how is this different from the 200 other online education platforms?
Google Classroom
41–50 of 64 posts
Re: Google Classroom
#42What about Google Course builder. Is this a replacement of that with new features?
Re: Google Classroom
#43I asked my partner what she thought of this as she is a tenured lecturer at a Russell Group university. Her view is that they would not only not be able to use this (politically they feel the need to have everything in the UK) but that there was a preference to support a universal framework that they had full control over. Specifically her university (Exeter) uses a version of Moodle: https://moodle.org/ That said, I…
Ask teachers. Moodle is dreadful. It's just waiting for a decent competitor to come and disrupt it.
I use Moodle. I dont think "Moodle is dreadful". The features provided by Moodle is unmatched. For some time I used Google course builder. For me it was a total failure. Google product means everything in Googles hand. Moodle provides power to the people. Once learned, Moodle is easy to use.
Re: Google Classroom
#44how is this different from the 200 other online education platforms?
I work in educational technology for a school district of ~5000 students. I am also a Google certified trainer. My opinion is obviously bias, but here it goes.
1) It will integrate with my current student database (active directory, synced with Google through GADS)
2) It will work with the tech my teachers are already comfortable using (Google Drive)
3) It solves a problem I already have, rather than giving me new ones to deal with. I already have teachers struggling to assign/grade/return assignments using their Google accounts. If I were to set up (for example) Moodle, now I have a list of new problems (managing _another_ set of accounts, integrating it with our scheduling system)
4) Staff interest. I'm going to get more people to come to my PD if I say "Come learn about Google Classroom", than if I say "Come learn about blackboard"
Last, and most importantly
5) Price. It's free. I don't have to ask the board for permission, I don't have to create a future cost projection, I don't even have to make a PO. I just have to turn it on and train the staff.
I'm excited for this.
Re: Google Classroom
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is my real worry with any Google product these days. I know most people think it's a played out reaction, but it's a very real concern, especially for something like this that requires a real commitment -- this isn't just me losing my Google Reader app.
OTOH Larry Page doesn't care at all about something as trivial as a widely-loved RSS reader while education is something he cares about deeply. Also, there is obviously a gigantic market there.
That was simply a quick example. Perhaps a better example would be Google Health. You could argue that there is a gigantic market there, and that was killed.
Re: Google Classroom
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is my real worry with any Google product these days. I know most people think it's a played out reaction, but it's a very real concern, especially for something like this that requires a real commitment -- this isn't just me losing my Google Reader app.
EdTech is booming, and there is a lot of money to be made. Google Apps for Business is booming. Google Apps for Education, likewise, will boom in the same way. If you seriously think Google Drive or a Google Docs is going anywhere because your precious Google Reader disappeared, you're nuts.
And that was kind of my point. This would be much, much bigger of a deal than Google Reader. The may not shut Drive/Docs down, but they could fundamentally change what they are offering under this Classroom umbrella. Or change pricing structures. They did this with "Google Apps for your Domain".
Re: Google Classroom
#47I got down voted last time I said this but I will say it again >help teachers create and organize assignments Teachers do not want to create assignments. They just want to use them. Google needs a library of assignments that teachers can use. I created a similar thing for an elementary school and the create assignments thing was not cool with the teachers I demoed to"
Does Google let teachers share assignments? That would help, a library of assignments could be built and improved.
Re: Google Classroom
#48When people complain about being tracked by Google and loosing privacy, they get told that they should simply not use it. If Google Classroom is used, students/parents are effectively given no choice in the matter. If the Google decides to ban students gmail account (because students name does not sound real enough or without explanation), the student is f-ed. But mostly, my primary reason why not to use it in school…
The privacy concern is a very real one. Also, see: http://mostlysignssomeportents.tumblr.com/post/84829703425/r...
Re: Google Classroom
#49I got down voted last time I said this but I will say it again >help teachers create and organize assignments Teachers do not want to create assignments. They just want to use them. Google needs a library of assignments that teachers can use. I created a similar thing for an elementary school and the create assignments thing was not cool with the teachers I demoed to"
Alleluia.
Ok, I want to use and modify assignments.
Re: Google Classroom
#50All this could be done by a local server at the school without providing all the data and information to Google. If Google was altruistic, they would provide the software and technical guidance to do so.
If you think thats possible, you should be altruistic and apply for a job at your local school district to work at below market rates for people who don't understand your job and will always see you as a cost center and/or tech support. Everything dropbox does can be done by a local server, and is already easy (ownCloud, BitTorrent Sync), but there is a reason why Dropbox is still doing so well. It would be thoughtfu…
I am not a multi-billion company. If I had free time and such resources, I would love doing something like that.