Google Apps in the classroom

Exhibited by:

• Lliana Villegas

PLO Attended:

• Google 101

Coached by:

• Lori Stahl-Van Brackle

PLO Goals- I attended the Google PLO because I enjoy learning and was transitioning into a new role from Math Teacher to Technology Instructional Coach. Additionally, our school would begin our year 1 implementation of 1:1 Digital device integration with 24/7 access. I was looking to inform myself to develop a good implementation plan. I was searching for a way to incorporate technology into the classroom.

PLO Learnings- I attended the Google Apps for Education PLO. I learned more about Google Drive and Google Docs, specifically about sharing permissions. I was introduced to Google Classroom and was able to turnkey this to our staff.

Implementation Techniques and Practices-

1. Get everyone on the same Google page
2. Put teachers in the student seat. They became students using Google Classroom for their class = PLC. They were then able to see how this would be useful in their own classrooms and decided how much of classroom to use.
   • Surveys/Forms, Docs were shared, Exit tickets , Questions were asked online
3. Make it fun!
   • Put the Fun in Formative assessment. Teachers experienced Kahoots, Plickers, Quizziz, Quizlet Live as students. They then learned how to set these up for their classes in a make-and-take PLC.
4. Use the Exit Ticket data
   • To determine what stays and what goes
   • To identify who will lead the next rounds of PLC
   • Determine what the Admins walkthrough lens will be

Impact- The data from the exit tickets shows the staff finds this new method of running Monday Professional Learning much more enjoyable and engaging. They like that they get a say in what they learn/teach to one another. Our staff feels valued and empowered as many have had the opportunity to lead a PLC cycle on their own or as part of a team to address a problem of practice.

Conclusion- There were multiple results from implementing Google Classroom and GAFE this year as a way to host our PLCs.

1. We got staff on the same page when it came to information that was shared. We used a shared drive that allowed for transparency and increased collaboration across grade bands and content areas.
2. The use of Google Classroom to host PLCs for the whole staff allowed for remote access of staff meeting documents and notes. Even if you were out, you were in the loop. You have a digital copy of all meeting docs for the year.
3. Incorporating Google Forms allowed for our school culture to transform how we deployed Professional Learning. We were able to break away from one size fits all sessions. Instead we ran 6 week sessions that broke into 7 areas of focus for the school. Teachers opted into the sessions. As a result, teachers shared and learned, tried something during the week, came back and shared what worked/didn’t work to develop best practices from the front lines.
4. Teachers had fun with the gaming side of learning. Instant feedback from gaming apps is a big hook in increasing student achievement. Teachers, then used these “gaming” tools for formative assessment with their students. As a result, we noticed a sharp increase in student engagement both during the gaming reviews using Kahoots, Plickers, Quizlet and Quizzes and during traditional assessments. Students were able to engage in productive struggle for longer periods of time.

Next Steps- To continue the work next year, we will continue to use Google Classroom as a host to our Professional Learning Communities for whole staff and 6 week cycles. We will continue to use Google Forms to get feedback from Teachers on the effectiveness and relevance of the PLC’s and to inform our next steps.