Google in the Classroom-Writing Collaboration

I got a little behind on the series this week.  I apologize.  I was feeling ambitious when I said I was going to post a week-long series.  I should have written and scheduled them right away.  Have no fear, though, the Google in the Classroom series is back!  Once it ends, though, I would love to continue to post bi-weekly about using Google in the classroom.  Please comment with anything you have done to use Google in the classroom, and I would love to include your ideas, or even have you write a guest post!  

If you've missed my other Google in the Classroom post, don't forget to check them out!  

Day One:  Using Google Forms for Classroom Library Checkout 

Day Two:  Using Google Forms for Lesson Planning

Day Three:  Using Google Forms for Parent/Teacher Conference Requests

On Thursday, I went to the Ohio Goes Google Conference.  It was great!  I attended four sessions and heard two keynotes that were very inspiring to continue to use technology in the classroom.  As I wrote in my first post in this series, you don't have to have a mobile lab or even access to 30 computers to use Google in the Classroom.  I have created many student activities using Google Apps and I only have three student computers in my classroom.  

Today, I would like to tell you how to use Google Docs as a collaborative writing assignment with your students.  First, you will want to create a new document in Google Docs.  On the left side of your screen, click Create, then Document.  A document is just like a Word file, except it is saved in the Google Cloud.  

Change the title of your document by clicking the words "Untitled Document."   If you choose, you may type a prompt.  Remember, everything automatically saves!  Next, click share at the top right corner of your screen.  Everything is defaulted to save "private only to me."  You can change this by clicking the share button and changing your settings.  

 Next to where it says "Private," click "change."  You will see this screen:  

Change your settings to "Anyone with the link."  I have to do this because my students do not have Google Accounts.  Then, where it says "Access," it defaults to "can view," change this to "can edit."  This will allow anyone with the link to this document to edit it. After you click save, you will see this screen:  

Highlighted is the link to the document.  You can give your students this link, but I recommend shortening it using bit.ly.  At bit.ly, paste the Google link, then click customize.  Type whatever you want your customized link to be.  

Now that you are set up, this is my idea for the collaborative writing assignment.  During Daily 5 or center time, assign students in partners or groups.  One student in each pair will start off writing a story.  They type as much as they can during their block of time.  During the next block of time, the other partner reads the story then adds to it.  My students love to make those quick one-sentence stories and build on each other.  This is a technological variation of that!  Once the story is complete, students can revise and edit their writing.  

Google in the Classroom: Parent Teacher Conference Requests

Today is Day Three of my Google in the Classroom Series

Day One:  Using Google Forms for Classroom Library Checkout 

Day Two:  Using Google Forms for Lesson Planning

I used Google Forms for my Spring Conference Requests this year.  I will admit, all of my parents sent paper requests, but I wanted the electronic requests to be an option.  I also posted the link to the electronic request on my website.  

To create a Google Form, you will need to sign into your google account, and go to your documents.  Click "Create" then "Form"

You will see something that looks like this:  

Where it says "Untitled Form," give your form a title.  For instance, "Spring Parent Teacher Conferences"  In the box below that, you will want to type any pertinent information your parents need to know.  For instance, how long conferences should last and any additional conference times you are offering.  

Next, you will add a text box for Student Name.  Make this a required question.  

To add new boxes, you click "Add Item" at the top left corner.  Next, add a text box for the parent name or person attending the conference.  You will probably want to make this a required question as well.  The next item that I added was "Choose from List."  Parents can decide which conference date is their preferred date.  Then I added a "Checkbox" item and gave three possible times parents could choose from.  They were able to select as many as they wanted.  Finally, I added a box for parents to offer additional notes.  You can see my form below.  

As with all Google Forms, your responses will be recorded in a spreadsheet located in your Google Documents.  It is timestamped, so you are able to schedule your conferences first-come, first-served.  

Another tip:  when you are given the link to your form, visit bit.ly or tinyurl.com to shorten and customize the link to something your parents will remember and access easily.  

Tomorrow I attend the Ohio Goes Google Conference!  I am so excited to share everything I learn!  I hope that you are finding this series valuable.  As I shared on day one, you do not need a lot of technology to be able to utilize Google in the classroom.  You do not even need a Google account through your school.  Sign up for g-mail and you are afforded all of the benefits of Google Apps!  

Google in the Classroom-Creating Lesson Plans

Today is day two of my Using Google in the Classroom Series

With two years of Marzano training behind us, it was important to my co-teacher and I to continue to have the Marzano strategies at the forefront when creating lesson plans.  My co-teacher created an excellent guided reading lesson plan template that listed the Marzano strategies as checkboxes in addition to a location for the instructional plan.  After using this for a few weeks, I thought it might be much easier to use this as a Google Form.  Yesterday, I showed you how to create a new form.  You can also click here to view the video tutorial.  


When planning each week, I type my guided reading lessons for each group into the form.  Click here to see form I created.  As with all Google Forms, my responses are recorded into a spreadsheet that is saved in my Google Docs.  Click here to view the spreadsheet.  I have blacked out my students' names for privacy purposes.  Each week, I am able to print the spreadsheet and stick it in my lesson planning binder and CAFE notebook.  It is so easy and convenient!  


If you have any questions about using Google in the classroom, or have something specific you would like me to address, please leave me a comment or e-mail me!  

Using Google in the Classroom-A Series

Today I am going to be starting a week-long series on how to use Google in the classroom.  We were very fortunate this year and transitioned over to Google for our e-mail system.  We got all of the perks that came along with Google, including Google Docs, Calendar, etc.  I am my school's technology coordinator and I am a huge advocate for using technology in the classroom. 

