Subject:
MFL
Hardware devices used (e.g. chromebooks, ipads, PCs) :
1 set of 17 Chromebooks with a charge trolley
Educational Platform used? (e.g. Google apps/Office 365 ) :
We are using the Google Apps for Education platform, the school has employed it for the past 5 years.
Specific Software used? (e.g. kahoot/ video editing software/ Pasco etc. ) :
At what stage of the new Junior Cycle did you use this technology in your subject? (e.g. CBA1, portfolios, CBA2 etc.)
ePortfolios (since first year)
CBA1 (in second year)
CBA2 not yet completed (due next year 2019/20)
How did you use the technology in your subject?
CBA: We used Google Classroom and Drive to share ideas and documents in preparation for CBA1. Students used chromebook devices in class to access and create documents. They stored documents in Drive and retrieved them when needed later. Some students created short presentations in Slides, they shared relevant documents with me using this platform to enable me to give feedback and display presentations on classroom whiteboard during recording of CBA.
I (Teacher), used Drive to securely store the recordings of CBAs untill the SLAR meeting where they could be easily retrieved.
General Learning: We have used a range of learning tools, with the Google Education Platform used to share these resources with students. Examples include:
Eportfolios We have used eportfolios since early in first year to record evidence and artefacts of language learning. We employed Google Slides, with a template created by the teacher and shared to the students in the class. I have access to their portfolios through Drive and can monitor and assess their progress.
With other groups I have used Google Sites to achieve the same result.
What did you find worked well? (what benefitted teaching and learning?) :
CBA: For completing CBA1, it was very useful to share resources with the students through Google Classroom and for students to share their oral scripts with me using Drive before the recording of the oral. I was able to give feedback in a fast, efficient manner. For storing the recordings, the Google Drive was a secure option.
Maintaining a portfolio over 3 years is a requisite for CBA2 in MFL. The advantages of an eportfolio over a traditional paper/folder portfolio are numerous.
General: The range of language-learning interactive activities available through sites such as languagesonline.org.uk and quizlet.com, shared through the Google Education Suite enables strong vocabulary building entirely in the target language.
Differentiation is enhanced through the provision of complementary activities.
Student autonomy is increased as students can work at their own pace, especially with listening/video activities.
Students have better access to audio/visual material, students find listening to audio tasks easier and more effective when listening using a device than whole-class listening tasks.
What didn't work well?
Access to devices is an obstacle for some other groups in the school. I recommend investing in sets of 15-20 chromebooks with charging trolleys as the most effective way to ensure on-demand access to devices in the classroom.
Students having their own headphones for all classes is challenging, sharing headphones is unhygienic and students are not used to having headphones amongst their learning resources for classes every day.
How was the learners’ experience with using this technology? (e.g. did students find it useful/were they able to use it/enjoyed using it etc.) :
Feedback from students is overwhelmingly positive.
Students have become very used to organising and sharing their files in Drive.
Students greatly appreciate being able to be creative within their portfolios using images, gifs, videos etc.
Students prefer to work at their own pace with listening/video activities and are able to complete a much greater amount of tasks compared to plenary listening tasks.
Students enjoy completing interactive activities and more-able students enjoy having access to progressively more challenging activities which can be supplied to them on-demand.
Less-able students appreciate being able to achieve in tasks that are set at an appropriate level.
Do you have any recommendations for future users of these technologies?
I recommend using the Google Education Suite in conjunction with Chromebooks.
Chromebooks are relatively inexpensive and are quite quick to start. The time between a student opening the device and working on the first task is < 20 seconds. They can be stored easily in a classroom and taken out as needed and replaced as quickly.
I recommend using them in conjunction with Chrome Management Licenses. Devices can be limited to only users with a school email address, track who is using each device, set a number of pages to open automatically on start-up (Email, Drive & Classroom), push chrome extensions to all devices and block incognito mode.
Chromebooks are suitable for typing and preparing documents/reports, which is a heavy feature of CBAs in other subjects such as English, Business, Science etc.