Blog Post 5

Case Study 1: Google Classroom

 Overview: Google Classroom is a beneficial technological tool to be used in a classroom environment.
It allows for access to different google based programs including google docs, google slides, google sheets, google drive and google meet. These different programs allow for communication between not only colleagues but also with parents, and also promotes collaboration amongst staff. 

User Engagement: Apps such as google docs and google slides can be used for different classroom assignments/projects, whereas google drive allows colleagues to share and save helpful teaching resources and google meet is beneficial for collaboration because colleagues can quickly hop on a meeting to discuss a topic at hand. 

Influence on Communication: Google Classroom allows teachers to have a one-way communication style with parents through email. The parents are kept up to date on the happenings in the school and their child's classroom. The teacher can also use google classroom to email the students as well. Another communication benefit of google classroom is that the classroom teacher has the ability to post announcements on the class page, everyone has the chance to view these announcements as well. (GCFGlobal)

Information Consumption: Students pretty much have free reign to access materials at any time that they want to, google classroom provides organization so it is easy to access different lessons. Students can access from their home computers, which makes for a smooth sailing learning tool. 

Impact on Learning: A cause for concern with google classroom is taking into consideration that not all students will have access to wifi outside of the classroom, if this is the case, google classroom can still be a beneficial tool inside the classroom to promote collaboration amongst students on assignments/projects.

Privacy and Safety: As for privacy and safety concerns in regards to google classroom, it is a very safe application, the best way to ensure privacy is by making a safe and protective password, that way all your information is not tampered with. 

Reference

GCFGlobal Learning. (n.d.). Google classroom: Communicating with students and parents.

 GCFGlobal.org. https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/google-classroom/communicating-with-students-and-parents/1/

Case Study 2: Class Dojo

Overview: Class Dojo is a communication tool that teachers utilize to have active communication with parents, students, and families. This application allows for photos and videos to be shared as well to present what learning activities the students are doing throughout the school day. It allows teachers to document the school day, but it is also used for academics by providing a space where lessons can be accessed, and assignments can be completed. This app can also be used as classroom management because there is a tool implemented to track student behavior and the students can earn points for positive behavior.

User Engagement: This is an easy tool used for communication purposes by giving parents daily updates on the happenings of the school, and parents are able to access different photographs of projects that the students are completing and working on together. The teacher can document all the different fun learning activities that happen in the classroom which is beneficial because it will promote a positive and engaging learning environment.

Influence on Communication: A huge benefit of this application is that it has access to 35 different languages, and a translator built into it. This makes it especially easier to communicate with families where their first language may differ from yours, therefore taking the language barrier out of the equation and creating that inclusive and positive classroom environment. 

Information Consumption: Class Dojo allows space for materials to be distributed and accessed by students at anytime. It is a great organizational site where the lessons can be labeled and easily found for review.

Impact on Learning: Similar to Google Classroom, it is important to take into consideration that not all students will have internet access at home, so these students may be unable to access lessons and assignments from home. The application however will still be beneficial for in classroom purposes.

Privacy and Safety: As for privacy and safety concerns in regards to google classroom, it is a very safe application, the best way to ensure privacy is by making a safe and protective password, that way all your information is not tampered with. 

Reference

Edwards, L. (2022, October 20). What is Classdojo? teaching tips. TechLearningMagazine. https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-classdojo

Blog post 4

 A topic that interests me revolving around education is the implementation of play in a learning environment. The school in which I teach at currently is a big advocate for allowing play to be part of the learning process, so I have seen firsthand the benefits of this. 

Chanel Kit Ho Fung & Doris Pui Wah Cheng (2012) Consensus or dissensus? Stakeholders’ views on the role of play in learning, Early Years, 32:1, 17-33, DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2011.599794

This article goes through some of the benefits of play based learning. Some of these benefits include, "effective strategy to promote ‘child-engagement, knowledge construction, [and] active exploration’ (teacher, School B). However, these perceptions mainly reflect the superficial phenomenological features of play in terms of the children’s physical activities and their positive psychological responses" (Fung & Cheng 2011), showing that play allows the students to be more engaged in the lessons, and have a say in the navigation of the learning process. This article goes through some of the teachers views not aligning with play based learning based upon their belief of the play causing an unstructured classroom environment.

Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson & Eva Johansson (2006) Play and learning— inseparable dimensions in preschool practice, Early Child Development and Care, 176:1, 47-65, DOI: 10.1080/0300443042000302654

This article goes through a study that was done in order to determine the different dimensions of play based learning. This study was conducted through the process of observations. The students participating in this study ranged from ages 15 months to 3 years old. It is noted that the teacher holds the responsibility of conducting positive and effective play in the learning process, by stating that, "What we have illustrated by these two observations is the importance of the teachers when it comes to the development of a situation of interplay, and how this situation will appear to the children. We claim that these teachers integrate play and learning, both in spontaneous situations and in situations in which the teacher has taken the initiative" (Samuelson & Johansson 2006). When play is incorporated into the learning process, it always the children to be creative and have fun while learning different social skills as well. 

Allee‑Herndon, K. A., Roberts, S. K., Hu, B., Clark, M. H., & Stewart, M. L. (2020, November 23). Let’s Talk Play! Exploring the Possible Benefts of Play-Based Pedagogy  on Language and Literacy Learning in Two Title I Kindergarten  Classrooms.

This article goes through the benefits in literacy that are cohesive with the implementation of play based learning in the classroom. It was found that "Children in the play-based classroom had greater literacy learning gains than children in the didactic classroom suggesting the play-based approach was at least partially responsible for the differences in student performance. With the significant impacts of purposeful play detected in the current study along with prior supporting research for purposeful play, kindergarten teachers should consider infusing play-based pedagogy into their daily routines, especially when serving students living in poverty" (Allee-Herndon et al 2020), showing that there is a difference between the students literacy skills based upon whether or not their classroom environment allows for play based learning.

Miller, N.C.; Kumar, S.; Pearce, K.L.; Baldock, K.L. Primary School Educators’ Perspectives and Experiences of Nature-Based Play and Learning and Its Benefits, Barriers, and Enablers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 3179. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063179

This article goes through the play based learning experiences specifically in primary schools. This article highlights how play based learning is significantly increasing in the schools and the importance of the educators role in the implementation of play based learning. This article states that "Participants described how this learning environment can be less structured and put less pressure on students than a traditional classroom environment. Some participants described how this environment can help boost some children’s confidence in a group learning context" (Miller et al 2022), this shows some of the benefits that play based learning has and how it can be beneficial for collaboration between peers which is an important element of the learning process.

 Hongbiao Yin, Alan Chi Keung Cheung, Winnie Wing Yi Tam & Elaine Lau (2024) Facilitating Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions of Enactment of Play-Based Learning for Whole-Child Development: The Potential of Personal and Organizational Enablers, Early Education and Development, 35:8, 1773-1788, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2023.2298643

This article goes through some ways to implement this type of learning and improving the way in which play based learning is instructed. The article seizes to persuade schools to implement play based curriculum because " As some researchers have suggested, for children, play and learning are inseparable from and often supplement each other" (Hongbiao et al 2024), showing that learning and play go hand in hand with one another.