A Little Known Script Called formMule

If you're a Google Forms ninja, then you've probably experimented with scripts.  If you haven't, then you should definitely give them a try.

In July of 2013, I presented a session called "Let Google Sites Be Your Digital Assistant" at the Google Apps for Education Summit in Redwood City.  Here's the description of my workshop:

School websites are typically created to share information with parents and students.  But what about the teachers?  Learn how to use Google Sites to let teachers schedule their own computer lab hours or to check out mobile carts.  Sites could also be used to share professional development resources or to disseminate information to your school staff.  In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how Google Sites can be an efficient digital assistant when powered by Calendars, Forms, and the script FormMule to automate many administrative tasks.

I love FormMule (a script written by the legendary Andrew Stillman), and I use it to schedule appointment slots in Google Calendar (handy if you don't have a GAFE account) or if you want to trigger email notifications from a Google Form.  This is a great script to try in you want to venture into the world of scripts.

Two-way Sharing with the Dropbox App

You're using iPads in the classroom.  Now what?  How do you collect the work they created?

I found Dropbox to be a great two-way sharing tool.  Students can share their work with you, and you can share files you want them to access, too.

According to their website, "Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. This means that any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, phones and even the Dropbox website."

This is my setup:

1. I have two Dropbox accounts: one that I use to store all my teaching files (I'll refer to this as my teacher account), and a second one that I use only for my class set of iPads (I'll refer to this as my iPad account).
2. I create a folder called "iPad Language Arts Folder" from my teacher account and share it with my iPad account.
3. I create subfolders in this "iPad Language Arts Folder" for each of my classes (i.e. Period A, Period B, etc.)  My students would upload their work to their specific class folder.
4. I also have subfolders of the unit we're studying (i.e. Short Stories, The Outsiders, etc.)  I usually leave those folders there for students to access all semester.

This setup allows me to easily drop any file I want to share with my students.  What do I share?  They're typically files I create just for my students.

1. A word document
2. A presentation file I want them to follow (You can turn off your LCD projector to save your bulb!)
3. A PDF file
4. An audio file
5. A video
6. Pictures (I take pictures of the participation points they're earning in my class.  I also take a screenshot of their current grades from my computer.  Both are posted anonymously.  You no longer have to post paper grades on your wall for everyone to crowd around.)

What kind of work can your students share with you?  The Dropbox app allows you to import images and videos from the iPad camera roll.  It could be any picture or video they created on the iPad.  It also could be a screenshot of any work they created on an another app.  See my post on "How the iPad Transformed My Classroom in 30 Days" to read about the different apps you can use with iPads.  I also describe in detail how I use Zoodle Comics in my classroom on a different post.  

How do you use the Dropbox app in your classroom?  Please share in the comments section.

Jing? Snagit? or Camtasia?

Recently, I was asked by a colleague what I thought of Jing and Camtasia by TechSmith.  It's a question I asked myself in the past when I first started researching screencasting tools.

Last year, I started using Jing, and for a free product, there's lots to love.  It's simple and easy to use for your first dabble in screencasting.

With Jing, you can take screenshots of your desktop and add annotations to get your message across.  You can also record what you're doing on the computer.  You can easily share your captures via email, your social network, or host your videos on their Screencast.com website.

However, it is a beginner's tool so if you're looking to do more, then you might consider Snagit or Camtasia.  What's the difference, and do you want to pay more?

Obviously. paying more means more features.  For example, with Jing, you're limited to a five minute video but Snagit has no such limit.  Also, with Snagit, you have full image editing capabilities, and I have to say, those tools are very cool to have.

How about Snagit and Camtasia?  There are two major differences upon first glance.  You can use Snagit to capture images.  You can't with Camtasia.  However, Camtasia has video editing capabilities.  Snagit does not.  Of course, there are many other features that differentiates the two, and  I think this TechSmith employee's explanation is well-written and quite detailed.

Here's also TechSmith's product comparison chart on their various products, which includes Jing, Snagit, and Camtasia.

Snagit and Camtasia both come with a 30-day trial so it's a great way to try them out if you aren't sure which one you want.  They also have an educator's discount so if you decide Jing isn't enough for you, try Snagit or Camtasia at their reduced price.

Color Code Your Data in Google Sheets

Ever have a need to color code your data in Google Sheets?

Here's an easy trick.

1. In Google Spreadsheet, go to the column you want to analyze.
2. Click on the drop-down menu to pull up the choices shown below and select "Conditional formatting."

3. A new window will pop up.

4. Create your rules.

Back in your spreadsheet, you'll see the data displayed in the colors you want.  

This is especially helpful if you have students fill out Google Forms and want to analyze the information they submit.  I use this trick when I ask students to evaluate each other, and I want to color-code their rating.

