Digital Worksheets now Gradeable with Ducksoup

Need a way to turn forms or documents into fillable, gradeable digital files? Duck Soup may be the website for you. Here are just a few things I've learned about this site:

1. Duck Soup is a free site that allows you to connect to your Google Drive account. 
2. Duck Soup will show all Google Docs, PDFs saved in Google Drive or you can upload your own files.
3. Duck Soup allows users to create an "ESheet" from their Google Docs, PDFs in Drive or personal files.
4. Duck Soup allows users to create a classroom.
5. Duck Soup will grade ESheets created and assigned to a classroom. 

Benefits for Teachers:

1. Turn worksheets or forms into gradeable, online forms vs. paper handouts that are turned in for a grade.
2. Set how times student can respond when completing the ESheet and users can allow retries. 
3. Number questions.
4. Choose varies question answer types (Example: MC, text, number, paragraph, math show your work, etc).
5. Set question value of your own choice.
6. Add correct answer help text to questions.
7. Add help answer link to questions.
8. Watch live results as students work on the ESheet. 
9. Force turn-in of ESheets once assigned.
10. Download class results of assigned ESheet.
11. Lock the ESheet.
12. GAFE uses can upload ESheets directly to Google Classroom.

Cons for Teachers:

1. You must use the ESheet created inside the Duck Soup site. The ESheet cannot be downloaded and filled in by users outside the site. (I did send a request for this feature to be added.)
2. If your school is not a GAFE district, then you must create a classroom within the site.
3. Students must create an account to use this site. 

Getting Started:

Here are a few screenshots to help you get started...

1. Creating an ESheet

2. Dashboard

 3. Classes

4. Editing questions in ESheets (you must click on answer block to get editing feature)

10 BOY Tips for Teachers using Google Forms

Google Forms are incredible tools! Free and powerful, Google forms are ideal for teachers to gather information at the beginning of the school year.

• Data and results are easily shared and accessed online.
• Responses are summarized and organized in a spreadsheet.
• Google Forms is in Google Drive right beneath the word processor, spreadsheet and presentation Apps.  

Practical ways to use Google Forms in the Classroom at the BOY

1. Getting to know your students:

• Student self reflection - after summer holidays get to know your students. 
• Education World First Day Surveys

2. Getting to know your parents: Since you don't need a log in to complete a Google form, it is a great way to gather insight and opinions from parents, encouraging better communication between home and school. Link your Google form to a QR code to handout to parents for easy access.

• Parent and Volunteer Survey - Collect information, email addresses, twitter handles, goals for the year and information on what volunteer opportunities parents are interested in this year. 
• Parent Contact Forms on Pinterest

3. Getting to know your peers

• Whole school or department survey- Collect fresh ideas and feedback on professional development, committee planning, lessons and campus events. 

4. Placing orders: Lunch, t-shirts, books etc.

5. Reading survey: find out about the reading habits of your class.

6. Student Project Management

7. Tutorial Signups and booking/ making reservations.

8. Differentiate with Google Forms: Group students in as many ways as you like; by reading level, interest, by learning style, by skill, or by readiness and SHARE to that group in Google Apps.

• Offer assignment choices
• Flexible learning paths
• Group students

9. Informal Assessment

• Exit tickets and instant feedback quizzes
• End of Topic Tests - Allow students to create their own questionnaires about a unit of work. 
• Self grading tests with Flubaroo
• Create rubrics and graph results of a survey

10. Setting Class Culture: Gather students 5 top words about what they value most as learners and create a Wordle.

Check out these additional resources for using Google Forms in the classroom.

Resources:

• Teach Interactive

• Google Forms Cheat Sheet for Teachers

• Innovative Ideas for Using Google Forms

• Tons of Google Forms for Teachers, Administrators, and Students

• How to Create Rubrics Using Google Forms

• 81 Interesting Ways to Use Google Forms in the Classroom

• Fried Technology, Amy Mayer - YouTube Channel

• Ideas for using Google in the Classroom Thinglink

Coming Soon...Google Academy

Coming to you soon...1st EVER Google Academy for Carroll ISD staff this summer. Whether you are a teacher, paraprofessional or administrative staff, Google is an essential tool for learning. There's more to Google than just a search engine. Come and learn ways to use Google Drive, Google Chrome, Google Forms, Google Docs, and much more. Participants can register in Eduphoria (click here to register). After registration you will be given the opportunity to customize your learning.

So what can you expect when attending a Google Academy? Here are just a few things Google can do for you!

Google Chrome Tip

Add goo.gl URL shortener extension to Chrome browser so you can shorten a website URL, copy the URL to a clipboard, or create a QR code of the website. Click here to download.

Google Sheets Tip
Take a Google sheet and transfer it into a set of online flash cards using Flippity.net. Once the flashcards are published no internet is needed to access the flashcards. Once you try flashcards, also give Flippity Quiz Show and Flippity Progress Indicator a try.

Google Docs Tip

Google Docs is more than just a word processor. The research tool feature allows users to perform research within the document by using basic Google search, search for images, use the dictionary and even include a citation with a footnote in the format (MLA, APA, etc) of your choice at the bottom of the page.

Google Forms Tip

One of my favorite new features of Google Forms is the template customization. Now instead of having a standardized template, users can choose their own header, font size and style, page background, form background and more.  Click here for a tutorial.

Google Drive Tip

Did you know you can upload Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel files into Google Drive? When uploading, if you choose to convert the files to Google format you will not be charged for space used. For example, each user has 15gb of space in Drive and only files that are not Google format are charged against you. Time to start Googling!!

Don't forget to sign up for the Google Academy in Eduphoria. You will experience two days of vigorous training and challenges to learn more about implementing Google Applications in your classroom.