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A Rude Awakening

The past few months I have been incorporating Google Classroom more and more into my science classes. Students are becoming very familiar with Google Docs, and they are starting to wake up from worksheet induced comas and starting to think again.
When I first presented them with Google Classroom and Google Docs, they seemed dazed and confused at what I was showing them and what I was expecting from them. What I was showing them were the tools to create, collaborate, communicate, and apply critical thinking beyond a textbook and beyond the standard worksheet. What I was expecting from them was to learn in a meaningful, authentic, personalized way. It was a rude awakening for many.

While a few students are still wanting to "sleep in" a bit more, most are already awake and are energized to learn. Students are telling me, "I really like doing these (tasks)," "This doesn't even feel like school," and "Have you looked at my work yet? I'm really excited for you to see it." I can't remember the last time I have heard my students say anything remotely similar about a worksheet that I had given them.

Hopefully my students find learning fun and meaningful again. Hopefully they see that learning can happen anywhere and at anytime. Hopefully they see that their ideas, thoughts, and creativity matters. Hopefully they are awake.


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