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It was almost 4 years ago that I began my master’s program and started teaching at an amazing English department in addition to continuing my other part time job. It was then that I realized my organizational skills needed help.
I had to work with various LMS (Learning Management Systems) such as Moodle, Blackboard, Desire to Learn at school and at work. In addition to creating lesson plans, marking, doing research, attending meetings, and collaborating with colleagues for projects, I had to make sure that I delivered to the best of my ability in an effective and efficient manner.
Carrying a USB to different classrooms and making sure that I had a backup on all my data was one additional layer to my daily dose of stress. This was when Google Drive was introduced to me. To be clear, I did have experience using various online spaces before, but this was different. I realized that this space, Google Drive, is connected to my email, my calendar, and my blog, PowerPoint presentations, Word Files, and Excel Sheets. Unbelievable. No more stressing about forgetting my USB, worrying about space, making backups, adding new research information, data, tests, and activities.
One of the first factors that got me hooked on this platform is how easily I can create folders. Another benefit is how convenient it is to create Power Point presentations and share the PowerPoints (Google-Slides) through a link.
Finally, using Google Drive allows users to create Google Docs (blog about this soon to come), share documents with peers, edit documents, and practice peer editing. These documents can all be created anywhere on your Google Drive space by a simple right click. In addition, “unlike a traditional word processing document, you never need to click “Save”…EVER. Your work is automatically saved every 5 seconds (Lynch, 2016, para. 2).
My teaching life changed once I started using this amazing tool, and I cannot imagine how I used to teach before incorporating it into my daily teaching and learning practice. Using Google Drive has made me a more efficient educator in developing and sharing resources. “Simply put, Google Docs is like an online version of the Microsoft Word suite, but it’s free and has real-time sharing and collaborating abilities (Moitzheim, 2015, para.2).
Have you found Google Drive a useful tool? Please share with us your helpful ideas and tips.
References
M Lynch (2016, December 8). Teachers: How to Use Google Drive. Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org/teachers-how-to-use-google-drive-2/
D Moitzheim (2015, September 5). Teaching with Google Drive. Retrieved from http://teachmag.com/archives/8545
6 Comments
Hi Sherry,
Great blog!
I, too, have found Google Drive to be a game changer in my teaching practice.
I like the option of creating folders within folders. For example, I like to start a folder for a class, then keep multiple folders within that folder (eg. lesson plan rough drafts, research, activity brainstorm, student progress).
I know Keith,
I tend to create folders within folders based on semesters, classes, and organizations I work for, and when I walk into a class, I do not have to worry about carrying photocopies, lesson plans, or forgetting to carry anything.
Best,
Sherry Hejazi
I love Google Drive! I like how I can also access it via my phone, just in case there are any internet connection problems. I also like having the option to make some files available offline. And I still carry around a USB…just in case!
And then there’s Google Classroom, which automatically makes a class file in your Google Drive. You can receive, correct, and return assignments, among other things.
Hi Amanda,
You’re right! The feature that allows you access files offline is valuable. Gives you peace of mind!
I am glad you enjoy using this tool!
Please tell me if there is a teaching tool on how to use this, such as an online seminar. Thankyou
Hi Cynthia,
You might find this tutorial useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HU9Z5gtQVk