Google (Drive) ... The New Classroom Folder?

I've had the pleasure of being old enough to appreciate the transition of computing over the years. My first computer, which still works might I say, is a "Pakered Bell" running Windows 3.1 and it never failed. Over the years I've had several; mostly windows, a mac powerbook, and now a Vaio running linux and an android tablet. What did they all have in common...? If and when the internet failed, it meant that it was time to get a new PC.

What did my early experience in computers teach me about the nature of student computing? 

         The computer had three purposes  1) research the project (Internet)
                                                               2) create the project (paper, presentation, video)
                                                               3) Store the work

If the initiatory step is precluded by lack of wifi or hard line connection the computer becomes just another gaming device to play classics like Pinball on.

Memory and operating systems used to be expensive - Purchasing an upgrade to windows 8 is $119.00 Even common programs like Microsoft Office 2013 begins at $99.99. and like the inventive student I found ways around those problems; ie Open Office and Linux - both free and equally as good, but those are for the next post on being a frugal student.

This post is about the revolution Google has provided us as students, teachers, and professional.

     If you have a Youtube account you have a google account.
     If you have a Gmail account (10gb free storage), you have a google account.
     If you have a google account,  you have 5gb free storage, and a lot to explore.


When you sign into google you needn't go directly to you email. No, if you check the black menu at the top of the page you'll note several features; Search, Images, Mail, Drive, Calender, etc. and to clarify things, I'll separate these out by subject.

-------------------------------- Google Drive --------------------------------

 If you are familiar with the old Briefcase folder of windows this follows the same premise, but exponentially more refined. Clicking on the drive will bring you to this page below.

You can change the layout by clicking the tiles in the upper right beneath you name, but for now note the left hand column. Clicking on the "shared with me" organizes your files by those shared with you by other individuals whether to edit or read only.

By clicking the RED create button you are prompted with another menu. You can choose from making a document, creating a powerpoint, excel style spreadsheet, form, and drawing.

I should note that everything you create in Google Drive is auto saved, updated, and stored remotely on their server. This means, like PREZI, you can access and edit your files from anywhere - never needing to bring that flash drive along with you again.

What about printing?

Google has several options for getting your work to your peers/ teachers/coworkers.

With the file open, you can click the Share button, which will prompt you with a few choices. There will by a sharing link highlighted that you can send as part of an email to you professors. They will be able to open and view a read only copy of you work directly on google drive and leave comments for you to read.  Likewise, you can invite people by directly inputting their emails, names, or google group tags.

 I should note that you can also change the permissions in this window.

Why? --> Group Projects. By sharing a like to the file, anyone who has been given permission can edit its content making group work even easier.

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I was also recently introduced to google forms that are also under the red create button.

You can use these fields to create quizes, review sheets, tests, the limits are exponential. By selecting question type you can select from text answers, multiple choice, short answer, and paragraph style answers. In theory you can create a classroom group on google plus and allow all students listed in the group field to access and use what you create, even if it is a simple survey. Furthermore, you can share this as with any other file, and even embed it in web pages. As the creator, when you open the file, all responses are viewable as an excel spreadsheet, making assessment easier.

For examples sake I was going to include on of my own, however my own work does not do this tool justice. It is possible to create Surveys, quizes, tests, review sheets, menues, etc. I myself created small three question review but came across a much better example of creating a self grading quiz so I thought I would direct anyone interested there:

http://planetoftheweb.com/components/promos.php?id=534

Next up! Google Calender, Cloud Storage, and Frugal Alternatives for the Student on a Budget 

PREZI

If you are unaware of the PREZI presentation web app, than I strongly suggest you take a look at their site www.prezi.com at the end of this post.

The Prezi motto is that "Ideas Matter" and it offers a dynamic 3-dimensional work space for creating multimedia presentations. The interface has is fairly easy to get used to and much more pliable than the traditional power point. Furthermore, the presentation is stored on their own server and regularly auto saves. You can also invite other students to view or edit it alongside with you in real time which is not possible in PPT, allowing one student to work on one area of the work space while other members work on other slides.

