D is for Drive
What is Drive?
Google Drive is essentially a website with the same function as Microsoft products. It offers a word processing tool, slide presentations, spreadsheets, photo and video storage. However, because it is online, students can work on their documents from anywhere and with any device that has internet access. The teacher and/or other students have access to a student's documents when they are shared. This allows for collaboration on projects, editing, teacher assessment and corrections. |
How is Drive used in my classroom?
I have access to a digital learning coach in my school division. She set my students up with school division gmail accounts. Then, we worked together to set up Google Chrome - essentially a home page or launchpad that stores apps and websites for the kids on any computer that uses Chrome as a web browser. They downloaded Drive as an app and we signed in and got started. It sounds complicated, but was actually very easy to set up. The kids only needed a little bit of direction to set up their accounts.
The most significant change I have implemented because of Google Drive is in my writing workshop. In writing workshop, students learn the process of writing - we complete a graphic organizer or mind map on a new topic. Then, they work on a rough copy. They do a self edit and two peer edits, and then type a good copy on the computer. My students still do the mind map and rough copy by hand. I also still get them to edit on paper because I want them to learn that part of the process. The change comes once it is time to type. The kids start a new document on Drive. The features are very similar to Microsoft Word, and they can do virtually everything with Drive that they can with Word. It took a bit of playing around to figure everything out, but they have gotten used to exploring and sharing with each other without even asking me. Then, the kids share the document with me. This allows me to see their work as they are typing it. I sit at a table with the kids and click from document to document making suggestions and pointing out changes that need to be made. The kids make the changes I have suggested and then clear my suggestions and continue working. This process has SIGNIFICANTLY improved my student's writing. Now, the copy I receive once they print already has a large amount of editing completed, and I can spend time making suggestions to really improve the quality of the writing. Nearly all of the grammar and mechanical errors have been corrected, and so I'm not spending time correcting that. The student gets a cleaner looking assignment back that isn't scribbled on with red pen everywhere (which can be extremely degrading and discouraging for students). They now really read my comments and feedback. At the end of the term, we are going to go back and make a book that has another "final" copy of their work. They know that the editing and revision process is never done for an author, and that they can always improve.
I have access to a digital learning coach in my school division. She set my students up with school division gmail accounts. Then, we worked together to set up Google Chrome - essentially a home page or launchpad that stores apps and websites for the kids on any computer that uses Chrome as a web browser. They downloaded Drive as an app and we signed in and got started. It sounds complicated, but was actually very easy to set up. The kids only needed a little bit of direction to set up their accounts.
The most significant change I have implemented because of Google Drive is in my writing workshop. In writing workshop, students learn the process of writing - we complete a graphic organizer or mind map on a new topic. Then, they work on a rough copy. They do a self edit and two peer edits, and then type a good copy on the computer. My students still do the mind map and rough copy by hand. I also still get them to edit on paper because I want them to learn that part of the process. The change comes once it is time to type. The kids start a new document on Drive. The features are very similar to Microsoft Word, and they can do virtually everything with Drive that they can with Word. It took a bit of playing around to figure everything out, but they have gotten used to exploring and sharing with each other without even asking me. Then, the kids share the document with me. This allows me to see their work as they are typing it. I sit at a table with the kids and click from document to document making suggestions and pointing out changes that need to be made. The kids make the changes I have suggested and then clear my suggestions and continue working. This process has SIGNIFICANTLY improved my student's writing. Now, the copy I receive once they print already has a large amount of editing completed, and I can spend time making suggestions to really improve the quality of the writing. Nearly all of the grammar and mechanical errors have been corrected, and so I'm not spending time correcting that. The student gets a cleaner looking assignment back that isn't scribbled on with red pen everywhere (which can be extremely degrading and discouraging for students). They now really read my comments and feedback. At the end of the term, we are going to go back and make a book that has another "final" copy of their work. They know that the editing and revision process is never done for an author, and that they can always improve.
What are the advantages of Drive?
1. Because students are able to share their work, the teacher has access to student writing and projects BEFORE the final product. This allows the teacher to make suggestions and corrections on student work WHILE they are working on it. This has helped with assessing student work on a formative level, but it is also assessment as learning; making improvements as we go. The dialogue that now happens between myself and students has increased significantly. Before, I would feel like I didn't really know what a student was working on until I saw the final product, and I was simply supervising and keeping students on task as they wrote. I wouldn't be able to provide direction unless I prodded a student or they asked me a direct question.
2. Students can also collaborate on assignments and it also exposes them to each other's work in either a formal or informal way. They can edit each other's work or simply see what someone else is doing on a project to get them started on their own. It is great for group work and collaboration.
3. As mentioned before, Drive is an online option and students have access to it anywhere and at any time. They no longer have an excuse that they were not to complete their assignments because they were "saved to the school computer."
4. Drive can be accessed on any device. Students are able to use the school computers, chromebooks, laptops, iPads, and all of their own devices that have internet. This has eliminated the need to book the computer lab so that students can complete assignments. It can also help with differentiation as students can move forward immediately when they are ready to start writing an assignment, regardless of if other students are ready or not.
