It is hard to believe I’ve had the Chromebooks in my second grade classroom for a week. After a great first two days, I decided to dive right in head first.

Google Classroom

Since, our LMS system was not up and running, I wanted to give students a taste of what it would look like to have assignments and submit them.  I set up a Google Classroom page and decided to start with a Google Doc.  When we are learning a new vocabulary word, I start the lesson by showing them a collection of pictures dealing with the word.  As a class, we then discuss what we see, how they are the same, and how they are different. I thought it would be cool to have this discussion be on a Google Doc, where students could see everyone’s ideas and it would give us practice using them for the first time.

Honesty Alert! Holy buckets Batman!  That was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.  I do not have much experience in using Google Docs and it was only after using them with 25 second graders, I realized I had only used them to edit with a few people.  I think my first mistake was having 25 of them trying to edit the document at the same time.  Cursors would disappear, lines were deleted, and the blame game began.  I immediately saw myself sinking into lesson failure and time management twilight zone (lesson lasted 40 minutes which is double usual time).  I must admit I felt like a first year teacher all over again.  I found myself getting frustrated with them at first because why couldn’t we get this to work.  It was after the second time of going over directions step by step on the SMART Board, I realized just like anything else we must use the gradual release of responsibility.  The skill set required to do things on the computer is different and takes time.

The next item we tried in Google Classroom was a question, where I asked them to record phonics pattern words they found while in guided reading.  This went MUCH better.  Not only because we had had that lesson fail earlier that day but because in the question component, they just type in their answer and cannot edit others responses.  This also made me realize how cool it was to grade and give feedback immediately from where ever I was! It made me start to see the value in an LMS.

In the middle of the week, I wanted to try my hand at another assignment on Google Classroom (since Canvas wasn’t ready yet).  I wanted to show the students that we could have some success with more practice.  I set up an assignment where they had to watch 3 videos about contractions and then write 2 sentences with at least once contraction in each.  This was pretty neat and well received.

Honesty Alert! When I post YouTube videos from my classroom playlist on Google Classroom it takes them to YouTube.  Now this led to great digital citizenship conversations but I am looking forward to how Canvas plays the YouTube videos within the LMS.  Students do not have to actually go to YouTube.  While I feel it is important to teach students to navigate the internet in a safe way, I like that for younger students we have this as a way to foster those skills first and then open it up to going to the actual YouTube page.  When it came to students writing their sentences, we realized how when typing we must remember capitals and punctuations since those require us to hit different keys on the keyboard.   Good news is going 1:1 means keyboarding will be introduced before 3^rd grade.

It was in these lessons, I realized the growing pains that will occur going 1:1.  While kids now a days are able to pick up things much quicker, it will take time for them to grasp the logistics of it all.  As a district, we must prepare for that and plan accordingly.  After a while though and if our work is done early on, we will see those logistical items become easier if not obsolete.  Also our teachers are going to need effective Google training or at least be pointed in the right directions.  Whether that be teachers within our district who know how to use Docs, Slides, Draw, Sheets, Forms, etc or a video library of resources, we must be prepared to set teachers up for success.

After feeling like I was a complete failure, I wasn’t prepared for how much typing helped them to remember the vocabulary discussion or how our failures led to amazing problem solving discussions.  They saw what it was like first hand to fail and fail again.  We had to think quickly on our feet and come up with alternative guidelines and expectations.  In a way it was the best authentic real world lesson I could have given them.

As teachers moving in to a 1:1 environment, we will have to remember there will be elements of first year teacher and extra work.  It will be overwhelming and seem unmanageable.  Believe me I felt that very much in my first week and must honestly admit to spending 3-5 hours at home planning, researching, and creating lessons.  However, that is my personality and I realize that is not for everyone.  Collaboration is going to be a HUGE component of our districts 1:1 success.  It will be key to collaborate with grade level, district level, and or department levels on a regular basis to lessen some of the burden.  Instead of creating everything yourself, alternate by units or chapters when creating and make sure to share!  We must lean on each other and share resources and tips more frequently.  Granted this has my first week, so I am anxious to see how the work load and overwhelming feeling changes as I get further in to the pilot.

If you have any tips or tricks that have helped you when beginning your 1:1 pilot please feel free to share with me!  I am eager to learn!