Enticing Students to Becoming the Leaders of the Class

This year, I decided that my students needed to learn how to moderate as well as participate in our online activities.  After all, students love power!  So I decided to post job openings for positions such as blog and discussion thread moderator as well as peer editors and tutors.

First, I created a Google Form to entice them.  Then, I explained how these are privileged and well-sought after positions.  Soon, students were furiously typing on their iPads, wanting to be the first to apply.

These were the responses I received:

"I'm a worthy candidate for this job because I'm a good teacher and I'm patient. I can explain situations, problems, and questions well. If you're looking for someone who can work well with others, then you've found her!"

"I want this job because I am completely against inappropriateness and don't like blogs that don't have to do with learning, I pay attention to detail really good, and I know a lot of people in this class and in other classes. PLEASE PICK ME!!!"

All great reasons, but this one might be one of my favorites:  "I am suited for this job because I am good at telling people what to do."

My kids are so awesome!  But after I stopped laughing, I realized the hard part, how many out of the 45 people who applied should I pick?

Do you offer leadership positions in your class?  If so, please share what they are in the comments below.

Using An Email Alias to Receive Student Work

Have you ever asked students to email their work to you and all it does is create a big mess in your inbox?  If you don't use a Learning Management System, then one way to organize incoming assignments is to use an email alias.  Both Gmail and Hotmail have this capability.

Gmail Users

Here's a synopsis from the Gmail help page:  "Gmail doesn't offer traditional aliases, but you can receive messages sent to username+alias@gmail.com. You can set up filters to automatically direct these messages to Trash, apply a label or star, skip the inbox, or forward to another email account."

For teachers, this means you can filter student emails by period.  For example, your Period 1 students can send their work to msjosiebruin+period1@gmail.com while your Period 2 students can send their work to msjosiebruin+period 2@gmail.com.

You can use up to 30 Gmail aliases, so use them wisely.

If you don't know how to create a filter, visit this Gmail Help Page.

Hotmail Users

One nice feature of using a Hotmail alias is that your alias can be vastly different from your username.  Maybe your email address is ELAteacher@hotmail.com, but your alias is "msbruinperiodA@hotmail.com."  You can send out email using your alias without ever giving away your real email address.  You also can't log into Hotmail with your alias, so that can be an additional layer of security for some.

Hotmail allows a total of 15 email aliases, but you are limited to creating only 5 per year.  To get started on creating a Hotmail alias, click here.

How iPads Transformed My Classroom in 20 Days

Last fall, my school deployed a cart of iPads to be shared amongst 51 teachers and approximately 1500 students.  I’ve always loved teaching with technology and have always dreamed of going 1:1 with my students.  So though I long to sign up for the cart every day, I usually wait until the last minute to give others a chance before claiming it for myself.  

Our iPads are not fully loaded with apps, and since our school hasn't set up an Apple Volume Purchase Program account yet, I make do with what few free apps we have.

So far, I've been able to clock 20 days of iPad use in my English Language Arts class.  How have I been using them?  These are the apps and activities I've used with my students.

1.  Students used a sticky note or mind mapping app for character analysis.  Students could choose from ABC Lite, PoppletLite, iBrainstorm, iCardSort Lite (there used to be a free version), Stickyboard, Idea Sketch, Mindjet, and SyncSpace.

2.  Students used GoSoapbox.com to ask questions and to vote for the most thought-provoking ones.  They can also answer each other’s questions.  Additionally, GoSoapbox.com was used to brainstorm different thesis statements for their upcoming essay.  GoSoapBox events were set up for each thesis, and students had to join an event to submit their supporting evidence.  Lastly, they critiqued each other’s contributions and had an opportunity to defend their choices if their quotes were deemed irrelevant.

3.  Students used Edmodo to join or start a literary discussion on our current text.  Soon, they were initiating discussions on their own at home without waiting for me to assign a topic.  (Update:  In the fall of 2012, I switched to Schoology and never looked back.  Read my blog on my experience with various learning management systems, and why I chose Schoology over all the rest.)

4.  My students used Kidblog to write app reviews, reflect on their readings, and explore intellectual topics.  A number of them ended up writing more than double the amount of blogs assigned.  These became my distinguished bloggers, and I had the class vote for the coveted title of “Blogger of the Month.”  I plan on awarding this title once a month.

5.  Students also used Nebulous Notes Lite to write responses to the literature we were reading.  The integration with Dropbox was an added plus since students could just upload their files to Dropbox.  Because I set up a shared folder on the iPad, everything they put in that folder would just instantly show up on my laptop or iPad.

6.  Students also used Dropbox on the iPad to follow my presentation slides, access handouts I created, and read speeches and poetry.  If my district’s network didn’t have such a rigid firewall, I could’ve also used Idea Flight or Join Me for this purpose, but alas, I couldn’t.  (Update, the Nearpod app is a great way for students to follow along a presentation. You can also add quizzes, polls, and drawings to elicit active participation.)

