For our inquiry, Madeline and I decided to focus on learning about different educational platforms. As mentioned in the video, both of us had some prior experience using these platforms from when we were in high school; however, for me, I noticed that they are being used a lot more after I graduated. For this project, our question was: What are the pros and cons of Google Classrooms, Microsoft Teams, Edmodo, and FreshGrade?
Our relationship to education is that many of these sites are starting to be incorporated and used in classrooms, especially since the beginning of the Pandemic. Also, with the increase of technology in the classroom and with students, using these services might become inevitable, which is why we are researching them now.
Most of the pros, cons and risks of these platforms are listed within our video. However, one of the biggest pros that overlapped all of the services is that it connects students outside of school and allows for more diversity in assessments. Since many of these platforms are online and have chat features, they also allow students to connect with each other for projects or assignments. They can also connect with the teacher if students need help. As for different assessments, with technology, students can hand in assignments digitally allowing them to use voice recordings, videos, and presentations. Some common cons are the use of the internet and technology. Although it is somewhat obvious that these websites will need constant access to technology and the internet, some students might not have access to this outside of school. Finally, risks for all of these websites are privacy and who has access to the information.
The strategy I have learned from this assignment is to use technology however I can! It allows students, teachers, and parents to stay connected and engaged with what is happening in the classroom. I am really excited to try one of these systems within my classroom and ready to learn more through first-hand experience.