legs that allow them to run fast." Adding in arrows, text boxes, and adjusting the size of their image took some practice. Eventually, students submitted their Google Drawings to me which will be used to display (along with their other work on this unit) at our Open House.

Lesson 3 Reflection of Hyperdoc & Google Slides

This was the most audacious lesson that I completed with my 2nd grade class. Even though I modeled how to use Google Slides and had students use their special student number that coordinates with the slide, there was still a lot of confusion. I literally had to go back 3-4 times to add slides that were accidentally deleted, edit work, and redirect students. The biggest challenge of all was everyone working simultaneously on their slide as a collaborative project. Some students were frustrated because they could see their neighbors' name on their slide. I had to have everyone stop their work and reassure them that I would fix any problems that occurred. After a few times, students got the hang of it. I think that if I use Google Slides in the future, I will consider having them create their own slide though their Google Drive or create a small group Google Slide project.

*After completing the tech integration unit there was one big insight that I had. It's not only essential that students know how to find facts and information on the web, but how to do it SAFELY. My students used KIDDLE, a search engine for kids that is powered by Google. I suggest that all educators make sure to use a safe search engine for research.