Favorite Finds from TCEA

This year I focused my learning on all things Google. I wanted to have more in-depth training on the way Google was being used in the classroom. Wow, did I come across some great workshops. One of my favorite finds at #TCEA15 was more theory-based than a "how-to" for using Google tools. It was about application and what that looks like in the classroom.

The workshop was titled "Learning Design with Google in Mind" by Tracy Clark. The concept was how to use Google+ Communities to push challenged-based questions to students. (DISCLAIMER: This concept works best with secondary students because a Google+ account is needed.) The workshop itself had four challenges for the participants to complete centered around the Four C's of Technology Integration.

Here's the 411 of implementing this with your middle school or high school students:

1. A Google+ Community would need to be created for the learning.
2. Challenges would need to be created and loaded to the Community prior to sharing with the students. (Feel free to look at Tracy's examples. She even loaded videos with some challenges.)
3. Students should be placed in groups before access to the Community.
4. Benefits of designing a lesson with Google+ in mind:
• Students are given a challenge-based question that requires deep thought process.
• Students use one of the Four C's of Technology Integration to complete the challenge.
• The challenge is not complete without answering the reflection piece.
• The learning becomes deeper when it is more than recall, memorization or drill and kill.

Although I've know about Google+ for a while, I did not see the value of it for the classroom. This concept was so eye-opening. I love the idea of students having a community to complete challenges and apply reflections with everyone in the classroom and also globally. 

Resources:
Tracy Clark's Smore - Learning Design with Google in Mind