Create a Photo Journal in Google Docs

The time came for me to explore one of Googles Applied Digital Skills lessons. Choosing an applied digital skills task to complete was tough.  With so many interesting topics to choose from, I had a difficult time choosing one. Each time I read the description of a lesson, my mind began reeling with ways that lesson could enhance the learning experiences of my students.  Ultimately, I decided to explore the Create a Photo Journal in Google Docs lesson.

As with the If, Then Story, the lesson was simple to follow along with.  Every video clearly explained what to do and how to do it. I was able to go back and read through the transcript or rewatch a certain part of the video if needed.  Increasing the speed of the video - especially if I was viewing it for a second time - was quite helpful.

For this lesson, I chose to create a photo journal to document and reflect upon my first experience using Defined STEM, a new resource for me this year.   Teachers across my district were encouraged to try out at least one lesson/set of lessons. Boy, was it a smash hit with the children, and any skepticism I had in using it has vanished.  As you can see in my photo journal, students were excited, engaged, collaborative and extremely creative.

Based on my experience, creating a photo journal using Google docs can be a powerful reflective tool for students.  It was very simple to format. Adding an interactive table of contents and organizing it by entry kept the journal simple to navigate. Photos could be easily inserted right from Google Drive and edited and formatted right in the doc.  Within the photo journal, adding and formatting text to suit the needs of the project was seamless.

I definitely learned more about the capabilities of Google docs when it comes to inserting and formatting photos.  I had never really utilized the page break and table of contents features. I also learned more about using the text styles dropdown menu.  It is amazing how many features have been at my disposal for years that I never utilized. The best part of the lesson was at the end when suggestions for how to integrate a photo journal into the curriculum were offered.  I can’t wait to dive into my next Google Applied Digital Skills lesson to see where it can take my students and me.

https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/c/en/curriculum.html