More About Google Applications for Teaching And Learning
Welcome back, everyone! Once more, thank you very much for your last week’s comments and questions. It is gratifying to know that the information I am providing is somehow making you think about how to use it in your instructional field. For me, it has been challenging because now, I am constantly thinking about other experiences I have using Google that has improved or helped in any way my instruction so that I can use them as examples. Before I forget, the images and information I am providing are coming from my creation or experiences, except the videos from YouTube.
This week I would like to dedicate some time to some more Google apps that are very useful in the classroom. Google Translate, Google Books, and YouTube are very handy in K-12 classrooms as well as in Adult education, without forgetting ESL (English as a Second Language) learners.
Some time ago Google Translate was a useful tool that helped to get a vocabulary list translated relatively quickly for a specific topic that teachers wanted to teach in a class where English was not the first language for some students. For sometimes of the words the translation was accurate, but others it was not. Lately, Google translate has improved so much that I can’t live a minute without it.
Google is capable of bringing important pieces of lesson materials in many different languages. This has helped me with students that didn’t know any English to communicate. Words, phrases, paragraph, and the whole essay if it’s needed can be easily translated pretty accurately now. Many students use this tool to see if what is being said in English makes some sense in their native language. Teachers are also using the tool to translate relevant information for students, parents, and families. Some teachers are even using Google translation during parent-teacher conferences to communicate and make sure both parties understand each other actively. In other words, Google translate has become a handy and powerful tool for teachers. For my ESL adults, Google
Translations have been a blast because now, there is no correspondence from the doctor’s office, school’s teachers, immigration document, employment, and more that they can’t understand. Do you have any experience with this tool?
What Google translate does for us:http://www.blog.google:443/products/translate/ten-years-of-google-translate/
Google Books are also essential for instruction. I haven’t used it in my classroom, but I have colleagues that have used it. Some of them mentioned that there are many books for all ages that can be chosen for reading assignments. Even though they are not free, they are available for purchase through the school budget if teachers know they can use them as part of their planned instruction. The service allows you to easily see the cost of a particular book and read the preview and reviews. Once book copies are purchased, students can access them electronically using their classroom technology, but they can also be accessed from home. Again, learning continues outside the classroom. Nowadays, access to reviews helps in the decision making process of purchasing a book or other things, or at least it alerts you to find more about the product before buying it. For instructors in general, Google Books is a great tool to find and read books online. Do you have any experience with Google Books?
Finally, YouTube. I was trying to write a slogan for it, but YouTube is so versatile that I can’t describe how I visualize it. I use YouTube for many of my instructions. It’s true that I have to validate the content and appropriateness of it before my adult learners use it, but it is worth it! There are tons of videos in every single grammar concept for ESL children and adults, videos for speaking and listening skills, life skills such as preparing for an interview, or job skills. I mean, I haven’t found a topic I teach in my class without a video. YouTube is a real life savior. Now, I haven’t had time to experiment it. However, many teachers are using YouTube to upload their videos created especially for their classes and connect them later to the class blog or website. Isn’t that amazing! I find YouTube to be an incredibly useful teaching and learning tool. I am assuming that you use
YouTube; do you use it for instruction?
Do you think learning English is easy?
Watch these videos and let me know what do you think. We all go through this hard process!!
https://youtu.be/h5LO0hHGfQg
These are all my ideas for today! I hope you can learn something new that you can apply to your instruction later.
Thank you.
—Kennia
16 Responses
hello Kennia,
I recalling back in using google translate in three years past. I have not tried by now, at that time, it seemed to be a little bit difficult to translate from English to Swahili. I will try now and I will late you know.
about you tube, I had been using it for teaching my fellow blind people on how to use computer with screen reader. It is the amazing program!
Emmanuel.
Yes, Emmanuel. Sometime ago Google Translator tool was under development and translations were not goo. But I can see the difference now. One of the most important pieces of getting a good translation is to write the original text to be translated correct. If grammar or spelling is not correct is to hard to get a good translation. This happens with translation from English to Spanish and vice versa, but I have no way to test other languages. If you test it with Swahili, please et me know how good it is; it will definitely help many of my students. Thank you for your comment.
Hi Kennia, As a language teacher I have a problem with google translate. I need my students to learn the language and write in there own words, google translate does that for them. It is also not a prefect translation and can still improve. I feel like now I need my students to write there writing assignments in class.
How does it help you with teaching a language?
Hi Kennia,
To me, Google translate just like my friends, we meet with each other almost weekly, especially, I need to use Google translate for writing my essay and translate some academic papers. But I'm so harried because its inaccurate, sometimes, I did not understand its translation. I feel like I was living in outer space. Did you use the Youdao translate? I think it is more accurate in some subjects, you could use it If you would like to try and compare it.
And about Youtube, I had beed using it for preparing my community building, and I found some same points compared to other video websites that I used in China. This is the first time to use Youtube, for I usually use Youku or others video websites in China.
Last but not least, I love the video you chose. It is very interesting. Definitely, it is also voice of my heart. Learning English is difficult.
Hi Kennie, thanks for this amazing blog. Honestly speaking, Google Translator is like a home-tool for me because it effectively translate almost every language. However, at times, there are some grammar mistakes in its translation but it is a great help in understanding the crux of any portion of text on the internet.
Thank you Michal for your posting and question. I understand your point. It is a true concern.
I use Google translate when we work on vocabulary drills. I have a book called "Practice Make Perfect, Basic English" that has many, but many exercises to drill grammar concepts, but before each exercise, there are two big groups of vocabulary: verbs and nouns. Each word has a line in front of it and it is specifically for students to write the translation in their own languages. So, for each exercise, we work on vocabulary first. Students use Google Translate to type the word (spell), translate and listen to its pronunciation in English. Then they work on completing sentences using the studied vocabulary. In the end, they check and read completed sentences to a partner or two. As follow up, I ask students to group the nouns' vocabulary by category and later write their own sentences integrating studied verbs and nouns. This time, translation using Google Translate won't be allowed.
I hope this helps. Thank you again.
Hello Jing Li! Thank you again for your comments and ideas. I haven't have time to check Youdao Translate, but I will definitely compare the two form my own use and for the benefit of my students. Thank you so much!
I agree with you about the grammar issue when translating. I also found out that when I translate professional academic writings in Spanish into English, they come out pretty good and vice versa too. But, when there are grammar and spelling mistakes in Spanish the English translation is distorted. Unfortunately, I cannot test other languages. So it, is very good to know what other people with different language skills think about Google Translate. It's very helpful. Thank you.
Hi Kennia,
I remember using google translator when I was taking German classes. However, I do agree that it is not the perfect translator but it's a quick and easily accessible tool. I am not sure about learning English but learning German was not easy. The Google Books is not something I am a fan of because I would rather look at a page than a screen. For most people it is another great tool because they can access it anywhere. The last thing you brought up was YouTube. I love the teaching videos on YouTube. Most of the classes I took used YouTube to help explain tough concepts, and I can say it helped immensely. I second YouTube is a life savior, especially for visual learners.
I just linked your post in my latest blog post. You will find an interesting infographic there. I am also preparing for creating an online resource for make-up classes. I agree that Google is going to revolutionize K-12 education in the United State.
Your site has exceptional content. I bookmarked the website
Thank you for your comment, Lukas!
Let me know if there is a specific topic that you like and want to know more about or if there are some related topic that you would like me to develop content for.
Thank you again.
Kennia
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