Stephanie DeMolfetto's Portfolio Page

Return to:

• ETAP 623 Fall 2021 (Zhang)
• Google Drive Add-Ons for Education

About Me

My name is Stephanie DeMolfetto and I am currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Curriculum Design and Instructional Technology (CDIT) and a certificate in Online Teaching and learning at SUNY Albany. I earned my initial Master's from CUNY Staten Island in Adolescent Education and my Bachelor's degree in Adolescent Education: English from SUNY New Paltz. I'm an extremely motivated individual and consider myself a lifelong learner; whether I'm teaching or in a student scenario, I'm constantly learning from others. As a high school English teacher, I have learned tons from my students. This is my tenure year and final semester in the CDIT program and I'm extremely proud of all my work. Outside of education, I'm an avid hiker and dog lover who likes to spend all of my free time on the nearest mountain!

My Topic and Purpose

The topic of this course, Google Drive Add-Ons for Education, will encourage educators to implement engaging learning platforms in their classrooms. This course is designed for educators of all levels who want to ensure their students are mindfully engaged in the lesson and understanding the content, at the moment of the lesson while using Google on a day-to-day basis. While these add-ons from Google are geared toward synchronous courses, they can also be used for asynchronous courses and allow educators to check for understanding. Educators will feel comfortable navigating the environment of Google add-ons and incorporating them into their courses depending on how each platform impacts the lesson and fosters an engaging class setting.

Learning Outcomes

When finished with this course, learners will

• Be able to choose a Google add-on tool that fits the class lesson.
• Understand the specific features of each Google add-on.
• Determine how to ensure students are engaged in the course.

Needs Assessment

The Instructional Problem

Our current student body is growing up within the twenty-first century in classrooms that attempt to use technology to foster student growth and understanding. The NYS Board of Regents Statewide Learning Technology Plan, adopted in 2010, acknowledges “Technology is a path for teaching and learning, but it is also a body of practices, skill, and knowledge to be learned.” Despite this, educators are expected to share an understanding of technology and online practices they haven’t been prepared for themselves. The use of the Needs Assessment process will allow educators access to materials regarding online platforms that will encourage them to introduce the content with their students. The vision for the Computer Science & Digital Fluency Standards of New York State is “Every student will know how to live productively and safely in a technology-dominated world. This includes understanding the essential features of digital technologies, why and how they work, and how to communicate and create using those technologies.” These skills will be shared with educators who will then use these tools in their own classrooms to embolden students in their use of technology for academia and not merely personal entertainment. Furthermore, these skills are necessary for students in their lives after high school as illustrated by CyberStates.

What Will Be Learned

In this course, educators will be exposed to the various opportunities made available by the frequently used Google Drive. The frequently used Google platform provides educators with the ability to build on their everyday use of Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets with add-ons. An add-on is an additional tool that educators can search for to build on their use of the more commonly accessed aspects of Google. In doing so, educators will become accustomed to making their lessons more accessible while also exposing their students to tools that can assist them in their education. Furthermore, the New York State Education Department acknowledges “Digital tools are available to assist educators in communicating with students and families, facilitating remote or online learning, and creating engaging instructional and learning opportunities for students.” Despite this, educators often resort to the tools they know, but when they expand their tools with add-ons not only will planning a lesson become easier but ensuring all students are engaged and understand the content will become far more straight-forward and will allow educators to address student needs while data is collected on their behalf; all while exposing students to technology.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

Analysis of Learners

The frequent implementation of technology in the classroom must begin at a higher level so educators recognize the tools being used within their classroom are both acceptable as well as expected on a daily basis. Below are the learners that will benefit from this course:

• Board of Education Members
• School Administrators
• In-Service Teachers
• Pre-Service Teachers
• Paraprofessionals
• Schools Counselors and Psychologists
• Anyone who provides students with content

Such a variety of groups is necessary for this course to lead to a generation of students who are confident in implementing technology in their daily lives. Each of the groups provided has an impact on students. When educators see administrators use these platforms, they will recognize the use of technology as an expectation rather than a choice because it is what is needed for our current generation of students in their post-high school lives. Every individual should have a general background in Google Drive including Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Classroom in order to make the most of this course.

Context for Learning

This course will be shared with educators in an asynchronous online format that reviews a variety of Google Add-Ons. The course will be divided into three units including add-ons specific to Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Classroom. Each add-on will then address how the tool impacts both teachers and students. Learners will be required to have access to a laptop to make the most of the add-ons with Google Chrome installed. Note: Any computer can install Google Chrome including Mac Software.

Exploring the Problem and Solution

The solution to the instructional problem is making all educators who take this course confident in their implementation of Google Add-Ons. Schools across New York State have access to a Google for Education domain that isn’t used to its fullest potential for most educators. The mini-course should be implemented as a guide and review for educators to develop educator ability in using these tools as well as student exposure to the platforms on a daily basis.

Goals

The dominant goal of this mini-course is to ensure students have been exposed to technology on a daily basis because their educators are confident in its implementation. When educators expose their students to technology, the New York State Education Department's vision for technology will be successfully carried out. Educators should have a variety of opportunities to choose tools that work for their classroom and student body after having been exposed to the tools themselves. Without sufficient time to explore tools such as Google Add Ons, educators will be unable to confidently use technology and prepare their students for life in the digital age.

Performance-Based Objectives

• Participants will be able to articulate the specific uses of Google Extensions
• Participants will be able to plan a lesson with extensions based on student needs
• Participants will be able to integrate digital skills into daily lessons
• Participants will be able to distinguish which digital platforms heighten specific skills

Task Analysis

Goal

Participants will develop a lesson using a Google Extension and expressing how it adds to the lesson.

Knowledge

• Familiarity with the basics of Google Drive including Google Docs and Slides
• Familiarity with the level of engagement of students in their class

Attitudes

• The willingness to move away from the traditional classroom
• The belief that technology is a necessary component of student learning in the 21st century
• A willingness to incorporate activities that utilize technology

Skills

• Ability to use data to inform the chosen instructional technology tool
• Identify opportunities to incorporate new technology into the curriculum
• Ability to navigate the internet
• Ability to self-reflect and express why a technological tool did/didn’t work for their class

Interpersonal Abilities

• Accepting of feedback
• Reflective of feedback
• Self-Reflective

Prerequisites

• Must have access to a computer and stable internet connection as well as a Google account
• Recognize the importance of technology in education
• General understanding of Google Drive; specifically Google Slides and Google Docs.

Curriculum Map

References and Resources

Bielaczyc, K., & Collins, A. (1999). Learning Communities in Classrooms: Advancing Knowledge For a Lifetime. NASSP Bulletin, 83(604), 4–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263659908360402

Committee on How People Learn. (2018). How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Darling-Hammond, L., Barron, B., Pearson, P. D., Schoenfeld, A. H., Cervetti, G. N., Chen, M., Stage, E. K., Zimmerman, T. D., & Tilson, J. L. (2015). Reading for Understanding. In Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding (pp. 71–112). Wiley.

Krajcik, J. S., & Blumenfeld, P. C. (2006). Project-based learning. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.)., The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (pp. 317-333). Cambridge University Press.

Larson, M. B. and Lockee, B. B. (2020) Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design. New York, NY: Routledge.

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2012). The understanding by design framework. Alexandra, VA. ASCD.