Keeping it Simple: Google Classroom vs. (and?) Haiku

This post is devoted to Google Classroom. To my understanding, Google Classroom's strengths are related to the live classroom setting and the control that the teacher sustains through the digital document sphere.

Advantages:

• live monitoring of student worksheets in real-time--teachers can oversee and monitor student engagement and progress on a particular worksheet without literally looking over students' shoulders
• control of each iteration of the master document--teachers are the "owners" of each unique student worksheet
• No need for student downloading, writing/editing, and uploading of worksheets: teachers can immediately "push" worksheets to students, and students can immediately submit/have work collected. 
• Collected work is centralized and graded in a single site (with immediate grade visibility and teacher feedback)

Disadvantages:

• As a teacher who uses Haiku for assignment posts, work submissions, grading, plagiarism checking (now available through turnitin.com!), revision, grade assignments directly into the gradebook, etc., etc., I don't see the place for Google Classroom in the mix!
• I could imagine using it during a live, immediate, and daytime classroom writing session or worksheet completion/submission session, but I don't see how it's much different than using Haiku outside of school. 

Given the above calculus, I feel now that it's an added but unnecessary channel for student work. I could imagine using it in pockets or sparingly, but I'd prefer Haiku for its gradebook integration and central site for classroom work. 

Still, if Google Classroom integrates into Haiku (are you listening, Google?) then I would gladly use this as a robust classroom tool. 

Study in Contrasts: Google Apps...and Ipad Apps

Before the iPad, I already had a paperless classroom that was enabled by my use of an inter-active Smartboard and Google: Haiku (Google's comprehensive classroom environment app) and Chromebooks. Haiku made classroom discussion boards, digital slideshows, gradebooks, and assignment posting/editing/submission a breeze. I also relied heavily on Google Forms for classroom surveys and Google docs for a writing/editing environment.

I can do all of that now on the iPad--there's a great Haiku app for teacher/student use, and Google forms/docs are present, too. The real question, as I convert to the iPad (and not strictly Google) environment, is to determine what else is now possible. 

Following a wonderful "classroom apps" (Nearpod, Socrative) presentation today by SAR's @beccaglassberg, who has successfully integrated iPad use into her classroom, I'd like to pose the questions as a study in contrasts:

1. In a 1:1 environment, what are the advantages of the presentation app Nearpod over my already existing smartboard files for each unit?

2. In a 1:1 environment, what are the advantages of formative assessments via Socrative over Google Forms?

As I see it, the following advantages must somehow outweigh the prep/processing time (and redundancy of previous avenues via Google) for their overall use and quality of learning and instruction:

1. Nearpod  > Smartboard + Haiku? As far I see it, the greatest advantage of Nearpod in a 1:1 environment is to have lectures and galleries to be projected onto each student's ipad as the teacher reviews it on the smartboard. An added benefit is that Google forms and other types of live chats and student feedback sessions can be integrated into the "presentation". The teacher controls the pace of student learning, too. Can all of that be done between the Smartboard (presentation) and Haiku (discussion board, digital galleries)? Certainly. Does the value of having the presentation projected onto the student's laptop necessitate the transfer of already existing Smartboard files into Nearpod? I'm not convinced, and especially since there's probably a way for me to mirror the smartboard presentation directly onto each student's ipad. 

Follow Up: Figure out how to mirror the smartboard presentation (from my laptop) onto all ipads in the room (and essentially do the work of Nearpod without doubling my prep time). 

2. Socrative > Google Forms? In a 1:1 environment, Socrative does essentially the same thing as Google Forms, but in a visually exciting way. That visual aesthetic seems to be the only advantage over Google Forms (which can get quite bland, in my opinion), but the great advantage of sticking with Google Forms for formative assessments (quizzes, exit tickets, surveys) is its integration, at least in my school, into Google Email/Drive (we run on a comprehensive Google platform). 

Follow Up: I would like to trial Socrative in my classroom, but I'd also like to ask students, following surveys via both Socrative and Google Forms, which they found more engaging. 

After all of this, I think that many signs are pointing towards Google Classroom--an app? website? service? that I've heard much about but haven't started exploring. While I've used Haiku, I think that Classroom will likely meet some of the basic technical needs that a 1:1 environment demands (pushing worksheets/collecting assignments) in a live setting that Haiku implicitly accomplishes, though through traditional mechanisms (downloading/uploading). 

Next up: Google Classroom!

Introduction: Pre-Ipad! (Goals and Initial Research/Outreach)

In anticipation of my first 1:1 ipad year in the high school English classroom (and pre-ipad pickup), I've started assembling useful apps that may be helpful for my 9th grade English classes. I'll track their implementation and record their use in the classroom in the coming weeks. I hope that this blog will be as much a means to reach out to fellow teachers going through the same process as it will be a personal diary of my challenges and successes in implementing a 1:1 program in the HS English classroom.

I should note that I've relied heavily on Google Apps (Drive, Docs, Forms) within the context of Haiku for the last two years. I don't want to replace this resource for managing my classroom, but everything that goes towards and emerges from Haiku should be ipad (and not paper/whiteboard) mediated.

My Goal: I'd like to keep the routines of my class the same as they were pre-ipad, but I'd also like to streamline many of these activities through the ipad. Thus, the writing process (journal writing, brainstorming, drafting, editing, revision) as well as the learning process (reading, seminar discussion, visual maps) should move through parallel ed-tech processes. Assessments, too! Also, I'd like to streamline grammar and vocab. instruction through ipad apps.

App Trials (see sites below):
For the writing process, I'd like to "trial run" the following: journal app, an annotation app, a grading app
For classroom learning: Idea Sketch apps, Screencasts,
For Assessment: Grading app, and Formative Assessment via Socrative.

What am I missing? Membean.com looks perfect for differentiated vocabulary instruction, though I don't think it's ipad compatible. Grammar instruction? Haven't found anything yet. I also have students self-assess at the year's end with a portfolio, though I'd like that to be digital, too--any ideas for a good e-portfolio app?
I've included my findings below and attempt to download and play with these apps over the next few weeks.

Fellow teachers, if you have any experience embarking on a 1:1 ipad high school English program, please recommend all digital resources (apps, blogs, forums) that you've found useful!


English Education

http://www.gatsbyslight.com/literary-analysis-guide.html
-Literary Analysis Guide

http://omaxmedia.com/
-Classroom Journal

http://www.mindconnex.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=8&Itemid=17
-Romeo and Juliet-Shakespeare in Bits

http://dictionary.reference.com/apps
-Dictionary/Thesaurus

http://www.nosleep.net/
-Idea Sketch App (brainstorming, mind maps, visual outlining)

http://www.mindmeister.com/
-Mind Mapping

http://www.branchfire.com/iannotate/
-I Annotate (document annotations)

http://www.essaytagger.com/
-Essay Annotations/Tagger

http://gatsbyslight.com/essay-grader
-Essay Grader


General Education

http://www.educreations.com/
-ScreenCasts

http://www.socrative.com/
-Formative Assessment


Teacher Blogs

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/
http://teachingenglishwiththeipad.blogspot.com/
http://teachingwithipad.org/