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."

Using QR Codes in the Classroom

One of the fundamental advantages that tablets and mobile devices have over computers is their portability, but the least utilized, I think is the presence of a camera. Today, I want to show you some of the fun ways that I use Quick Reader codes, or QRs, in my classroom.

QRs are those barcode/crossword puzzle looking squares that you see on packages and advertisements. When they are “scanned” with a mobile device and the right app it links you to the website or text of your choice.

1. Typing in web addresses is difficult, especially on a mobile device with a keyboard for letters and a different one for numbers and symbols. With the QR it is as simple as Open App, Snap QR and, in the case of an iPad, open the webpage in Safari. Quick, simple and it avoids the frustration of missing a number or letter and ending up at the dreaded “error” page.
2. Use them to assign seats: This takes a bit of time, but it is a fun way for students to become proficient at using a QR scanner. Create a text QR at http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ for each students name. Print each QR off and place it at the seat you would like them to occupy. Then give each student a mobile device and have them find their seat. It works better if students are not allowed to talk, otherwise,  in their excitement, they will reveal seat locations.
3. Check Your Answers: Some classes, especially math, like to have students complete an assignment and then check their answers. Posting the answers in the classroom or putting them on a piece of paper works, but it is too easy to just glance at it. If you have your answers in a word document, copy and paste them into the text section of the QR generator and post the QR on the assignment or on the board. When the student thinks that he or she is done, they can grab a mobile device and snap the QR. This is also helpful for parents because it can help them reverse engineer the problems if they’re a little rusty. Another variation, would be to post the answers on a class blog or website and put the QR and link on the assignment. That way computers and mobile devices can be used.
4. Quick Assessment: Let’s say I wanted to find out if my students could identify the subject in a sentence. I would put a sentence on the board, like “I saw elephants in Africa.” Typically, students gravitate towards nouns when they’re trying to figure out the subject. I would place a QR under “I, elephants and Africa.” What you do next is up to you. One option would be to have the “I” QR link to a page that says, “you’re correct,” but this is also an opportunity for targeted instruction. Link the incorrect answers to a page on identifying subjects or with additional practice. Send the correct answers to a page that works on predicates or some other worthwhile activity. If the page(s) you forward students to is/are on your blog, you could use traffic data to determine the classes’ overall performance. Just make sure that students are answering the questions honestly and not comparing the QRs to find the odd-one-out. 
5. Useful Feedback: This technique isn’t much different from the one listed above, but it is very easy to integrate into your classroom. If you are correcting, or even just browsing through your students’ work you can paperclip or staple a QR to their work. This QR might send them to a text that says “Congratulations,” but what I like to do is link the QR to a page that will help them do better on the next assignment or activity. For instance, if the assignment was fractions and a student obviously had trouble with finding common denominators, I would generate a QR that takes the student to a quick tutorial on finding common denominators and maybe a Google Form that will allow me to see if the additional activity made a difference.
6. CLASS BLOG: Print out some QR Codes and slip them in with report cards. It is a great way to promote your class blog, especially because the QR is still kind of novel.

Sometimes these techniques may come across as being needlessly technological. Why don’t I just put a page number from the book at the top of their assignment? The answer, for me anyway, is that this is a lot faster and more convenient for me. Furthermore, students seem to be more comfortable with “digital” personalized instruction, whereas singling out students to work on a particular issue seems to be a little less popular, and let's face it, you can't get to every student every time.

If you do something awesome with QRs, please share!

Students, Technology and Boundaries

   

People are often skeptical of technology use in the classroom, especially when their children/grandchildren/neighbor kids seem to use technology for music videos and computer games. Often people see the introduction of technology into the classroom as simply an excuse for kids to play games. I use very few games in my room, but I do try to make the technology use fun. I frequently use project-based learning in my language arts class, and did much the same thing when I taught science and social studies. For a successful project, students need the freedom to explore, ask questions, seek answers and create something of value. These opportunities to explore are also a vital part of developing digital literacy skills; students need to experiment with the best way to find information, organize ideas, evaluate conflicting ideas and create new ideas.

