Many teachers and schools district have been using Google for Education which offers apps for educational use in and out of the classroom. It can be used to take education online and better serve a changing world that is becoming more and more online focused. These apps are offered for “free” (we’ll talk about “free” later) and allow students, teachers, and educators from around the world to meet and learn all from a computer. There are many positive things that these apps can bring to a classroom but not all parents are on board. This can create a problem for teachers and school districts who struggle to find an alternative for students to use that is of equal value.

The Positives

I personally do not use google apps in my classroom, but they do remind me of another company’s programs I use, Autodesk. Autodesk offers programs like AutoCad, Fusion360, and, Eagle which can be used to design and create virtual objects. Normally these programs cost hundreds of dollars but for educational use it is free. I believe google has come to the same conclusion as Autodesk that it is best to get students use to your programs when they are learning and then they will be familiar with, and more likely to use, your programs in the future. It’s good marketing and it really does help out educational institutions that regularly do not have budgets to otherwise purchase their programs.

Googles educational apps allow students and teachers connect with guest speakers from around the world that may have a deeper insight into their current topic of study. It allows for collaboration opportunities with others, possibly a great distance away, and provide students with a, authentic world experience they might not otherwise get by reading a textbook. The universality of the apps and easy access makes it very popular with most people.

The Negatives

During the CBC radio podcast Spark, episode 401: As Google for Education tools enter classrooms across Canada, some parents are asking to opt-out, Nora Young interviews multiple people discussing the pros and cons of a google classroom. One of the biggest concerns parents have is that the information that Google collects to make the apps work is stored on foreign (US) servers which could, in theory, be collected by the US government under the Patriot Act. In BC we have the Freedom of Information Protection Act (FOIPA) which sets out one of its goals to preventing the unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information by public bodies. This means that schools should not be using programs that stores user’s information in a place out of its control.

According to the podcast there is not much schools can really do about the current system and it appears that teachers, administrations, and districts sometimes just ignore the problem or send home permission forms to allow the use anyway.

Are there any solutions? Well, Google claims that it has no nefarious intent and, in fact, offers parents and others a simplified, plain English, outline of what their terms and agreement are (found at: www.google.com/edu/trust). Some people feel that google needs to try, like Microsoft has, to create servers in Canada for Canadian student/user information. I think this would be a step in the right direction and would require little from a company such as Google.

When it comes down to it parents are the ones who need to make the call. If they decide to not use Google products and services in large numbers, that may make Google take action to solve the problem. But really, as long as teachers and students are not putting personal information into the system do, they really have anything to lose? Even if the US did get the information, does Big Brother care what little Jimmy did in his online English course essay on 1984? Probably not. And unless your teenager is secretly an international spy or terrorist, they really have no interest in that information to begin with.

Online services, such as Google’s online educational apps, are only gaining in popularity as we explore the what 21^st century learning truly means. It is important to be cautious and skeptical but also to try new things and make them work as best we can for everyone.

Podcast

Spark from CBC Radio. Episode 401: As Google for Education tools enter classrooms across Canada, some parents are asking to opt-out. 2018

https://podtail.com/podcast/spark-from-cbc-radio/401-as-google-for-education-tools-enter-classrooms/

Current Trends of K-12 Online Learning in Canada

With the accessibility of the internet ever growing and technologies being developed and changed daily, it has been shown that there has been a national increase in high school student participation in online courses (Blomgren, 2017). In my observations as a high school teacher, distance education has really helped students who want to achieve more learning outside of the school’s physical framework and complete more courses. It has also been a great help to students who cannot or will not attend for varying reasons attend high school during regular class hours. Online courses have allowed these students opportunities that were not a possibility in the past.

With any new growing system there is opportunity for great advancement and great misuse and online education is no exception. With funding for BC online students being a $1000 less than that of regular face to face students and no class caps for online courses it could be very tempting for a government to abuse these holes for the wrong reasons. Up until this point, in some ways, online education in BC has been left in a wild west state where there are little to no rules and there is no indication as to who will be stepping up to state rules when inevitably that time comes. The idea of an online course with no student cap is preposterous to me and would present a teacher with a near impossible task when assessing and grading. Unless education becomes automated, there are limitations to what a teacher can do and giving them obscene amounts of students to interact with is not ideal for anyone.