7.  I used GoogleForms to ask questions for anything I wanted to know, such as their daily technology use, their choice for “Blogger of the Month, how they felt about using iPads in the classroom, etc.  I called it the “Student Pulse.”  It’s a great way to know what they think about anything relevant to their learning.

8.  My students used Socrative to take quizzes, polls, or answer questions.  The “Exit Ticket” feature is great, and you can get a spreadsheet of their responses emailed to you.  Plus, you can randomize the questions on a quiz!

These are just a handful of activities I’ve had the opportunity to try with my students.  Like I said, without the AVPP account set up, our app collection is a bit sparse right now.  However, I feel that my students have accomplished a lot in just 20 days.

Imagine what they can do if we could use iPads every day.

Right now it’s just a dream of mine.  But I hope to make that into a reality soon.

Update:  As of the 2012-2013 school year, I began teaching in a 1:1 iPad classroom.  Dreams do come true in schools after all.

Evernote is a Must-Have for Educators

I use Evernote and absolutely love it. It’s an extremely powerful productivity tool for one’s personal and professional life. With the ability to access my notes across all platforms (whether it’s my laptop or my numerous mobile devices), I always have everything I need to remember within reach.

Here’s how I use evernote as a teacher:

1. Notebooks: In Evernote, Notebooks are like folders.  I create notebooks to help me organize information. For example, I have notebooks called "Students," “Web 2.0 Tools,” “Apps,” “Tech Committee,” “Temporary,” etc.  Some teachers may want to create a notebook for each specific student if they need create documentation for parent conferences.

2. Notes: I create notes on anything I want to document or file inside a notebook. I usually receive paper copies of student IEP's and 504's from my school.  I prefer to store them in Evernote so that I can easily search for them without thumbing through stacks of papers.  I can either scan the paper using a traditional scanner, take a photo of it, or use a scanning app.  I also like to scan or photograph student work to who parents during conferences.

3. Web Clippings: Anytime I come across an article, blog or webpage I want to read again, I save it to Evernote. Sure, Read It Later and Instapaper are great for this, but I like to keep all my work information in one place, and Evernote fits the bill.

4. Save Emails from Outlook: Now whenever I receive an email from a parent or student, I can click “Add to Evernote” from my Outlook desktop client to export it.  If you have a notebook for a particular student, this is a great place to file it so that everything is in one place.  After I choose "Add to Evernote," a window will pop up, waiting for me to designate a notebook and add tags. If I’m using my iPad, I can just forward the email to my Evernote email address, and it’ll be filed under the notebook of my choosing. This leads me to my next tip.

5. Send Emails to Evernote: Each Evernote account has a unique email address, and sometimes I’ll come across a website that gives me the option of emailing a link or the page. This feature is especially handy to have on the iPad where there's no "Clip to Evernote" option.  Hint: on the iPad, if the page allows, tap "Reader" so that the entire page will be sent to your Evernote account.  Otherwise, only the link will be emailed to you.

6.  Students Submit Work Through Evernote:  Students can also send their work to your account by using your unique Evernote email address.  First, set up notebooks for each class you teach or name the notebook after an assignment.  Then, when they send their work, have them use the notebook name in their subject title with the "@" symbol.  This way, their work will go directly to that notebook.

For example, Joe Bruin from Period A needs to submit his Journal #1 to you.  He will fill out the email like this.

To:  Teacher's unique Evernote email address
Subject: Journal #1 Bruin Joe @ Period A

This way, all the assignments will be grouped together, and the students' work will be in alphabetical order, too.  The "@" symbol tells Evernote to file the note under your notebook named "Period A."

7. Take Pictures of Student Work: This is for when you need to bring examples of a student’s work to a parent conference. I used to photocopy student work just in case I ever have to justify a grade, and now I don’t have to make a trip to the copier or waste paper if I never end up using it.

8. Purchases: We all buy things for our classroom, whether at the store or online. This is a fabulous place to store those receipts or order confirmations. For web orders, I use my snipping tool to create a jpg of my confirmation page and load it to my Evernote.

9. How-To Guides/User Manuals/Product Information: This is a great place to store that type of information, especially if you need to know the model number of something because you have to replace a missing or broken part. I also take pictures of the product so that I can match it to the user manual.

10. Special Assembly Schedules: At my school, we have various assemblies throughout the year, and because the duration of the assemblies vary, we always have a new schedule each time an event occurs. I will take a picture of the schedule (or upload an emailed copy of the schedule) so that I never have to carry a sheet of paper around to see where I need to be and when. I also do the same when we have standardized testing in the spring. Every day is different when we are testing.

These are just a few ways in which I use Evernote for my professional life. I also use Evernote in my personal life: for shopping, vacation planning, home improvement projects, organizing kids activities…but that would be an entirely new post.

How do you use Evernote as an educator? Please share in the comments below.