Take a look at Bloom’s Taxonomy and you will see that the lowest level learning, remember and understand, takes place on a path. The teacher decides that all students will go from point A to point B and when they get there everybody will know or understand what a verb is. Along the way the teacher will help some students who are struggling and answer some questions, but there is a very linear, static quality to the experience. Too often I see technology being used the same way, and sometimes I am the perpetrator. Telling students to use World Factbook to put together a paper on the country of their choice is pointless. Wolfram-Alpha or Siri can answer just about any question that will be answered by that paper. Learning to research a paper is a valuable skill, but telling them to use only one source would be the equivalent of putting Lewis and Clark on a leash and telling them to explore the frontier.

Right now my students are working on business plans and one of the project requirements is that they consider competition and demographic data in choosing a location. So, if they’re going to start a miniature golf course, they better spend some time thinking about who uses a mini-golf course and make sure they put it someplace where it will get business. I didn’t tell them to use this website or that website, and a lot of them did end up using the same website, but that is fine. They are learning to explore and complete tasks on their own. I believe this is the right thing to do because their future boss is not going to tell them to use Microsoft Word to type up a 200 word, 12-point, Arial font expense report and pull the average mileage costs from the AAA. No, their boss will tell them that they want a brief expense report and it will be up to them to figure out how to get that done. 

Preparing students for the Digital Age means tapping into human characteristics that can’t be mimicked by computer programming, among these is creative problem solving. I liken a good project to a playground, there are rules and established boundaries, but instead of the objective being “fun,” it is “business plan.” Unlike the hike, students are free to move about the area as they wish and each student has their own objectives. Along the way, they may decide to pair up with somebody or share a success with others, but their final product is the result of their creativity and effort. There is nothing wrong with the entire class using World Factbook, but I want them to find it on their own or through teamwork. My role in all of this is to make sure that students are not crossing the fence or trying to grab the spinning merry-go-round with their teeth. In short, I’m not leading a hike, just supervising the playground.

 

Of course, just like the playground, every now and then students will do something they shouldn’t. Usually it is something harmless, but completely unrelated to their task, like a video of a sleepy bear or a game. Still, it is off task and there aren’t enough hours in the school day or devices in the building for students to spend time doing something they shouldn’t be. I do give the students a chance to defend their actions, but since I have a clipboard with the students’ project topics, they are usually very honest and readily admit when they were knowingly off-task.

They know exactly what comes next and sometimes start even before I get over to them. They close down the device, put it away and grab the “no tech” alternative. If it is a research paper, that might be a book. If we are working on verbs, then it might be a worksheet. Whatever the activity or assignment might be, I always have a “no-tech” alternative, my students know this and some even choose it over the “tech” version. Remember that both activities need to achieve the same learning objective.

This works very well for me because my overall classroom management strategy has always relied upon having engaging activities that students want to do. Of course, when it comes to the activities that include technology I’m always a bit worried that students will view paper and pencils as a punishment, which is not good for anybody, especially that student.

For this reason I make it very clear that the assignment choice is theirs, unless they start making bad decisions. Then it is my responsibility to provide them with a good environment for learning, and that means removing the device.  My evidence that they understand this lies in the fact that some frequent off-task offenders will choose the low-tech option right away and have even thanked me for the option. It is rare, but it does happen. 

Technology is going to be a part of students' lives, and it is full of distractions and improvements for learning. Teachers have always been asked to reach higher while still keeping their students safe and ensuring that they are learning. This is how I do it, but I know there are other great ideas out there.

Please share your ideas, comments and questions because everybody will benefit!

