Google Drive and the Paperless Classroom

Are you a teacher that is currently using the Chromebook/Google Apps for education and are looking to go paperless?  Or, are you already going the paperless route but looking for better ways to manage documents you share online? With Google Drive, it is possible to create a paperless classroom environment where the teacher and students can create and share documents digitally.  Here are four simple tips for teachers and students to manage this online strategy:

Click here to see in-depth steps for each of the tips below.

Teachers

1. Create 2 Google Forms.  One for collecting all student names and emails and one to collect student Inbox information (click on links to see samples).
2. Create an Outbox folder in your Google Drive for your class.  Set it to View Only. Share it with your students/audience.
• Note: all documents that now go into this folder will always take on these privileges (i.e.: it will stay View Only and send out to the people the folder is shared with).
3. Create and place templates (a new document) in the class' Outbox folder for students/audience to receive and work on.
4. Student shared Inboxes can be located in the "Shared with Me" section on your Google Drive.  Locate these and drag them to My Drive.

Students

1. Enter name/email in 1st Google Form created by teacher.
2. Find the Outbox folder in "Shared With Me" area on Google Drive.  Drag/move folder to My Drive.
• Note: all documents in this folder are set to "view only"
3. Create an Inbox Folder.  Title the folder "Class - [Your Name]" i.e.: Science - Tarah Tesmer. Set the folder to "Edit" mode and share with the teacher.
4. Copy and paste the link to the folder into the 2nd Google Form created by the teacher.

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Web Tool of the Week: Google Forms

Each week, I will highlight a website or web 2.0 edtech tool based on our initial needs within FOCUS, and Google Forms may be the tool that hits every single part of the acronym!  This application through Google Drive can be used in so many different ways, but teachers can use it daily as an entry or exit slip, or a quick assessment/survey tool.

A great way to take Google Forms a step further is to use a FormEmailer - this allows you to send individual results AND your feedback to student email addresses - or even parents! Click on the video below to view my screencast video on how to use Google Forms.  It's about 15 minutes long, so if you'd like to skip ahead to view the tutorial on FormEmailer within Google Forms, skip ahead to the 8:12 minute mark - BE SURE TO WATCH IT IN HD on the Vimeo Site otherwise it may be pretty blurry. 

GoogleFormsScreencast from Tarah Tesmer on Vimeo.

Click through this slideshow to view 80 interesting ways to use Google Forms in the classroom!

79 interesting ways_to_use_google_forms_in_the from GrahamAttwell

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How are you planning on engaging your parents and students?

Today's learners are connected to information in diverse technological ways, and with our focus on forming strong relationships with and between our students, parents, and fellow staff members, it is vital that educators consider new platforms of communication. There are other avenues beyond e-mail and parent phone contact, and perhaps these formats are no longer the tools educators can rely on to be the most engaging tool of communication.  Consider how you can use the technology you already have (or can download quickly for free!) to amp up the the paths of connectivity you will have with you new students and parents this school year.  

Here are a few of my Best Bet communication tools you can keep in your toolbox of resources. Try a few, and share your stories.  If you have any other resources that I have not included on this list, please feel free to add them as comments below!

Remind 101

• Send text message reminders to students; stay connected to parents. One way communication from teacher to students and parents. See my Tips & Handouts page for all information regarding Remind 101 and how to set up a free account.

Twitter

• Fastest way to reach out globally and on the go to others w/in our profession.  Creating a professional Twitter account allows you not only to stay up to date with best practices, but you can also use it as a bridge to communicate out to others all of the amazing things going on in your classroom!

Google Voice

• Allow user to create one free phone number through Google - never attaches to your actual phone number and can send and receive texts, voicemails, and phone calls.  Messages can be emailed to you, heard OR read from the web, or sent as a message to your actual phone (advanced use with using Google Voice for Podcasting: http://goo.gl/LxKLSB).

Google Forms w/Form Emailer

• This application that is found through Google Drive can be used in so many different ways, but teachers can use it daily as an entry or exit slip. A great way to take Google Forms a step further is to use a Form Emailer - this allows you to send individual results AND your feedback to student email addresses - or even parents! (Here’s Catlin Tucker’s tutorial on this: http://goo.gl/0fCbBI)

Classroom Blogs

• Easy to create blogs with the ready-made templates on Blogger (and it syncs to your Woodridge Gmail account!).  An all-in-one hub for students to collaborate and contribute to the learning process. Check out some great examples created by staff in the district here: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3, sample 4, sample 5.

Google Sites for ePortfolios

• A presenter from ISTE '13 and BLC '13, Catlin Tucker, uses Google Sites as the platform that her students use to create Digital Portfolios.  Here’s a link to her blog post on Digital Portfolios which features many samples of her students’ work: http://goo.gl/eWirX1

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