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Sharing Tips and Tricks of Using Technology in the Classroom Part 2

In your courses you have been asked to share your tips and tricks of using technology in the classroom.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mary Worrell on December 3, 2011 at 7:45am

In looking more deeply into surveys and how to use them in the classroom through my CEP 812 course work, I was again reminded of how awesome (and adaptable) Google Forms can be. I will share my tip about using them not as a survey tool but as a tool in evaluations and peer reviews. As an English teacher, making the review and evaluation process fun for my writing students is important for me. I've done this with students as young as 11-years-old and they used the forms with ease. Now, the quality of the answers wasn't university-level by any means, but I got their responses quickly and painlessly in a form that was easy to share and re-share with the class.

I picked up the idea of using Google Forms in peer reviewing from the ProfHacker blog (a GREAT resource) and also applied it to self-evaluations that students do on their major assignments. You can create the questions you want in a Google Form and share that out to students. It is especially interesting if your school uses Google Apps since students can sign into the form with their account and can go back and change answers if necessary. A few students who took longer to finish the peer review process than the class period logged back into the survey for homework to edit their results.

The only tricky part was sharing the results back with students, but the way I did this was to copy the survey results into an email to each student. Since we were using Google Docs students could also add comments to the document. This is a bit cumbersome, but I felt it was worth it.

For self-evaluations, it's a snap. I ask students to use the task-specific rubric I've already created (either digitally or on paper) and use that to answer the questions in the Google Form. I can see where they think they need to improve and how that aligns with my analysis. I would recommend giving students a paper rubric for the assignment while asking them to complete the self-evaluation Google Form since flipping from tab to tab can be difficult for some younger students and those new to certain technologies.

In the past I have also used Google Forms to deliver reading quizzes and to guide students through a WebQuest. I'm growing more and more fond of Google Apps when it comes to ease of feedback, whether that's from me or other students. If you're interested in trying some of these ideas in classes, I would recommend starting with a Google Form since the form is public and doesn't require students to sign in. You can share the link with students in class or in a computer lab and ask them to complete the form. Could be a great way to handle reading reflections or do a quick entry/exit slip.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Napierala on January 28, 2012 at 4:06pm

I am currently taking CEP 812 at MSU and I had to create a survey to give to my students. I had used survey monkey to take surveys; however, I had never created a survey. It is very very easy once you get the hang of it. This is a great website to use if you want to create a quick and useful poll. Then once you complete it, your results are analyzed for you. I am very intrigued by this now and if you haven't used it, you should try it!

Permalink Reply by Chuck Commeret on January 29, 2012 at 10:36pm

Lisa,

An excellent tool indeed! Have you thought about ways to use it with your students?

Thanks for sharing.

chuck

Permalink Reply by Nancy Wilson on January 29, 2012 at 9:25pm

Teaching students to read and enjoy reading is a major part of first grade. I have found a resource which has really helped my students become engaged and motivated to practice reading. The website is called Raz-Kids. This website allows students to read "just right" books at home and at school. All they need is a computer with internet. This program has students listen to a story, then read the story, and then take a short comprehension quiz. If you are looking for a program to support students reading I would highly suggest checking out Raz-Kids.

Permalink Reply by Stacey Chen on January 30, 2012 at 2:47pm

Hi Nancy,

Raz-Kids looks like a great resource! This is the first time I've heard of it, but it sounds like an easy way to track student progress.

Stacey

Permalink Reply by Stacey Chen on January 30, 2012 at 2:52pm

I like www.superteachertools.com. They have a variety of review games and classroom management tools that are high-interest and easy to use.

Permalink Reply by Sandra Joan Toth on January 31, 2012 at 6:19pm

Hello,

I am interested in having my high school students create ePortfolios. Knowing nothing about the subject I have had to conduct an extensive Internet search to find the information I need to complete my project. As of today I have learned that there are an enormous amount of resources on how to make an ePortfolio, but the one I like is a Google site created with the help of Dr. Helen Barrett, which addresses the use of Google Apps to make ePorfolios. This site provides everything one needs to learn about and how to create an ePortfolio. It contains an overview of ePortfolios, examples, a systematic process, documents, videos, and much more. In addition, it provides information about other Google Apps.

ePortfolio Mash Up with GoogleApps

http://electronicportfolios.com/google/

Permalink Reply by Chuck Commeret on January 31, 2012 at 11:46pm

Thanks for sharing the resource, Sandra!

I'm sure you'll be an ePortfolio pro by the end of CEP 812. :)

Permalink Reply by Danielle Bigi on January 31, 2012 at 10:50pm

One of my favorite free tools that I am using is Dropbox. Dropbox allows you to instantly share files between computers and access them from anywhere on the Internet - it's a program that utilizes cloud computing. I no longer have to worry about carrying a zip drive around or not having a file that I need on the correct computer. When you sign up for Dropbox (again, it's free!) you can download the program onto your computer. This should be done on any computer that you want to share files between regularly. Then, save a document, picture, video, etc. into the Dropbox folder. The next time your other computer is on and connected to the Internet, the file will instantly download into the Dropbox folder on the other computer(s). You can also access anything in your Dropbox folder from any computer as the files are all saved on the Dropbox website. I have it downloaded on my home and school computers and I never worry about not having something that I worked on at school/home on my other computer. It's like Google Docs, but even better because the files automatically download, you can put more than documents in it, and you can share your Dropbox (or just parts) with other people. Dropbox has made my life much easier!

Permalink Reply by Chuck Commeret on February 1, 2012 at 11:40pm

I got invited to Dropbox last March, and finally set it up tonight! Thanks for the motivation. I even installed the iPhone App. What an incredible tool. I look forward to utilizing it more in the coming days!

Permalink Reply by Melanie B on January 31, 2012 at 11:26pm

HI!

One of this week's topics for CEP 812 was exploring the world of online surveys. As many have mentioned, I am a HUGE fan of Google forms (well, I'm actually a fan of Google "docs" in general as a collaboration and "cloud" tool). I have found that creating a form, even just to collect information for myself is helpful. Most recently, I wanted to organize some of the apps and app reviews that I have done on my blog. Instead of typing them in a word processing doc or creating a spreadsheet, I created a Google form with the needed information and I let Google create the spreadsheet for me!

As a special education teacher, I have thought about doing a similar thing to collect IEP data on my students. With the MSU classes, work, and family filling my time, this is a task I have not ventured into just yet. However, I just saw a timely "tweet" and had to share.

This blog post a brief tutorial on how to create a Google form for your data collection, once created the form can be accessed through a web browser or saved to your iPad screen for quick access.

~Melanie

Permalink Reply by Edwina Lawson on February 1, 2012 at 1:53pm

Currently I am volunteering at a gifted and talented school in Detroit which has very limited technology use. This week I am using the skills learned in my CEP 812 podcasting lab to have the students present their science project using technology. When you begin to insert technology into learning you begin to find different tools within software you already use. Microsoft Office premium 2010 has a function which allows you to cast your screen. I noticed the icon but never had any knowledge of what it was used for, now I do. Once you gain knowledge of new techniques I think it is a good thing to reevaluate software your already have.

Thanks Edwina