Fun English Apps

If you are visiting from Pinterest, please visit the main page by clicking here. You will find more information and links relating to technology use in the classroom, low-cost alternatives to the SmartBoard, using e-bulleting boards (like Pinterest) in class, and no ads. Thanks for your interest and happy pinning!


In the past few weeks I’ve received several questions about Language Arts and mobile device applications or “apps.” So, I thought I’d take a minute and share some of my favorite games with all of you.

Before we get to the game, let’s be clear that there isn’t a lot of reliable information on the educational value of each specific app. Infusing technology in to school motivates students and teaches 21^st century “digital literacy” skills, but there are lots of “old-fashioned” ways to learn that also work. Furthermore, the apps that I am sharing here are more games than anything else and should come after homework and chores are done. Is there a chance that these games might help with spelling, sentence structure or some other facet of the English language? Yes. Should your student get out of doing dishes so that they can play Word Jewel? That is entirely up to you, but unless you have a waterproof case it should be an either/or decision.

One final note, the American Society of Pediatricians recommends that toddlers and infants spend as little time with “screens” as possible. So while these games might be suitable for your middle-school student, I am not recommending them for babies. With all of that being said, here are some of fun and potentially educational apps.

(Conventions) Spelling: Word Jewel

There are a lot of apps out there that involve spelling (Words With Friends, Boggle, Scrabble, and Letris), but my recommendation is Word Jewels. What I like about this game is that it encourages students to expand their vocabulary and to take risks with spelling, but in a low-stress setting. In order to advance through the game it becomes necessary to start using long and sometimes difficult words. As with all the games, I think that sitting with your student and working with them in different ways can really enhance the value of the game. In this case, looking up each unknown word in the dictionary would be a great way to help the new word stick and potentially add it to their functional vocabulary. One final value of this game is that it forces the player to look for patterns, whether they realize it or not. For example, if your student sees “H-I” on the board it is a good bet that they will start looking for a consonant to complete it, like a “D” or a “P.” Although our language is complicated and lacks “hard-and-fast” rules, understanding patterns is important. This game is all about personal improvement and there isn’t a computer, clock or another person to compete against, which means the student can focus on growing as a speller. Warning: This game is hard to put down.

(Sentence Fluency) Complete Sentences: Word Order

This game resembles those magnetic poetry kits that are found on refrigerators, but this game has a twist. Instead of just randomly moving letters around to create non-sense, this game gives you a small set of words and challenges you to put the words into the correct order. An added bonus is that you will learn some interesting facts. Did you know that Brussels has an underwear museum? I do, thanks to Word Order. Adults can add to the learning by talking with their student about the subject and predicate in the sentence. Ask your student to identify the subject, which simply put, is who or what the sentence is about. Next, ask them to identify what the reader is learning about the subject (predicate). Another option would be to have students identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

Organization: Toontastic

An important, but often overlooked element of good writing is organization. A great idea depends on a strong organizational system to present the information in a clear and coherent manner. Toontastic is great because it asks student to organize their ideas into the setup, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution and while this doesn’t apply to all writing situations, it’s still a fun and worthwhile activity. To really maximize the learning and quality of the “play,” it is best to write a script.

Word Choice: Synonyms

“Good” is not a good word for describing things and yet it gets used all the time. “Timothy had a good supper,” doesn’t say much about what he actually ate. This game requires the player to make connections between synonyms and antonyms. When they are finished playing, talk with your student about some of the words that they have used and encourage them to write or sentence or two using some of the words.

Some of these are more fun than others, but I think the most important thing to remember is that spending some time using the English language together, in a creative or fun way is always worthwhile and it is easy to turn any of these games into a “no-tech” activity. So, dust off the Scrabble board or have everybody write down a dozen words, cut them out and make silly sentences. If you have any questions, comments or ideas please e-mail me at my school address!

Image: leondel. iPad 2 with Smart Cover. Accessed on January 31st, 2012. http://www.flickr.com/photos/leondel/5745567540/sizes/s/in/photostream/