Presenting and learning with digital pedagogies: A transformed classroom

 

Image source: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/458241330840549863/

Hello and welcome to the final installation of my blog series tackling ICTs and how they can be used in assisting teachers in developing new and improved pedagogies that deliver education in a modified way that transforms the traditional classroom into the contemporary environment needed in today’s world. In previous entries, I have discussed how students and teachers can use internet spaces to change how students use the information and how to interact with it. In this blog, I will be reflecting on how this information can be presented using modern software that steers away from the ’this is a template’ feel. Ultimately, allowing for better collaborative opportunities between students and better creative instances allows learners to feel completely in control of their education and internet experience whilst in school. The chosen medium I will be discussing is the application Google Slides which is accessible through Web browsers, iOS, and Android.

So, what is Google Sides and how can I use it to benefit myself and my classroom?

In short, Google Slides offers an alternative to the standard presentation tool PowerPoint. The application offers refreshed templates better catered toward a modern audience with more appealing colours, transitions, layouts, and styles. Also available are blank layouts which can be customised from the ground up to create a visually attractive, and engaging document whilst still having the capabilities of PowerPoint such as hyperlinking and video embedding. The main improvement that Google Slides offers over older presenting tools is the documents created on the tool are online and uploaded to the cloud allowing for multi-author opportunities. As well as this, the presenting tool is available for free and can be accessed from both laptops and phones making the program better suited to classes where computer labs may not be available, or laptops cannot be provided by the faculty or by caregivers. This means all learners are given the same opportunity to grow their ability and express their knowledge in a collaborative multimodal scene.

How is it used to create presentations?

Google Slides is better suited to learners of today's world as the device is more technologically capable when compared to the more familiar PowerPoint. PowerPoint is an effective presenting tool for transferring knowledge from an expert to a new learner however, beyond this, quickly becomes less effective as an educational tool when applying the SAMR Model. As mentioned before, Google Slides offers users more freedom in how information is presented and is more easily accessed, allowing for better augmentation and modification of traditional lesson structures. As well as this, being an online document students can simultaneously amend and alter information without having to resend emails to each other allowing for a more streamlined approach for students to complete tasks. Being free and online means the class can be targeted holistically by the educator as some students may not have laptops, however, normally students will at least have phones that can connect to their own data or schools’ data. With the application accessible from all devices, this opens the opportunity to learn for all students. Below are just some of the features that Google Slides offers:

 

The presenting tool shows an easy-to-understand and interact with home screen, displaying blank and predesigned presentation layouts as well as its suggested target audience.

Here you can see where all of your own presentations can be found that you have saved to your google drive.

If scrolling through your presentations is too big of a task, a search bar allows for easy access which can also be used to find presentations that have been shared with you all from one place.

Being a Google product, the app is linked with its counterparts that are also offered by Google which include, spreadsheets and word documents again creating a centralised application where future lesson plans can be made and shared with other educators, or where relative information to students can be pooled for students.

By selecting the yellow share icon, the user can share their presentation with other google users simply by entering their email. As well as this below is an option to restrict the documents viewers to only people who have had the document shared with them rather than others being able to find it. This allows a safe space for adolescence to use webspace’s and share information with each other whilst being in an online environment.

The red box highlights that this presentation was edited seven minutes ago, by selecting this, students and teachers can identify who has altered what and when. For students, this provides an opportunity for them to discuss why changes were made to learn from each other and collaborate more effectively. For educators, this makes it easier to identify how effectively students are using their time on Google Slides to ensure members are participating equally rather than some students being less engaged with the content.

How can I as the teacher use the presentation tool more effectively?

As discussed in previous blog entries, today’s learners are more likely to cement their knowledge when learning collaboratively and all learning styles are accommodated in the lesson plan. As educators, teachers can use Google Slides and its extensions (word documents, and spreadsheets) to pool resources to facilitate the learning of individuals in a modified classroom where the student oversees their own learning and display of knowledge. This tool can also be used to present information like PowerPoint, however, can be accessed by students in their own time when needed to review notes from home as the share document feature is easily found and used. This tool when in groups allows for a collaborative environment to take place encouraging peer-to-peer engagement and as seen above, can be monitored by educators, as well as keeping students safe and information about them private on the internet.

It is important to note that just like other ICTs, Google Slides isn’t intended to replace the teacher but to aid in the teaching process, enhancing pedagogies in the classroom allowing for better engagement, use of information, and formative assessment. Not only this, but when combined with other ICTs discussed in previous blogs can consolidate the individuals’ digital citizenship as a 21st-century learner or educator, giving students the tools to have knowledge on using technological aids that will likely be used in their futures.

Image source: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1127639.pdf

The above figure outlines the approach educators should take when looking to apply technology to benefit the class and assess learning when implementing said applications. An example of using Google Slides following Bloom's SAMR model can be seen below for a biology class.

Substitution – Students will be introduced to how body functions operate in their body (digestive system as an example)

Augmentation – Class, and teacher will discuss other examples of body systems and their function/importance in the body by looking at sources together. The teacher will show students how to interact with Google Slides and its uses. In students' own time, they can create a google account to access Google Slides to learn how to interact with the site and find teachers' resources for more information they may wish to use.

Modification – Students work in small groups and pool resources together on a Google Document to show an understanding of using ICTs, working collaboratively, and evaluating data under the supervision and guidance of the teacher.

Redefinition – Students work in groups using their own resources to create a presentation on their choice of a body system and include diagrams, videos, and audio clips that they believe will assist in understanding their body system for the class to see.

 

References

Holbeck, R., & Bergquist, E. (2014). Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Conceptual Model for CATs in the Online Classroom. Journal of Instructional Research, 3-7. Retrieved April 09, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1127639.pdf