Have You Googled Your Classroom? by Danna Armour-Johnson, Health Science Teacher, Watertown High School

Having taught collegiately for several years I felt up to date on the technology side of things, and didn’t feel too intimidated when I heard that the students at Watertown High School would be receiving laptops when the new school opened.  In fact, I was rather excited.  Nonetheless, my first year teaching at the high school level was pretty overwhelming. I had to do things the traditional way. Prep, prep, prep, and more prep work.  I was having to get to school early or stay late to get copies made for all classes.  I had the frustrations of the copier being down or the misfeeds, and it was all time consuming.  The amount of paper wasted when copies didn’t come out like they should just made me sick. Sure I could use it for scrap, but it still seemed like a waste.  Then you would have students who were always missing work, trying to convince you that they turned it in. With the mountains of papers you had been grading you felt like you had to give them the benefit of the doubt sometimes. I am by nature a very organized individual.  I like things color coded and filed away appropriately, but as organized as I tried to be, the papers just kept piling up.  That was my first year.  

Year two started off in the traditional sense, but then by mid-semester the students each received a laptop.  I was introduced to Google Classroom and like flying for the first time, I spread my wings.  At first, there were technology issues regarding bandwidths and wi-fi access with so many students using the service at one time, but this was a pilot program understanding certain adjustments had to be made.  Once those technical issue were resolved, it changed the climate of my classroom.  I could post worksheets, reading material, links to websites, the possibilities seemed endless.  I fell in love with this program. The students were more engaged.  They were doing their own work, and I was able to give them feedback quickly. No longer was I trying to write out comments that would take hours. I would simply post a comment and they could reply to questions immediately.  I could post quizzes and tests and the students could have their results by the end of class.  I could post PowerPoint presentations for students who have missed class. There are options to upload video for students who have been home-bound if they need additional assistance.  Most importantly though, I have saved so much time. I go home now at a decent hour. I no longer worry about being at school early to make copies.  When I go to the faculty lounge and see my peers struggling with copying issues, I cringe at the thought of ever having to go back to that.  Despite having computers available there are still teachers afraid to take the leap, but I tell each and everyone of them that they too will love it once they try it.  

Google classroom also offers an app which allows me to see my classroom at any time on my phone.  The other day I was absent on a school related function and realized I had told the substitute that one of the assignments would be a “career survey” link posted on google classroom. Suddenly it hit me that I had forgotten to upload the link, and I simply pulled out my phone uploaded it to the classroom, and boom it was done.  Later that day I was able to see who turned in their assignments as requested and who did not.  I can grade their assignments and post their grades anywhere there is wi-fi.  Students can see when an assignment is late, and no longer can use the excuse “I turned it in, you must have lost it.”  At the end of a reporting period I can download the class grades to a spreadsheet and transfer the grades to our grading platform.  

Realizing that not all of you have the luxury of laptops in your classrooms, it can seem as though this option would be obsolete, but if the majority of your students have computers and internet access at home, it would be worth your time to investigate it.  It has changed my life for the better. I can only hope you will see its value in the near future for yourselves.