Example: click the embedded link below to load the PREZI - use the arrows to navigate.

Feeling lost, you can click the home button at right to start over, and use the keyboard arrows too.

 

I've used this in several of my graduate classes, and play tested it in a British Literature course. The interesting thing is the learning curve. I am sure that many of us have had the experience of taking a class to a computer lab to write powerpoints. It can be a tiring ordeal (especially from a substitute position) to get even three slides made. However, with a little coaching many students take quickly to the dynamic features that PREZI provides. It's entertaining to make one and that time spent procrastinating is more fully utilized on a single focused effort... Creating.

Along this line of thought, there are no flash drives to lose, or emails left unanswered. In order to work on the group project, all you need do is sign in to prezi and click on it. Similarly, Prezi runs on theoretically any computer, and definitively on windows, mac, google, and linux machines.   

Outside of the standard presentation assignment, this can be used as a tool for review or application of class material. 

Let us assume for a moment that you are in an Anatomy & Physiology class. 

• This week's goal is an understanding of the endocrine system. Yesterday, the class was transitioned into the system via a think question on how they believe it applies to the previous system. This is followed firstly, by a short film on the organs and hormones. Secondly, you'd continue with a review/ breakdown discussion about the movie with a note organizer for the topic. Lastly, (and here is where Prezi comes into play) you could break the class in groups by hormone. 

• Researching via BYOD (bring your own device) or whatever method is most applicable they can begin looking into the hormone specifically. Answering key questions like; what does it do/why? How does it impact the organism as a whole? A disease prevented or caused by it? Was it mentioned in the movie? Why or why not?

• Using Prezi, create a short 3-4 slide explanation for the class. (Bear in mind I base this on the 84 minute block I'm used to  and it would need to be altered per your own time table.) I say explanation not presentation. They would be presented via smart board informally group by group. Wrapping up the class with Q/A. 

By using prezi, the class can then review those micro presentations as review material for quizzes and tests. Furthermore, because each group will have designed their own differently, each hormone (topic) would create a different mental marker for recall later. 

I should also mention that you can directly embed Youtube videos into PREZI, the public subscription has 100 mb of storage, and unlimited prezis, there is also an educator subscription, also free, but comes with 500 mb of storage and the ability to make presentations private. 

--- Coming up next! Google Drive

An Overview of Purpose

I've begun this blog with the primary purpose of recording the various ways in which to incorporate current, up and coming, and theorized technologies into the classroom. With the social media blitz that has captured the majority of our students attentions it is clear that avoiding and restricting their use is far from possible; the can's been opened - but we have the tools to clean it up and redirect our students.

The problem as I see it has become how we transition into the technology age in the classroom. Many schools have strict cell phone policies, but unless everyone in the building enforces it, it has little chance of working. Additionally, we have a generation of students who's only umbilicus to the outside world (and I grant that I generalize here) is their cellular phone. How many times have you left your own home without some form of mobile device? As frightening as it is, once you connect to that consistent and reliable stream of information such devices provide, it feels odd when disconnected.

Remember now that these students have never had to wait for a pay phone in school, never had to wait to catch someone at home, never even had to listen to that once all too familiar sound of dial-up and the inevitable, seemingly endless, wait for music to download.

We live in a global society and whether or not our students realize it overtly, they do sense it. The internet connects us, we can access any relevant information we desire. We can even work on projects with residents of foreign countries in real time.

Given this, we are expecting students who may never have used a physical encyclopedia to out aside that key resource (the internet) and fumble through pages of text to query for answers. It is no wonder they have a hard time giving up the phones?

My belief it is unreasonable to fight an uphill battle, rather we should use it to our advantage. Capturing student attention is one of the greatest desires of teaching... why not use the very things that distract them.

For this reason I will be going into detail about several methods of incorporating internet based media into the classroom, as well as the rational behind my choices.