Skipping the traditional “first post disclaimers” about starting something new, not being sure about how to actually do it, and hoping you’ll stick around to listen/read along, this blog came about during a period when time became variable, friends moved to screens, and most Spring and Summer expectations were dashed: the COVID-19 outbreak.
This blog is the show-and-tell of Mr. Graham’s Easy Classroom, an online attempt at passing on what I’ve learned in the world of education, ranging from growing up with teachers as parents and my undergrad mistakes, and to my current successes and strategies.
A few days into schools closing their virus-infected doors, teachers from my school, district, and even some family members were reaching out to me for some digital help. After helping multiple people with multiple items (designing lessons on Google Slides, creating quick and easy Google Forms, and organizing Google Drives, among some examples), I decided that there was obviously a need for teachers who were thrust into the tech world, willingly or not.
Because of this, I sat down and thought about all the tips and tricks I’ve taught myself, or pawned from others, over the last 5 years of classroom/technology experience. Luckily, due to developing my habits before the virus, much of what I already did translated really well for the eventual distance-learning leap.
The purpose of Mr. Graham’s Easy Classroom is straightforward: give teachers easy-to-use, easy-to-understand tips when navigating Google programs that will yield massive, even methodological-changing results.
Much of the focus of Mr. Graham’s Easy Classroom is centered on 5 Google programs: Docs, Slides, Forms, Classroom, and Drive. Although Google has many more products, these 5 applications have been, by far, what I use most and what I find most powerful in a sea of options.
My target audience isn’t necessarily for the tech-savvy, computer experts; I’m not one of those myself! Easy Classroom resources are for teachers who might be new to incorporating technology and education, teachers who want to try Google to help them create clean, engaging materials, or teachers who might just want to learn a handful of healthy, helpful habits.
The goal of this blog is to be a home for sharing, showing, and documenting some of the strategies I use in and out of the classroom. It’s also a place where I’ll share some stories that are at least tangential to my experiences with education.
Maybe it will be a resource for lots of teachers to check out in the years to come! Maybe it will help keep students engaged and teachers in the classroom the next year! Or maybe it’s just a place for my thoughts to tumble into oblivion as I murmur aimlessly to the silent, empty audience in front of me. Only time will tell!
Mr. Graham's Easy Classroom 