 Please understand that my district does not have a lot of money.  We are in the same budget crisis as many public schools.  I am fortunate to have a Smart Board in my classroom and three student computers.  We have a computer lab that is shared by the entire school.  If you don't have access to much technology, know that everything technology-related that I do in my classroom is with the use of these limited resources!  Also, you do not need a Google account through your school.  A general gmail account will work!

The first post in my series is creating a library book checkout system using Google Forms.

Once you are logged into your Google account, you will want to go to documents.  You can access this directly by going to docs.google.com  If you are not already signed in, you will be prompted to sign in.  On the left side of the page, you will click create, then select form.    

On this page, you will create your form.  Mine is titled, "Mrs. Owens Library Book Checkout."  

In the first box "Question Title," I have Name and "Question Type" is Choose from List.  From there, you will enter each student's name.  You will want to click the box, "Make this a required question."  

On all Google Forms, you are only given sample question 1.  You will need to click "Add Item" at the top to add another question.  You will want your next item box to be a text box.  In "Question Title," type Book.  You will also want to make this a required question.  

Next, click "Add Item" again and add another text box.  In "Question Title," type Author. You may or may not want to make this a required question.  It depends on how many interruptions you want if a student cannot find the author's name when they are checking a book out!

If you want to spice up your form, you can select a theme.  There are several to choose from.  I have selected the Books Modern theme for mine.  

Click here to see my sample form.  This is what your students will see.  I have mine saved in my favorites menu on all computers that students have access to.  

Once students submit responses through this form, they will be saved in a spreadsheet in your Google Docs.  All responses are timestamped so you can see when a student checked a book out.  


The only downfall of this checkout system is when books are returned.  I have developed a system that works for me and also helps me to keep my library organized.  I keep a crate near my desk for book returns.  Every other day or so, I go into the spreadsheet and delete the row containing the book entry and put the books back into the library bins.  I learned from experience to keep the book return crate near my desk and not in the library area because students would take books out of the crate to checkout before they were checked back in.  

After typing this, I decided I would try to make a video tutorial.  
I hope that you find this useful!  You can also access this video on You Tube. 




Prior to using this system, I have never had a book checkout system that worked.  Last year, I eventually gave up and figured if books weren't returned, hopefully they were being loved.  This checkout system works!  The students love to have any excuse to use the computers, even if it's just checking out books!  

Promoting Summer Reading

It's no secret that students lose so much of what they've learned throughout the school year over the summer.  I am always looking for new ways to prevent the "summer slide."  Last night on #titletalk on Twitter, which I posted about yesterday, I got some great ideas that I would like to implement this summer to keep my students moving forward.  


I have Edmodo accounts set up for all of my students.  We use it regularly to talk about books we are reading.  Here are some ideas for using Edmodo to promote summer reading:  

• One thing I was planning on doing prior to #titletalk chat is to keep all students active on Edmodo and keep in contact about books we are reading.  I think it would be a neat way to stay in touch.  I have a student who moved a few months ago, and she still checks in regularly to tell us how she's doing and books she is reading.  

• Another idea for using Edmodo is to have an online book club.  We will plan to meet every week and post ideas about a common book we are reading.  I even thought if I had parent permission slips for students to participate in the online book club that I could try to get copies of the particular book donated by a local bookstore.  I was thinking about a fun read, perhaps Babymouse.  It was all the talk on Twitter last night, and I don't think I've ever seen any of my students reading it.

• As a way to keep students interested in reading, and logged into Edmodo, I also thought it would be fun to take and upload pictures of ourselves reading in our favorite summer reading spot.  

Other fun ideas to try:  

• Give each student a stamped postcard addressed to you.  Tell them to write you a short note about the book (or books!) they are reading.  

• Promote your local library!  Choose two dates (or more!) you will be at the library.  Help your students choose books, sign up for the summer reading program, discuss the books you've read.  Encourage them to come-order pizza!

• I thought this was a great idea, and wish it were feasible at my school. Some people mentioned they keep their school library open a few days a week throughout the summer.  Students are free to come in and check out books.  I work in a neighborhood school, where most students live within walking distance.  I would totally be willing to come in once a week and man the library if I knew it would keep kids reading!  

Please feel free to add to my list!  Leave a comment about what you are doing to promote summer reading.  I would love to feature your ideas in an upcoming post!

#titletalk

I discovered #titletalk on Twitter after the Literacy Conference I attended in Feburary.  Donalyn Miller was the keynote speaker, and she hosts #titletalk once a month.  It is an awesome twitter-chat about books.  There is usually a main topic, but books ALWAYS end up getting discussed!  Tonight's #titletalk chat was about how to encourage summer reading.  I already had some ideas of my own, but after #title talk I have even more!  I'm so excited to share with you throughout the next few weeks some of the things I'm going to do to encourage summer reading with my students.  


If you're on twitter, make sure to follow @Donalynbooks to find out when next month's #titletalk is!  I hope to chat with you there!

What to do after the test?

OAAs are this week!  I posted Thursday about a review game we will be playing tomorrow.  Tuesday, my students will take the reading test and Thursday they will take the math test.  I need to plan for some activities for after the test.  I cannot remember for the life of me what I've done in the past!  I think, maybe, we were working on some kind of a project, but we're not doing anything like that right now.  I'm looking for some inspiration.  I would love to do some fun activities with my students during the afternoon of the test.  We're also staying in our homerooms on Friday for a fun day.  So, I have to keep them busy and entertained ALL DAY.  Please help!!!