GAFE

Twine and Google Classroom

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Today in class we talked about two tech tools, google classroom and twine.

Twine is a tool that allows its users to tell interactive non-linear stories. It was created in 2009 by Chris Klimas but it is now maintained by several people. Twine is free to use for any way you wish to use it, including for commercial use, and it publishes directly to HTML, which allows you to post your work almost everywhere. It is used by most of its users to develop hypertext narratives and games. It does not require any programming languages that most game development tools do. This makes it very desired for those who do not know any programming languages. It is a tool that can be used by anyone who is wanting to create interactive fiction. In class, we created our own one by an example given to us by our teacher. I have never been good with technology so it was interesting for me to see how Twine works. After some practice, I began to get the hang of it and learned about some basic coding for design elements. Within Twine, you do not have to code, but if you want to add certain design features, such as bold writing, underlining, background colors etc. you can code them into your writing. After you have finished creating your interactive story, you can play it and see it for your self which is a cool feature. You can also share what you have created with whoever you would like.

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This is what it looks like when you are creating your interactive story

The other tech tool we looked at was Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a web tool that was created by Google in 2014 specifically for schools but can be used by anyone who has a Google account. It a free to use and allows teachers and their students to connect with each other both inside and outside of school. Within Google Classroom you can create classes, distribute assignments, post materials, and announcements, communicate and stay organized. It is a great tool to use that saves you time, is easy to set up, and is affordable.  Students can be added to a classroom by a private code or automatically through a school domain. Students can submit their assignments and post questions they have or add to discussions within the classroom.

I used Google Classroom a lot throughout my time in high school and I found it a really great tool. It makes it easy to see assignments that your teachers give you and various materials that are useful for the course. I like how you can ask a question or start a discussion on Google Classroom, this allows you to collaborate with your peers. In class today we created our own classroom to see how easy it is to create one. For someone not very tech-savvy it was very easy to set up and to add materials within your classroom. Google Classrooms is a great tool to stay connected with your students and is a paperless way to give assignments and materials. I am definitely going to use Google Classroom when I begin teaching.

Overall, both Twine and Google Classroom are great tech tools (for very different reasons).

 

Tech Tool Review – Google Apps for Education (GAFE)

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Google Apps for Education (GAFE) also called G Suite is a tool available for teachers and schools for free. It allows people to collaborate and communicate with their peers, teachers, and colleagues. These apps include Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs and Sites.

Some ways that Google apps are being used in schools are to easily manage your classroom by creating classes, distributing assignments or quizzes, giving feedback to students and having everything organized in one place. It is simple to operate and you can manage it with confidence. Students and teachers can collaborate anywhere and anytime by co-editing documents and presentations.  Another way it can be used is to compose to-do lists, set task reminders, and to organize your schedule. Google apps enables you to communicate in many different ways, such as email, chat, video conference or you can even create your own website. The reasons why educators choose to use GAFE is because it is easy, affordable, versatile and impactful. The only downside to using Google apps is that it is absolutely necessary to have access to a device, which often some kids don’t.

The tool website is: https://edu.google.com/intl/en_ca/k-12-solutions/g-suite/?modal_active=none

We already use numerous Google apps, therefore we would both consider using it in our classrooms.

GAFE is widely tweeted about and discussed on almost every social media platform.

Below are some helpful video tutorials and resources:

 

~ Elissa and Eliza