Google Classroom alone is a powerful learning management tool in the classroom but what it can do with others is fantastic and more importantly time-saving. There are many apps that play nice with Google Classroom but two of my favourite apps at the moment are PBS Learning Media and EdPuzzle. Any compatibility that increases your time management and efficiency is a plus but when the technology tool is also very engaging for students it is a big winner.
PBS Learning Media is a fantastic resource where you can find and make content. I think I have only touched the surface of this product. Currently, I am using it to locate content for data and statistics for my Year 11 Study of Religion class. We have been looking at Religion in the World. It is very US based on its content but when looking at world data is very resource-full. There are many primary sources available for the Humanities and Social Sciences learning area. Creating an account is simple with your Google Account compatibility too. It provides you with your own dashboard where you can save your 'finds'. Many of the resources have teaching material accompanying it also.
When you find the content that you want, it is as simple as clicking the Classroom icon to link it directly to your relevant Google Classroom - set up the announcement or the assignment. The resources I found for my current unit were interactive and engaging for my students. This has been my amazing find so far this year and I will continue to explore its use in my teaching and learning.
My favourite Google Classroom compatible app is EdPuzzle. It has been popular for a few years now and I am sure many of you would know it and be using it regularly. It is also compatible with Google Classroom. I use it regularly to 'flip' my classroom, fast finishers or consolidate learning. This is a video-based learning environment. EdPuzzle draws on video from some great places e.g. You Tube, Khan Academy, National Geographic, Ted Talks or you can upload your own video. You are then able to crop video or record your own voice over it to differentiate it for your own classroom. Accompanying the video is the ability to make an interactive quiz. You can crop the video and edit it to stop and students can be asked a question rather than waiting until the end.
The management of you use of the environment is simple too. You set up your classes in EdPuzzle where it draws on your classroom information from Google classroom to make the task seamless. This enables you to monitor student engagement with the task, including student progress and completion. Also, you are able to get feedback on student understanding. I have been using EdPuzzle in this manner for a few years but my goal this year is to increase my screencasting and upload my own videos for students to use.
I love using Google Classroom and I love that it is so compatible with many apps.
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