Google Forms: Anecdotal Student Notes

I have tried all kinds of ways to take anecdotal notes.  Spiral notebooks, 3x5 cards, Evernote, Google Docs with a table of contents, you name it, I’ve tried it.  Nothing was just what I was looking for.  I wanted something easily accessible, private while I’m taking notes, organized, and not something that someone can find lying around my desk.  Then it dawned on me - Google Forms!

I made a form that I use over and over again to take notes on students and it puts all the information into a sortable, searchable spreadsheet in my Drive.  I can sort by date, subject, or student.  Perfect!

I always mark the option to provide a link to submit another response, so after I submit, I’m ready for the next student.

What to ask?

• Student Name - you can always enter your students in ahead of time so you just pick them from a dropdown menu.  Saves time!
• Date
• Subject
• Leave a field for comments

If you want to get fancy - you can use an add-on for Google Sheets called rowCall to make a separate tab in your spreadsheet for each child.  This means you will have every note for Tommy in one tab, every note for Suzie in another tab, etc.  Try it - it's amazing!  If you do this, I recommend using a dropdown for student names instead of typing them in each time to make sure you always put their names in the same way.  This will allow rowCall to do its magic correctly each time.

Here is what my form looks like:

If you'd like a copy of this form so you can make it your own - click here.

Google Docs: Editing, Suggesting, and Viewing

Did you know there are 3 modes with which to view your Google Documents?  As long as you have editing rights to the document, you can move freely between the three modes.  They each have a specific purpose.

If you look at the top right corner of your Google Doc, you will see the word "Editing" with a little pencil icon next to it.  By default, you are put into editing mode when you create a new Google Doc.  Editing mode is exactly what it sounds like, it allows you to edit your document.

Suggesting mode is when you are suggesting changes to someone else's document you are looking over or working on collaboratively.  Once you are in this mode, you can type directly into the doc and it will track your changes in green.  It then puts in a comment letting others know what you are suggesting.  They can click to accept your changes or comment back to you.

Viewing mode is just how it sounds - it gives you view only access to the document.  This is great for testing links, table of contents, bookmarks, etc.

There you go!  All three modes explained.

Google Docs: Insert Table of Contents

Did you know you can make a clickable table of contents in Google Docs with just a few clicks?  You can - and it's simple.

Highlight all the parts in the text that you'd like to become a 'title' in your table of contents.  Then click on the drop down to the left of the font title and change "Normal text" to any of the heading options.

After all your 'titles' are changed to a heading setting, like "Heading 1", you can go up to the "Insert" menu and choose "Table of Contents" at the bottom of the menu.  Then you can choose to have your table of contents show as blue links or black text with page numbers.

Now all of the things you've marked as a heading style are titles in the table of contents!  You can personalize the table of contents by highlighting it and changing the size, font, or color.  You can change the size, font, and color of the things in the table of contents, just as long as they are still designated as a heading style.

If you want to be taken to a certain part of the document, click on the link in the table of contents.  It will pop up a small link.  Click on it, and off you go!  This works really well when you are working with a long document.

If you want to update your table of contents after editing your document, simply click somewhere in the table of contents and then click on the refresh button you see appear.  It will take any additional titles and add them into your table of contents, or take away any you may have deleted.

It's quick, it's easy, it's useful!  Thanks, Google!

Google Keep Chrome Extension

I've introduced you to Google Keep before - basically a website where you can store digital sticky notes with access across all your mobile devices.  Click here to get more information about Google Keep.

They now have a Google Keep extension for Chrome that is just wonderful!  You can click on the extension and it will take the web address and title of the web page you are on and let you add a note to it.  It will put it directly in your Google Keep notepad without you having to actually browse to the site.  Super useful!

To get this handy extension - browse to the Chrome Web Store or click this link.  Search for "Google Keep" and watch for it under the extensions - NOT apps.  Go ahead and click the blue "Add to Chrome" button.

It will prompt you for permission.  Click "Add extension".

Now you will see the Google Keep icon next to your address bar (Omnibox).

Next time you are on a website that you'd like to save for a specific purpose, you can just click on your Google Keep icon and it will pop up a little box for you to add a note to.  When you are finished typing your note, just click the Google Keep icon again to close it.   It saves automatically.

Now when you visit Google Keep on your computer or mobile device, your note will be there along with the web address ready for you to return when you need it again.

So handy!  I know I'll certainly make good use of it!  Hopefully, you will too.

TabCloud Chrome Extension

There are times when I know I need a certain set of tabs open in my Chrome browser.  For a specific lesson or presentation, I'd like certain things to be open each time I start.  TabCloud is my hero in these situations.

TabCloud is a Google Chrome Extension that takes all the tabs I have open in my Chrome window and saves them.  I can give that tab set a name, and then reopen it on any device I'm logged into that has a full Chrome browser (does not work on iPad, tablet, etc.).  Whenever I need that tab set, I can click on the TabCloud icon and load my saved set.  It's a beautiful thing.

To get TabCloud, head on over to the Chrome Web Store and search for TabCloud (one word).  Then click on the blue "Add to Chrome" button.

It will ask you for permission - click "Add extension".

Now you will see the little TabCloud icon in the upper right of your Chrome Browser.  The first time you use it will ask you to click to log in, then you will have to allow it access to your account.  You should only have to do that once.  After that, whenever you have a set of open tabs you'd like to save, click on the cloud, name your set, and click the little disk icon to save it.

To load a saved set, click on the TabCloud icon and click the green plus sign next to the set you'd like to load.  Then watch the tabs open right before your eyes.

Now when you go to teach a lesson or do a presentation where you need multiple tabs open - the preparation is quick and easy.  Walk in, log in, load your saved TabCloud and you are ready to go in just a few clicks.

10 Ways to Use Socrative Student Response

Socrative is a very simple and versatile student response tool.  It allows you to ask questions (open-ended, multiple choice, true false) and get answers from students using any device - without a student account needed.  You can do whole class activities or self-paced activities students can do independently.  If you'd like to see more details about Socrative, feel free to check out this resource document.  It includes some nice tutorials on how to use this product.  *Just so you know, there is a new paid version of this product, but the free version will give you plenty of functionality.

Socrative is a tool every teacher should have in their digital toolbox.  I highly encourage you to give it a try.  To get your creative thoughts churning, here are some ideas of how you can use Socrative in the classroom:

• Before a unit begins to gauge prior knowledge
• Before a big test to review and check progress
• A self-paced activity where students can work on their own, or with partners/small groups, to answer questions, write or evaluate statements, build arguments, etc.
• Writing skill practice - have students write a few lines or a paragraph showing a particular skill.  Have students vote anonymously on which was best.  Discuss why it was best.  Another prompt, another vote, another discussion, etc.  This hones their skill as they go.  
• Suggesting topics, events, ideas, class party ideas, snack choices, etc.  The class can then vote - no muss, no fuss, no counting hands or small slips of paper.
• Homework assignment - you can leave the room open for multiple days.
• Study guide - leave it open and allow students to repeat the activity as many times as needed.
• Daily/Weekly Reading Quiz
• Quick prompt - (question to answer, prompt to respond to, math problem, etc.) no pre-planning required.  Simply give the problem or prompt verbally or on the board, or they can answer one that is on a worksheet or in a textbook.  
• Exit ticket

There are so many more ways to engage your students with Socrative, but these should get you started!

Google Chrome: Save Space on Your Bookmarks Bar

You can't have too many bookmarks.  If you look carefully, most bookmark icons are highly identifiable.  Capitalize on that and save a ton of space on your Bookmarks Bar.

Here is a little .gif that shows the process.