Google Sites for Student Voice - Greg Wammer

Teacher

Greg Wammer is a fourth and fifth grade Dimensions Academy teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School. Greg values students’ backgrounds, experiences, ideas and voices and creates authentic learning experiences that allow students to think critically about issues they care about.

Instructional Strategy

The theme in Greg’s fifth grade classroom this year is identity. Embedded in their day-to-day learning, students are asked to think critically about questions like “How does your identity influence how you are treated or what opportunities you have?” These discussions led students to look at the world around them through a lens of disparity. Students examined social issues around race, income, gender, and more.

This spring, Greg asked each of his students to select a social issue of their choice. Utilizing a Google

Slides research template, students were required to find five credible sources and gather information about their social issue including current status, historical context, causes, varying perspectives and potential solutions. Next, Greg facilitated discussion around the impact student research could have. How do we do something with our research? Is it information just for us or should others know? How could we impact policy and reach a larger audience? Ultimately, students were inspired to design their own Google Site to communicate their findings with a larger audience, including relevant stakeholders in the community.

Homepage of Student Google Sites

Greg has found many benefits from using Google Sites as a creation tool in his classroom: greater student engagement, utilizing technology for creation rather than consumption, opportunities for his tech-savvy students to step up as leaders/experts and providing all students with a voice and an authentic audience.

See What It Looks Like

Listen as Greg’s students share about their projects and passions.