By: Grace Schultz
An unforeseen technological takeover
While each generational amount of immersion in Google Classroom varies, the platform is spreading more rapidly than ever before and continues its strive to be teachers best tool. The qualities of this new platform have begun to push older options, such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Schoology, out of the top spots. As the 1990’s through early 2000’s babies continue to graduate, evidence of past endeavors fade and the “classrooms of the future” take the spotlight.
Proposed as a tool built to mainly benefit teachers, Google Classroom was released to the public on August 12, 2014. Those who used the site in its beginning stages were extremely important to its continued success and improvement over the next coming years. As technology evolves, google must continuously update and change its educationally based websites to be able to stay up with new advancements.
Over the years, as Google has received more and more teacher and student based opinions on improvements, other related platforms have been revamped to be at the same standard as Google Classroom. Combined, the online tools now available offer a plethora of answers to questions now no longer needing to be asked. The advantages are numerous, but a select few stand above the rest in terms of importance.
An advantage for teachers is the simplification of the assignment collecting process. Eliminating the time taken from class periods by collecting and keeping track of papers allows teachers to be more productive in class. Additionally, the features on Google Classroom show a teacher if and at what time assignments were turned in, preventing students from being untruthful.
Ms. Petrulio, who has been teaching for six and a half years and is currently an English teacher at MVHS, can attest to Google Classrooms beneficial aspects. When asked if she ever felt a shift in the usefulness and popularity of the platform, she responded by saying “Prior to Google classroom I used another platform, which was more of a class website and less of an interactive tool”
Following the previous topic, Ms. Petrulio touched on the ways in which it worked substantially well for teachers and students with assignments. She concluded with “I do believe Google classroom is beneficial to both students and parents. It works both as a location for assignments to be completed as well as for announcements and class resources.”
Along with Google Classroom, there have been advancements in the innovation of physical classrooms with the types of desks and the use of television screens. The addition of wheels and whiteboard tops to the new desks as well as flat screens in lue of projectors have been an adjustment for teachers and students alike, but have created great opportunities.
A first hand opinion of the new classroom advancements comes from Mr. Tickler, a history teacher at Mission, who has only had the room as of this year. For students, Mr. Tickler finds the desks great for “collaboration, small groups and partners”. He also mentioned that it “took time to adjust to the technology”, while finding the “network and internet beneficial”
As time goes on, technology will continue to advance in capability and availability and it is up to teachers and students to keep up with it. Websites like Google classroom and the innovative classroom setups are meant to help, if given the right chance.
