My Major Project Reflection

This term I undertook the major project route of looking into a couple of different educational apps. Google Classroom and Seesaw were the two that I utilized and reported on in previous blogs (Seesaw Review & Google Classroom Review).

This was a great project for me as I tend to revert to the talking head at the front of the class more than I would like. Diving into the program Google Classroom was rewarding for my practice as an educator on a number of levels. First it pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to implement a technology that I was not used to. Although I was uncomfortable in this shift, the students in my class were excited and felt an ownership and responsibility that they did not have previous. They were enabled to individually access their accounts and dive into assignments posted and this was something that most students loved. They had the freedom to work at their own pace and jump into the assignments and projects right away as opposed to having to suffer through all of the questions that might arise and stall the beginning of their progress.

Through our massive transition from the classroom to home learning I feel like Google classroom has put my nerves at ease. I know how to use it. My students, luckily, can all access it and work from home. This had made, what could have been, a horrible situation a lot more manageable and tolerable. On top of this I have been chosen as the Google Classroom expert for our school! This means that anyone who has a questions about GC can give me a call or send me an e-mail and I am able to help them out…confidently!!

Seesaw was the other app that I did do a deep dive into researching. As a parent my kinder sons teacher uses this app. It was great to see his progress and to be able to communicate with his teacher through the app. It cut down on the amount of paper being sent home in the form of newsletters, which was a blessing on its own!! What I really enjoyed though is the fact that since my final review I have still continued to learn more about Seesaw and its capabilities. Since the closure of schools and the implementation of supplemental learning at home we have been using the app quite regularly and even created a video sharing what my son has been doing at home since his last day at the school. I have found that this has been an incredible bridge, that is often missing in classrooms, between home and school.

I feel as though we are missing out on full applications and programs because of the lack of funding so students and teachers can take advantage of full programs as opposed to only a fraction of a program. With full capabilities we would be able to grow within our digital literacy and engage students in a more technologically interactive way. If there is a positive to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic it is the fact that many of these companies have waived their fees so educators and students can take advantage of their full programs to assist in remote learning. This act might also show the public how important these programs are for education, if we were properly funded we would be able to utilize these programs to their fullest potential and harbor a greater engagement in our student populations.

It was my intention to look into one more program, Instagram. My timeline for that was interrupted due to the closure of schools and having my sons home with me while I worked, among life’s other dodge-balls. This has been a difficult semester in a class I have truly loved being a part of. I have leaned a great amount about programs that I will use throughout my career and will not be so hesitant to try new ones. I am looking forward to how this time of digital need changes the face of education in the future!