Matthew's Google Workspace, Apple & AI EdTech Blog

  Using Google Workspace apps in conjunction with other third party apps, you can create a nice VR project for either an entire class or smaller group of students. It's based on the idea of getting students to convert amazing 3D VR videos into their own 2D interpretations. This kind of project pushes all kinds of skills acquisition, from techy to literacy. In this blog we just give a simplified overview of how to do it.   Background: Last year we worked with a small group of 8 gifted P5 and P6 EFL students (aged 10-11). All students were already familiar with using core Google Workspace tools after 2 years of pandemic-style teaching and learning strategies. After a long absence from experimenting with VR Headsets due to the pandemic, we were able to reconnect to VR - within careful hygiene restrictions. So, we wanted to create a fun, enjoyable learning experience for our students and we based this project on previous VR-based lesson and activity ideas we had implemented b...

  Using Google Workspace apps you can create nice VR and AR projects for either an entire class or smaller group of students. Let's start with an AR project which involved using two AR Google Apps: Earth and Google Arts & Culture. Background: Last year we worked with a group of 15 gifted P5 and P6 EFL students (aged 10-11). All students were already familiar with using core Google Workspace tools after 2 years of pandemic-style teaching and learning strategies. Based in Hong Kong we were still, after 2 and half years, effectively unable to travel outside of Hong Kong. We decided it would be a good idea to get students to create virtual tours of places they would like to visit in the future, after the pandemic restrictions were lifted.  Project Aim:  Students create a Google Site to showcase the places they would like to visit in the future - Virtual Tours. This site can then be published and sent out to all school mates for feedback and comment in their Google Classro...

Some people argue kids shouldn't go anywhere near the Internet, particularly YouTube. The videos watched are no good and the trash in the comments sections is appalling. And all these iPads, these phones, screen time, games - all this tech use by kids is harming them... There is, no doubt, some truth to this. So surely in a school setting we should just ban the use of all this corrupting technology, right? Get back to basics. Well, that is one way to look at it. However, is it not better to get students taking advantage of the benefits of being online and using technology and not just focus on the negatives? If young learners are given good guidance and practice on how to us the Internet, and how to communicate with others online, AND gain technology skills which will be invaluable to them as they progress through life, then 'technology' can be a great tool. Unfortunately, even with training, not all kids will grow up to be responsible users of the Internet. There will be t...