Presentation Context Objetives Didactic sequence Evaluation and conclusions Advice

STEAM Classroom Experience

#romART19: experiencing a simultaneous face-to-face and online trip

As we visited Rome with the High School students, we were joined online by their families, friends and other classmates from home.

By Manel Trenchs

Timing

4 days

Age

16 to 18 years old

Methodology

Hybrid learning

Skill worked on

Collaboration Communication Creativity Digital culture Digital skills Information literacy

Technology used

Apps Google Workspace

Context

The starting point is a cultural trip to Rome with Baccalaureate students from different classes. The goal of the trip, apart from traveling, is to bind families ,friends, and the educational community together "online".

Highlights

The traveling party is made up of students from different classes (our school offers 8 lines in High School).

Hence, some group cohesion needs to be done.

In order to achieve face-to-face and online bonds, preparation before the trip is organized with 3 of the traveling teachers together with families and students.

Encourage students and families to join previous preparations.

Objectives

Strengthen relations between students

Build bonds among teachers, students, and families with the aid of technology. Take advantage of technology, usually perceived as "cold" and distant, and turn it into something "alive and beating".

Bringing knowledge closer through technology

Make good use of technology to bring knowledge and personal experiences closer. Through easy-to-use tools, build empowerment in the construction of knowledge.

Take advantage of technology to break down classroom walls

Incorporate the potentials of Google environment as part of a cross-cutting school activity . Take advantage of Google's education environment using it in all kinds of classroom activities, not just in the "typical ones".

Empower in creating value content

Develop content and material derived from an out-of-school trip. Make the most of these really user-friendly tools to create content and to enjoy it during and after the trip.

Didactic sequence

Creating a Google Classroom

The first step is to create a "Google Classroom” for the traveling students (from different classes) with all the information and trip organization.

Meeting before the trip: How does the hybrid system work?

Meeting with students and families. Explain rules and guidelines of a cultural trip, and specify why and how the simultaneous face-to-face and online system works.

Digital competence: What do we need to know to enjoy the trip?

Assert that the digital competence in both students and families is suited to achieve the initial goals.

Creating content with Google Sites

A Google Site (with the main sections previously distributed), is created and "enriched", in-situ and in real time, with the scheduled activities.

Sharing post-trip experiences

Group post-trip sharing. Families, students, and teachers share all their experiences, as well as possible follow-up activities or improvement initiatives.

Evaluation and conclusions

Successes

Students' participation and collaboration.

Both families' and educational community's following from home.

The positive outcomes everyone got in hindisght (teachers, students, and families, mainly).

To improve

Some of the tools used in this experience require an update.

In spite of our uncertainties about how the experience could work, and how it could turn out into a ""Big Brother"" (in an overall sense), the final assessment was very positive.

Some advice

Bring the experience to your classroom

Promote personalisation

First, teach both students and families the necessary digital tools. In this case, Google environment.

Foster digitalisation

Meet families to explain the reason behind the face-to-face and online combination.

Include families

Encourage students to participate in the activities and to contribute with material (for example, with photos).

Encourage everyone's participation

Customize the digital material, in this case the Site, so students can "make them their own".

About the author

Manel Trenchs

Professor of Art History at the Pia School in Mataró. Google Innovator and Trainer and member of GE3 (Google Earth Education Experts), Google Local Guide Level 9. Adobe Creative Educator Level 1 & 2. Interested in rethinking learning, the use of ICT and all those educational aspects that serve to help improve the education of 21st century students.

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