5. I can look at the history of a document and tell who has worked on the document. I can restore work if it has been accidentally deleted and I can tell if a different editor has worked on the assignment and what they have done. This prevents plagiarism and a student "overcorrecting" another's work because I can tell exactly who has typed where (it is colour coded by editor). If a student is copying and pasting large portions of text, I can see that they have been pasted into the document. I can also look at the suggestions I have made and see if the student actually took my advice and made the suggested changes.
6. Drive has add-ons you can download from Chrome. My students use SpeakIt often. They can highlight part of their text and get the computer to speak it back to them. Sometimes just hearing what they have written can help them to make changes and improve their writing. One I have downloaded but not tested out in great depth is a read and write app. This is a tool that could be used for students that struggle with reading and writing. It is similar to WordQ and suggests words for them and helps them build sentences.
1. Because students are able to share their work, the teacher has access to student writing and projects BEFORE the final product. This allows the teacher to make suggestions and corrections on student work WHILE they are working on it. This has helped with assessing student work on a formative level, but it is also assessment as learning; making improvements as we go. The dialogue that now happens between myself and students has increased significantly. Before, I would feel like I didn't really know what a student was working on until I saw the final product, and I was simply supervising and keeping students on task as they wrote. I wouldn't be able to provide direction unless I prodded a student or they asked me a direct question.
2. Students can also collaborate on assignments and it also exposes them to each other's work in either a formal or informal way. They can edit each other's work or simply see what someone else is doing on a project to get them started on their own. It is great for group work and collaboration.
3. As mentioned before, Drive is an online option and students have access to it anywhere and at any time. They no longer have an excuse that they were not to complete their assignments because they were "saved to the school computer."
4. Drive can be accessed on any device. Students are able to use the school computers, chromebooks, laptops, iPads, and all of their own devices that have internet. This has eliminated the need to book the computer lab so that students can complete assignments. It can also help with differentiation as students can move forward immediately when they are ready to start writing an assignment, regardless of if other students are ready or not.
5. I can look at the history of a document and tell who has worked on the document. I can restore work if it has been accidentally deleted and I can tell if a different editor has worked on the assignment and what they have done. This prevents plagiarism and a student "overcorrecting" another's work because I can tell exactly who has typed where (it is colour coded by editor). If a student is copying and pasting large portions of text, I can see that they have been pasted into the document. I can also look at the suggestions I have made and see if the student actually took my advice and made the suggested changes.
6. Drive has add-ons you can download from Chrome. My students use SpeakIt often. They can highlight part of their text and get the computer to speak it back to them. Sometimes just hearing what they have written can help them to make changes and improve their writing. One I have downloaded but not tested out in great depth is a read and write app. This is a tool that could be used for students that struggle with reading and writing. It is similar to WordQ and suggests words for them and helps them build sentences.
Are there any disadvantages?
Perhaps...
I did have to learn a new technology and I had to reach out to my digital coach for help in making the change. Setting up the email addresses was the hardest part, and I am now the manager of those accounts so it is "something else" I had to learn, implement, and monitor.
I have had the odd student that does not like using Google Drive. They prefer the Microsoft Word products they already know how to use. This has only happened to me once, and it was with an older student (grade 9). My compromise with him was that he had to try the program for a certain amount of time, and if he was not converted, he could go back to using Microsoft. In the end, he did use Google Drive because he saw the advantage of having a teacher make suggestions and for other students to help edit the document before it was handed in. If he had been adamant that he wanted to use Word, I would have allowed that because it still gets the job done. My students don't have to love and utilize every technology that I try with them, I have made that clear to them, but they DO have to try them before making a conclusion. I am trying to build their toolbox; I'm not trying to force them to convert.
Some teachers would worry about stronger students "taking over" for other students. I can see how this would be something to consider, but as stated above, the teacher can see who has edited the document and how they have edited it. This ensures everyone is working on a group project, and that no one completes more work than they were asked to do.
I strongly feel that the advantages of Drive outweigh the possible disadvantages. It is NOT a lot of work for the teacher compared to the benefits for students' learning.
Perhaps...
I did have to learn a new technology and I had to reach out to my digital coach for help in making the change. Setting up the email addresses was the hardest part, and I am now the manager of those accounts so it is "something else" I had to learn, implement, and monitor.
I have had the odd student that does not like using Google Drive. They prefer the Microsoft Word products they already know how to use. This has only happened to me once, and it was with an older student (grade 9). My compromise with him was that he had to try the program for a certain amount of time, and if he was not converted, he could go back to using Microsoft. In the end, he did use Google Drive because he saw the advantage of having a teacher make suggestions and for other students to help edit the document before it was handed in. If he had been adamant that he wanted to use Word, I would have allowed that because it still gets the job done. My students don't have to love and utilize every technology that I try with them, I have made that clear to them, but they DO have to try them before making a conclusion. I am trying to build their toolbox; I'm not trying to force them to convert.
Some teachers would worry about stronger students "taking over" for other students. I can see how this would be something to consider, but as stated above, the teacher can see who has edited the document and how they have edited it. This ensures everyone is working on a group project, and that no one completes more work than they were asked to do.
I strongly feel that the advantages of Drive outweigh the possible disadvantages. It is NOT a lot of work for the teacher compared to the benefits for students' learning.