Growth from Frustration

Google recently announced some updates to Google Classroom. One of those updates received a lot of attention, both positive and negative. This particular update allows teachers to "lock down" a Google Form Quiz so that students are not able to open other tabs or perform internet searches until they have completed the quiz.

To be honest, I was a little surprised at the reaction on Twitter. Because I follow so many educators who I think of as progressive and forward-thinking, I assumed that most would respond with eye-rolls and frustration that Google would take what feels like a step backward in terms of innovation in education. However, I saw quite a bit of excitement over this "update." I saw comments like "This is what my teachers have been begging for!" 

Really?!? Locking down the internet is what teachers are BEGGING for? That's a sad thought. 

But it's true. This announcement happened to come a week after my district held it's summer "Tech Fest" event. Educators in our district were able to choose sessions to attend in order to learn new skills and strategies related to integrating tech in the classroom. I attended a session focused on Google Forms. At one point during the session, a teacher asked, "How can I keep students from going on the internet and Googling the answer to the questions on my Google Form?"

Without really thinking, I responded, "Create questions that can't be answered by a simple Google search." Looking back, I wish I had not reacted so quickly. Especially since I didn't know her and my response probably came off snippier than it sounded in my head. 

However, I stand by my answer. 

I know there are a lot of opinions on both sides. And I appreciate the feelings of teachers who are arguing that this is convenient for times when they need to assess students on content knowledge and they don't want students to have the ability to search for answers. I get it. This allows quick grading of low-level skills and knowledge. And sometimes that's what you are looking for. 

On the other hand, sometimes not being able to find a quick fix for what you want to do helps you understand that what you are trying to do is REALLY outdated and doesn't make sense anymore. 

I'll give you a personal example. 

My district uses the spelling/word study program "Words Their Way." I won't go into all the details, but despite some things that I do like about this program, I am still expected to give weekly spelling tests. When I discovered that I could use Google Forms and the add-on Flubaroo to grade these digitally (and automagically), I was SUPER happy! 

Until, at some point that year, the spell checker feature was added to Google Forms. I literally discovered this in the middle of a test. As I walked around, I saw the little red squiggly line and I watched as my students clicked on the word and then chose the correct spelling. They didn't even seem to realize this was maybe something they shouldn't be doing during a "spelling test", probably because it's a tool I encourage them to use ALL THE TIME. 

I was really frustrated at the time because this meant I had to switch back to giving the tests on paper, and now I had to grade them myself again. I remember complaining to several people at the time. All I could focus on was how this was a really big inconvenience for ME. 

However, as the year went by, I realized that this was an opportunity to rethink why I was assessing my students in this particular way. Does it really matter if students can spell a list of words correctly without using tools readily available on a normal basis? Probably not. Do I think spelling skills are important? Absolutely! However, the reason I think they are important is that writing is about communicating a message, and misspelling words can impede the effective communication of that message. That has nothing to do with spelling the word out of context in a list with 19 other words. 

I should be assessing my students in a more authentic way. The spell checker tool can pick up basic mistakes, and students can focus on higher-level thinking decisions related to writing and creativity. 

Would I have come to this conclusion if I had found a way to turn off the spell checker in Google Forms? Maybe, but it wouldn't have been so soon. I would've kept doing the spelling tests the same way as long as it was working because that's the way I had always taken spelling tests when I was in school. 

So, I get why people are excited about the lockdown feature. It allows them to continue to teach and give quizzes the same way they have always done. I just wish more of those teachers would have seen this as an opportunity to look at WHY they are assessing in a way that necessitates blocking out the internet. 

I know it can sometimes be frustrating when technology disrupts the way we have been doing things. But I think that is the moment when we need to stop, reflect, and ask ourselves if what we are doing still makes sense and is best for student learning. 

So, yes, Google Forms now allows you to lock down quizzes and keep students from using the internet. But we don't have to. And I hope we decide as a community that we can do better, keep reflecting, and continue to grow and move forward.