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/