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.

TCEA Favorite Finds: Google Flubaroo and autoCrat

Teachers, are you interested in a free, online tool to grade online assignments in under a minute?

Do you want to be able to get immediate analysis on student performance and email students their scores?

Have you heard about Google Sheets and Add-ons which extend the capabilities of the spreadsheets?
One of my favorite Google tools and take-away from TCEA is Google Forms, Google Sheets, Flubaroo and autoCrat.

Flubaroo makes grading online assignments in under a minute and measuring student performance a breeze.

Excited to share, upon return from TCEA we immediately gathered teachers to share Google Forms and Flubaroo.

Carroll High School (CHS) teachers are using Flubaroo to grade assignments via Google Forms, using Flubaroo with Google Docs to collect data and as a classroom student response system, and using self-graded Google forms.

Read how other teachers are using Flubaroo at What people are saying about Flubaroo.

The CHS Associate Principal, Dr. Ellis, is using this Google Forms and Flubaroo add-on to supplement the campus STAAR online training and Professional Development.

Dr. Ellis created a STAAR training presentation, turned it into a video with voice over, uploaded the video to a learning management system, and is using a Google Form to check for learning and staff completion of the training.

autoCrat is an add-on for Goggle Sheets that automates the creation and sharing of personalized (e.g.merged) Google Docs or PDF email attachments from columns of data in a Google Sheet.

This feature gives teachers that ability to create personalized certificates and letters to parents and students. On campus we plan to explore uses of autoCrat for beginning of the year gathering of data for students, parents, teachers and booster clubs as an efficient way to create and share personalized email attachements.

If you want to learn more about autocrat, this is a great ten minute youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDbpjlDAepI

New School Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions are made each year in hopes of starting something new. So in the spirit of the new school year, here are a few resolutions to consider.

1.  Use Videos in the Classroom - http://www.edudemic.com/using-video-in-the-classroom/
Using videos in the classroom is a great way to engage students. Here are a few ideas for using videos:

• Learn anything...together
• Example: Insert a YouTube video in a Google Presentation, share the link of the presentation with your class, and have students comment on what they watch. 
• Video Feedback
• Example: Use VoiceThread by uploading a video and then have participants comment using their voice, video or text. 
• Interactive Video = Active Learning
• Example: Use EDpuzzle by uploading a video and then adding voice comments and questions (multiple choice, T/F, or open ended) so students 

2.  Use Google Forms in the Classroom
Google Forms is a tool that is part of Google Drive and used for creating surveys, tests, or web input forms where responses compile in a spreadsheet. The responses also come with a timestamp so you can track results.

• Collect Parent/Student Data
• This is great for all the Back to School forms collected from parents.
• Ongoing Parent Phone Contact Log
• Formative Assessments
• Getting to Know Your Students
• http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2013/12/11/10-ways-i-use-google-forms-in-my-tablet-classroom/
• http://edte.ch/blog/2008/08/23/10-google-forms-for-the-classroom/
• http://www.edudemic.com/5-great-ways-use-google-forms/

3.  Incorporate Social Media in the Classroom

• Twitter
• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom - click here. 
• My favorite ways to use in the classroom:
• Track a hash tag.
• Live tweet field trips.
• Ask questions using a class or unit hash tag.
• Facilitate class discussions.
• Live tweet a book.
• Take a poll.
• Instagram
• 10 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom - click here
• My favorite ways to use in the classroom:
• Showcase students' work.
• Feature a student of the week.
• Share reading recommendations.
• Record steps in an experiment.
• Capture field trip memories.