GCE Level 2 Blog - Sarah Gaffney

      Unit 8 captured my attention far more than many of the other Google tools.  As a Spanish teacher, I was very intrigued to learn more about the Google tools that allow students to explore different cultures. It made me re-evaluate how I use some of these tools in my lessons.  In Unit 9, I was surprised by how Google Translate was being encouraged for student and teacher use.  There are so many colloquialisms and idioms that do not directly translate from English to another language, or semantics do not match between the two languages when using translate.   While I agree that it is a tool that can help bridge the communication gap between ELL students and teachers, I don't think it should be relied on as a translation tool for parent newsletters, as one Google Educator teacher suggested in her recording.       I have used some basic features in Google Maps (mostly Street View) to have students explore different Spanish speaking countries.  I have students do a scavenger hunt o

       The Google Advanced Search feature was a tool that I was not completely aware of before starting this unit.  I am excited to be able to search exclusively in the Spanish language in the hopes of finding more authentic resources to use in my classes.  I also think the download options, such as PDF is a great way to share resources with students (articles, webpages, etc.) without having to copy and paste the info into a Google Doc, which I am definitely guilty of doing.  Why didn't I utilize these tools before??     I got lots of other useful ideas that I can add to my summer "to-do" list.  I like the idea of the table of contents on the Syllabus.  I would like to spend some time revising my current syllabus based on the recommendations given in Unit 6 and the example based off of Mrs. Reisen's. I have also been wanting to look more into electronic portfolios for my students and how they can show student growth with language skills throughout my course.  One thin

       I still feel quite novice in my Google Sheet skills, however this lesson helped me to open my eyes to some other tools that I can use (with some more coaching).  There are lots of ways to sort data.  Google Forms is another great way to collect data with many options for how students can provide answers.      I am still pretty intimidated by Google Sheets and stay away from it when I can.  I do use it to collect data from Google Form exit tickets or quizzes, so the Pivot Table could help me to hone in on how students are doing and also to customize the data that comes in.  I could also consider sorting student growth skills to analyze areas of focus for specific students in my classes.  One take away aside from Google Sheets is the idea to list the objectives on a Google Form for students to see.  It always helps me to stay focused on the goals of a lesson or particular exit ticket quiz when I have the objectives right in front of me as a constant reminder. 

     In these Units I learned that there are WAY MORE tools than I knew about before. In the past I have been quick to add chrome extensions or add-ons, but then I have never really utilized them.  I also didn't know that the Add-on feature allowed students (or anyone) to customize their own features.  While I think that the concept is a good idea, I feel that most students need more guidance about tools and how to utilize them.  They too can get overwhelmed.       While I think that it's easy to get bogged down with  too many  resources and tools, I do think that a few of these will be helpful for day to day organization.  In particular, I like the idea of muting emails that are "reply all" responses from colleagues. This will save a few minutes each day sorting through my inbox.  I also love the email templates.  These will be very useful in replying to students, acknowledging when they have submitted late work, and replying to parents. 

       Being forced into remote learning has really challenged the way that I deliver content to my students- in a good way!  I have loved experimenting with the blended learning model to enhance instruction and to maximize the precious face to face time that I do have with my students.  It has been a puzzle trying to ensure that content delivered to my face to face students and to my remote students is equitable, and that there are multiple opportunities for scaffolds or challenges for those that need it.   While this has been an exceptionally challenging year, I think that many of these alternative learning models are here to stay.      I would love to implement more of the flipped classroom approach, however I struggle with students doing any work at home. As I'm sure many teacher can relate to, when we were full remote it was a struggle to get students to engage in the content at all. Now that we are in-person and remote (70%-30%), students who are in-person will still not do m

  1. My name is  Sarah Gaffney. 2. I teach at Black River Public School in Holland. 3. I teach Spanish (upper elementary, MS, HS) and do some ELL support. 4. The Level 1 certification came at the perfect time with the unexpected demand for remote learning. I was excited to be able to apply the skills I learned right away to what I was doing with my students in our first phase of remote learning. 5. As remote learning continues to evolve, the Google Level 2 certification will continue to challenge my own practices as a teacher and allow me to meet the needs of my students in more creative ways.