Behavior Data and Google Forms

Data is an essential part of teaching, and we all have a grade book for keeping track of who is passing and failing. Many of us also collect data on behavior.  Paperwork and carbon-copy forms are the weak link in my behavioral management and behavior grades. That's why I use Google Forms! A Google form allows for faster, more accurate records and better access.

On a computer, using Google Drive, you can build a survey with questions that pertain to the behavior. That's a screen shot of mine. In my class students are given a green card for good behavior and a red card for bad behavior. They put what they think they were doing wrong on the card and then put it on a large graph with an "X" axis for Respect and a "Y" axis for Responsibility. Their name does not go on the card, but it does go into this Google Survey, along with their hour number.

This behavioral data can be accessed from anywhere. An IEP meeting, team meeting, parent/teacher conference, and at home. If your entire grade-level or school has a discipline system it could be shared across an entire school, with every teacher contributing and accessing data at a central location. The data can be used to determine when students are most likely to act up. Are they misbehaving because it's at the end of the day? Or are they misbehaving only in male teachers' classes? Why is this student so well behaved in Mr. J's class? Maybe Mr. J has figured out how to reach this student. There's a new kid coming to our school, who has an excellent behavior record and could be trusted to show this student around? These kinds of insights are invaluable.

This page has been added to the home screen of my iPad and bookmarked on my computer. It can be accessed and completed in about 15 seconds. When it comes time to do behavior grades, the spread sheet is opened up, ordered by Period Number and grades are handed out based on the data. If a parent calls to ask about their child's behavior grade I can tell them specifically what they did to earn the grade.

One note of caution: Google has very good security and with a good password your data should be safe, but there's no guarantee. If possible try to limit the personally identifiable information in your forms to avoid running afoul of  FERPA.

If you have any questions on exactly how to construct a Google Form or suggestions on what to do, please share them below as a "Comment."

LucidChart for Cluster Maps and Diagrams

Venn diagrams, cluster charts, and other idea organizing techniques have taken a huge step forward with computers. It's much easier to arrange these charts now that things can be clicked and dragged. The best chart-maker out there right now is LucidChart; it is free, web-based, integrated into Google Drive, and works well on tablets and computers. There are some paid features, but I've never used them and don't think I ever will.

It comes with lots of different templates, like Venn Diagrams, and it's easy to build your own chart. Head to Google Drive or Lucid Chart next time you need to compare similarities and differences between two characters, layout the stages of mitosis, or cluster states by their allegiance in the Civil War.

MoveNote for Direct Instruction and Proofreading

Movenote, like most everything else I use and share on ClassApps, is free. It can be accessed via tablet and computer--there's even a Chrome app! So, what does it do? Movenote records you and a slideshow, document or photograph side-by-side. On one side of the screen you can upload slideshows from your computer or Google Drive and on the other side you can narrate or lecture on it. This is done by connecting a webcam and hitting record. The app only allows you to add photographs, so if you have a webcam, it's much easier to do this on a computer.

There are two ways that I use this in my classroom. The first is to create short, direct instruction videos. This allows me to record, and re-record as many times as it takes to get my lecture just right. It also allows my students to watch the slide-show as many times as they need to; pausing, rewinding and skipping ahead to fit their own needs. 

The second is for proofreading. Logistically, it's not possible to watch all my students proofread. It's a critical step in the writing process and one that my students often skip. With MoveNote they can photograph (or screen shot) their writing, add it to MoveNote, and record themselves proofreading it. This is tremendously valuable to both the teacher and the student. It provides me with proof that they really did proofread their paper, and it allows the students to hear their writing and listen for strengths and weaknesses in sentence fluency, ideas, word choice presentation, and other traits. They could do this with the regular "Camera" app or a sound recorder, but seeing the paper there on the screen is more fun and makes assessment faster. In terms of reading fluency, I think there's a lot to be learned from watching a student's eyes move across the screen and see when they move smoothly, double back, or stop completely.

Padlet for Informal Assessment and Class Discussions

Note: This is an update on the post "Pinterest in the Classroom."

Informal assessment is such a wonderful tool because it's quick and gives me an immediate fix on what my students are thinking, learning, and understanding. A show of hands is nice, but it's hard to remember who knows what and exit slips create a mountain of paper. In my opinion, the best informal assessment is open ended; requires the student to analyze, apply, evaluate or create; and leaves a lasting record that can be easily accessed for diagnostic purposes.

Enter Padlet (formerly known as WallWisher), this web-based bulletin board fills all my standards for a great informal assessment platform, it works well on computers and tablets, and it has some great options.

Setting up a Padlet is easy. You go to Padlet, sign-up, or log in using your Google account (and at this point, every teacher should have a Google account). There are some tutorial videos available, but they're not really necessary. The symbol-based buttons are pretty intuitive. Press "+" button to create a new Padlet wall. Give it a name and in the "description" box explain what you want your students to do.

The "settings" are accessed through a little gear shaped button, and it's the settings where Padlet really sets itself apart. Not only does it have the usual collection of options, like custom backgrounds and "share" options. There are thre settings that I really like: 1) An option to moderate the Padlet and approve all posts; 2) An option to put posts into a nice neat column or put it it wherever you want; 3) The ability to set the password for your Padlet. My Padlets always have passwords and they're usually vocabulary words, characters or other single word answers relevant to the topic. This provides its own source of assessment, and more importantly, helps to ensure students have at least some requisite knowledge on the topic and aren't just trying to rush through it.

Best of luck and please share your successes and challenges here!

Box.com Widget (Digital "Missing Work" Folder)

"I forgot all my work at school and spent the night watching videos on YouTube!"

I've never heard that exact quote, but I've heard similar statements; usually the first half is to the teacher and the second is to their friend. This statement combines a common problem and a potential solution. Even the hardest working, most dependable person will forget something, somewhere and will be unable to retrieve it in time.

My classroom blog includes a box.net widget with spelling lists, grading rubrics, and some homework assignments. This allows students and their families to access classwork if the student forgets to bring it home. The teacher needs to set up a free box.com account and embed the widget code, but downloading the spelling lists or science worksheet is easy and doesn't require a sign-in, membership or e-mail address. The student or family member simply selects the document and clicks "download."

The box.com widget will accept almost any format, but if your plan is to share with students, there's nothing better than a PDF. A PDF can be accessed on almost any device or computer and it is a relatively small file, which means that families with a slow Internet connection can still download it quickly. To turn a Word document into a PDF, simply click "Save As" and change the format. (Video explaining process)

Another option for making documents available on the Internet is to use Google Documents and then insert a hyperlink into your blog. Like this one!


In a future post I will share some of the ways that I use Google Docs and Google Apps, but in the meantime, here is some information from Google.