Developing Creators, Collaborators and Critical Thinkers with Google Tools

    As a Google Certified Trainer, I work with teachers of all grade levels and content areas to learn to harness the power of Google Docs, Slides and Sheets in teaching the necessary digital literacy skills that today's students must have.  Whether teaching first graders how to present research or high school students how compose a five paragraph essay complete with parenthetical documentation, the tools found within the Google Suite for Education makes collaboration seamless and saves both teachers and students valuable time, while also providing a foundation for digital literacy that transcends into college and career readiness (Google for Education, n.d.).

    According to the SAMR model, developed by Dr. Rubin Puentedura, the use of word processing tools such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs serve as a substitution for the hand-written essay.  When used solely for composing written assignments, these tools do not offer any "profound transformation" to the learning process (Puentedura, 2020).  While it is true that the functional improvement of a built-in spell check and grammar suggestions do not radically change the learning process, for young writers this substitution can result in much improved writing.  One of the most impressive functional improvements that I have witnessed with these tools is the text-to-speech tool found within Google Docs.  Students who are met with writing barriers can use this tool to draft their writing and can be as productive as their peers who do not have these barriers.  However, I believe that the use of Google Docs can go beyond the "Substitution" level of the SAMR ladder.  Teachers and students can easily provide feedback on each other's work using commenting tools.  This ability to provide realtime feedback saves valuable time for both the teacher and the students.  That collaboration can extend the classroom, as well, redefining the learning process.  When students need to consult an expert as part of a research project, they can send questions in the form of a Google Doc to an expert in the field who can easily respond on that same document asynchronously.  A simple Google Doc can transcend the walls of the classroom and expand the learning process.

    Creative uses for Google Slides meet both the "Creative Communicator" ISTE Standard, as well as the "Global Collaborator" standard.  Presentation tools like Google Slides, allows even young learners to "represent or communicate ideas to appropriate audiences" (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022, p. 49). Just this past week, I was invited to listen to first graders share their research about animal habitats that they were presenting through Google Slides.  The easy access and simple navigation of this presentation tool empowers learners of all ages to demonstrate learning in ways that they are excited to share.  Like Google Docs, the collaborative nature of Google Slides allows learning to transcend the classroom.  Classrooms from around the world can contribute texts, images, and even videos to a single slide deck.  Hughes and Roblyer (2022) explain that the ISTE Global Collaborator standard "emphasizes opportunities for students to use digital tools to support local and global teams for collaborative learning and exchange" (p. 49). Google Slides provides an easy to use platform for students to exchange ideas.  Several years ago, when teaching my French students to use food vocabulary, we shared pictures and descriptions of our meals with our partner class who was located in Tunisia. According to Puentedura's SAMR ladder (2020), we used Google Slides to redefine our learning experience.

    My work with teachers leads me to believe that more teachers are comfortable with using Google Docs and Slides for their collaborative uses, then Google Sheets.  However, Google Sheets is a valuable tool to help students to meet the ISTE Empowered Learner standard.  As Hughes and Roblyer (2022) explain, spreadsheets can be useful for helping students to keep track of tasks, as well as monitoring progress on learning goals.  One of my favorite uses for Google Sheets is the ability to visualize data with charts and graphs.  My students participated in a project where they were comparing the US school system to those in other countries. They collaborated to create a Google Form which I shared out on social media, the data populated into a Google Sheet that was shared with my students.  Using the data, they created infographics with the charts and graphs that they could automate from Google Sheets.  Not only did they learn about schools across the globe, but they also learned how to analyze data in a real-world scenario.

    The digital skills learned from using word processing tools, presentation tools, and spreadsheets are essential for today's learner.  When these tools are used to collaborate with other learners, the learning becomes more relevant and engaging.   

References:

Google For Education. (n.d.) Google Workspace for Educational Fundamentals. https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_us/workspace-for-education/editions/education-fundamentals/

Puentedura, R. (2020, January 15) Research In Practice: SAMR, Observation, Analysis, and Action. Hippasus. http://hippasus.com/blog/archives/date/2020/01

Hughes, J. E., & Roblyer, M. D. (2022). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming learning across disciplines (9th edition). Pearson.