Paper is probably high on the list of headaches for most teachers – the stacks of tests and essays to be carried from classroom to home for grading and then back again. Paper that can get blown away, mixed into the wrong piles, lost or ruined by a knocked over coffee cup. And, of course, the additional disadvantages of impossible-to-read handwriting and eraser smudges.

It was situations like these that motivated Gwynn Moore to go paperless.

People have been talking about the paperless workplace for years. Although it’s been slow in coming, technology allows for a paper-free classroom. Her Dec. 9 ISTE webinar, “Digital Storytelling Mashup with Google Apps for Education (GAFE),” will get you headed in that direction with GAFE.

Moore, a media technology teacher in Aurora, Colorado, will share templates she created in Google Classroom for her students. These cloud-based templates allow her to better manage assignments, homework and grading from any device.

Introducing the class to Google Docs

It didn’t take long for Moore to recognize the advantages of using Google Docs – which she used before turning to Google Classroom.

“It made it much easier to read the students work because I didn’t have to read handwriting,” she says.

It also helped her to better organize the class work of the nearly 200 students she sees on any given day. With GAFE, she can read student papers as soon as they are done, and students are notified immediately when she inserts comments and feedback. “This has increased the communication between me and the kids and improved their work overall,” she says.

Moore points to a long list of benefits.

• Students can work on their own timeline.
• Grading is more efficient (if you have a device, you have access to the documents).
• Educators can easily design their own templates.
• Shared documents allow for collaborative group work.
• Work is always accessible to both students and teachers.
• Students who struggle with writing can use voice-to-text.

Performing in a way that’s comfortable

During the webinar, Moore will show educators how cloud-based productivity tools like GAFE can improve the learning environment for students. “We want students to be able to perform in a way that they are comfortable and efficient,” she says.

Other takeaways include:

• How educators can use the technology to gain insight into their students and the way they learn.
• How to create Google Forms for students to use for reflection.
• How to use free apps to create documents.

ISTE members can sign up for the free webinar "Digital Storytelling Mashup with GAFE" now. Not an ISTE member? Join today!