To add to this, Blomgren (2017) asserts that the system is perhaps in need of reassessment having stayed the same for a long time and yet the education system and governments do not fully understand or effectively support inline education. This reminds me a lot of a problem we have in Technology Education. The government announces all the time that the province needs skilled trade workers and then at the same time refuses to act by funding schooling to train trades people, even taking away funding at times. It appears this may be the same for Education Technology and online learning. We want to encourage growth for getting kids online but then we don’t put any funding towards it or change anything that we are doing.

Another consideration is that not every student has an internet connection or even cell reception in many areas of the province (i.e. rural). Even in my district (Sooke), I work with students who do not have internet or use dial-up connections which would not support much online interactivity. Furthermore, teachers need to keep in mind that not all students are computer savvy and need to be taught the basics. Another point to consider is that many students are computer savvy but lack the discipline to properly participate in an online setting. All too tempting is social media or online games that can distract from the task at hand. I have seen this in my classroom where I have had to endlessly battle students to stay off computer games until they are done their internet-based work. It is frustrating for me and they often do not seem to care that they will fail the course or project if they continue, which adds another level of frustration.

Applying Online Learning Methods

I often have projects that I want students to do that (I would like to think) are well structured yet flexible. Really if students can show me that they are meeting my outcomes and can complete what they are hoping to do in a similar amount of time, I really don’t mind if projects are altered to suit interests. Honestly, I usually get better work when this happens. If I were to teach an online course I would try and make it my goal to continue this approach with my students in a similar way to how Crosslin describes.

But not all the ways I currently teach would translate as easily to online learning. As I consider how I would need to change my courses to meet an online context I occasionally find myself overwhelmed with the potential time commitment that it could take to communicate effectively. Off the cuff remarks about a student’s progress in class time may never happen online or it would actually require the student to thoroughly document what they are doing so that I can comment on it. While I do see some educational merit to this it would also create a whole additional load of work for the student that they would not have to do in a classroom setting.

As a shop teacher, most work done in my classes is project based and most assessment happens at the end of the project. Having students keep a regular online journal or blog could remedy the assessments needs between the big gaps in assessment during the project. It would help the student reflect on their process and learning and afford the instructor a way to respond to the student’s growth. Further, having synchronous online meeting times (via Skype, Zoom, Etc.) would greatly impact classroom connectivity with other students and allow students to talk directly with their instructor for any need they may have.

One Crosslin’s (2018) suggestions to optimizing online learning is to be loose with your due dates, allow room for students to complete assignments in their own time, and being open to giving early feedback on projects and assignments. I have a love hate relationship with this idea. I love the idea of a teacher being open to giving early feedback and looking over an assignment before it’s due. I feel every teacher should be open to it, even though it does add to the work load. Honestly, it is a fair expectation that later in life you will be able to bounce ideas off your peers and bosses to make sure your work is headed in the right direction. I hate no due dates. I understand that life outside of school happens and that sometimes a due date just can’t be met. I make room and extend due dates to the students I know learn slower. My concern is that students are entering the work force or even just university and have no understanding that outside school due dates generally mean something. In industry, missing a finish date is now costing you money. You cannot miss a date in court without repercussions. If you miss paying that bill on time too many times and you’ll have no power. I honestly believe that some students need to understand that better.

Online education is slowly growing and changing as most things do in the education system. In time it will become stronger and likely take on a new look as technologies changes and as it becomes more readily accepted and available as an educational method of learning.

Readings

Blomgren, C. (2017). Current Trends and Perspectives in the K-12 Canadian Blended and Online Classroom. In N. Ostashewski, J. Howell, & M. Cleveland-Innes (Eds.), Optimizing K-12 Education through Online and Blended Learning. Information Science Reference. 10.4018/978-1-5225-0507-5 http://ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/login?url=https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/full-text-html/159551

Crosslin, M. (2018). Effective Practices. In M. Crosslin (Ed.),Creating Online Learning Experiences. Mavs Open Press. https://uta.pressbooks.pub/onlinelearning/chapter/chapter-5-effective-practices/