EdL 755 Reflection #1

Though I have been using Google Docs in my Journalism 2 class since the beginning of last school year, I have never before used Google Sites. At a glance, it does seem to offer many of the features already available using wikis, but the integration of other Google Services intrigues me. Because my students already write and collaborate using Google Docs, creating a Google Site for my journalism class seems like a natural extension of what they are already accustomed to using. Embedding certain docs in the site, like the story ideas students brainstorm each month for publication, would allow a structured way for students to access shared documents that can otherwise be cumbersome using only Google Docs. Additionally, the ease with which Google allows users to replicate the structure of a site would allow me to set up sites for my other classes with minimal effort.

However, my vision of structuring my Journalism 2 class around a Google Site does not entirely extend to my other classes. In my Journalism 1 class, for instance, I have been using a class Ning to post assignments and links, facilitate discussions, and host student blogs in a controlled environment. Students can reasonably be expected to use both a class Ning and Google Site, but I do have reservations about asking them to do too many different things in too many different places on the internet. I also feel that Ning provides some functionality that is lacking in Google Sites, like a robust message board platform. As I experiment further with Google Sites, I would like to try embedding the Ning discussion platform in a similar manner to the Wikispaces site embedded under the discussion tab of our EdL755 class Google Site. I do have concerns, though, that the Ning would become less functional in a window and that having students click through to open it in a new browser tab or window would add unnecessary steps to accessing the Ning, especially since its url is easier to remember.

As far as using Google Sites in the Howard-Suamico School District, I think that using them to host student portfolios could be an effective and frugal method of centralizing and showcasing students’ exemplary work. Rather than having students create separate and distinct portfolios for multiple classes that include all of their work throughout a semester or school year, I think students would be better served by creating only one site and portfolio highlighting the very best work of their high school careers. It would probably be best to require a certain number of artifacts from each content area, which would enable every teacher to promote the portfolio concept in his or her classroom. The completed portfolio could then be tied to one senior-level course or be required for graduation. Much like UWGB’s education program, each senior could be assigned to one teacher who would review his or her assigned students’ portfolios and conference with that student before graduation.