GCE L2 Unit 8 & 9 Reflection
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 of real places related to our vocabulary- places around the community. This leads to some great observations and conversations about the layout of Spanish or European influenced cities, markets, and lots of other cultural aspects. I love the idea of having students use the My Maps tool to create a map and plot out places that they visited in a particular city. I also want to incorporate the projects feature in Google Earth for students to use as a presentation. I've also learned about some great tools that I can pass on to colleagues- For example, Your Plan, Your Planet would be great for our Green Team group!
I love your perspective on Google Translate. I agree, it's a great tool for those that have nothing to bridge the gap in communication, but for students studying the language, I could see how you might weave it in to help TEACH them. Find something that doesn't translate correctly. Show them the translation and have them fix it. It not only would help them refine their language skill, it also could help show them that AI tools are not perfect, so maybe they would make their own decisions on not relying on it when it comes to classwork.
ReplyDeleteGreat expansion of what you already do with maps/street view to something where students can create (MyMaps)! Earth has so many unique tools, I can see lots of ways to incorporate it. Have you dabbled in Google Arts & Culture, too? I wonder if that would also blend nicely! :) Hope the Green Team enjoys YOUR PLAN YOUR, PLANET, too! Nice work passing that along to someone who could utilize it. BRAVO.
This insight on the Google Translate tools is SO helpful. I've noticed this in my use with both Translate and TalkingPoints. We have a lot of parents who type messages in Spanish and then use Translate or TalkingPoints to send it to us in English. It ends up being hard to understand, sometimes, so I completely agree with being cautious using it on our end to communicate important messages. I like the availability of these apps in a pinch, but officially translate anything super critical to understand.
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