GCE Level 2 Blog- Jordan Balhorn

 a. In Units 3 & 4 I learned a lot about how to utilize google tools to communicate with parents and bridge what is happening in the classroom to the community/home space. I will need to definitely practice and explore more of these tools. It is interesting because at my school, we use Schoology as our homepage for assignments. I think encouraging more use of the GSuite apps both in class and at home would be beneficial for families and students.   b. I really love the idea of setting up appointment slots for parents and students. Currently we are in a 100% remote model, while we have designated Zoom office hours- I think being able to set up slots for parents to communicate or students would be awesome and offer more flexible times. I also really loved the idea of incorporating progress tracking (and more so having it student initiated) and allow for it to be transparent to families. I would like to use a Google Form as a checklist for students to track their weekly pro...

In Unit 1&2 I learned a lot about using different tools to collaborate with colleagues, students and parents. I really like how it brought up new ways to engage with each other, especially during the pandemic and working virtually. Technology is important to help improve engagement and clarity when working remotely. I love the idea of utilizing Blogger for student journaling and reflections or even a Google Site to allow parents to view student work!  I hope to try out YouTube live and the playlists to keep all my videos organized and ready to use whenever. I also hope to use the flipped classroom or blended model to create differentiation in the classroom, and more time targeted to individualized learning and growing. While we are virtual now, I think it is still applicable. It could look something like: students are completing tasks asynchronously to learn a concept or skill from a video, image, article, map, etc. and then in class they practice and showcase what they learned...