Thing 14: Google Forms and Spreadsheets

Love all things Google!  Have I said lately that I would so love to attend a Google Academy?

For Thing 14...here are are few ways in which I have utilized forms and spreadsheets:

1. My students check out books from our class library via a form:  Cafe 16 Library.
2. Please check here for forms requesting student emails and such.

Once the students complete the forms, the data enters into a spreadsheet...all gathered in one place.  Very nice.  Very organized.

As for spreadsheets...here's my latest use of those:  just this week, I uploaded two Excel spreadsheets containing yearbook info and shared them with a peer is helping me with the bookkeeping of raising, thus far, over $24,000 to pay for this historical collection that we call a yearbook. 

Thank you, Ms. Nina, and thank you, Google, for de-stressing my life so much!

Thing 13: Presenting Google-Style!

An invaluable tool, Google consistently decreases stress within my classroom as my students now realize the power of the tool.

For my classes, I have utilized Google Docs and Google Presentation:

• Groups share documents with each other, writing one essay as a group.
• The whole class contributes to a Google Presentation as each adds his/her assigned vocabulary for all to view.

Until this post, though, I had never embedded a Presentation.  I like!

Hopefully, others within our PLN will add to this Presentation.  How will we know?  Right now the Presentation consists of two slides.  Check the number below the box...




This represents why I appreciate being a part of this group.  I just learned/self-taught myself something that will enhance my classes and, hopefully, assist my students.  Yes, I like!

Thing 20: My Friend Twitter

Twitter is a very powerful tool...if one has the time. Often I Twitter for just a few minutes, always accessing interesting links.

For example tonight, I clicked this link Think Before You Speak, posted by author Jodi Picoult and immediately began contemplating how I might use this sight when we journey through my next unit on anti-bullying.

As a result of Twitter, our 21 CLC group "met" author Suzie Boss via Skype due to our initial contact through Twitter last summer when I posted about our group and she responded.  Cool!  (I blogged here on my personal blog Treasure Chest of Thoughts about that experience.)

My Twitter account equates to a very reliable PLN, but to have that, I only "friend" those who will enhance the professional growth I experience there.  I currently follow 171 people, most of whom are directly involved in education, technology, writing, hobbies.  Please feel free to browse those I follow and add them to your list.

Not until you develop your list will you truly appreciate the value of this PLN that we call Twitter. Enjoy!

Thing 6: Nings

My thoughts on Nings...

• a place with LOTS of information, thus, they can be very time consuming, unless one goes there with a focus.
• another Personal Learning Network.
• a voice for our profession (for I join those that pertain to my interests).

I enjoy the following Nings:

1. English Companion
2. Classroom 2.0
3. NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English
4. Teach AP
5. ACTELA (Arkansas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts)

Since Nings will no longer be free, teachers may not utilize this tool as much. Since I appreciate those that I follow, I would be glad to be financially supportive of their hard work, for I glean, borrow, use much from the great minds that visit these sites.

What are your favorite Nings? Know of one that I should visit/join? Please share!

Thing 12: Delicious

Delicious is a social-bookmarking tool, one we use with our students, (one that, although I use it....shhhhhhh....I actually prefer Diigo). With that said, now let me jump-even-more-on-board and encourage your use of this tech tool (or your using such a tool...some prefer Digg...and others!).

REASONS I LIKE Delicious:

1. My Network: I enjoy checking in on my network to see who is tagging what. Yes, this a great way to quickly access the the very latest of what my professional peers are reading. Cool.
2. Tags: By tagging my sources, I am, basically, in "old-fashion" terms, placing my links into a folder. Once I click on a tag, then on one page, are displayed all the links on that particular topic. Please click here to access my tags for Web 2.0 Tools.

Delicious remains a tool for encouraging students (and teachers alike) to be more organized, while serving as a place for links for papers, projects, and personal interests.

Hungry for ways to be more organized with all the vast amounts of online information? Then Delicious is the snack for you. Enjoy!

Year 2 Begins!

Year two begins with a new focus...on project-based learning. Always a proponent of projects, I am now embracing this new focus with even more enthusiasm...and apprehension.

Enthusiasm for the student engagement that I know this endeavor will bring.

Apprehension for the lack of understanding of the big picture.

Enthusiasm for the confidence that having completed one year in a 1:1 classroom. will bring to this new focus.

Apprehension as I modify my definition of project.

Enthusiasm for how little I will actually have to teach to ensure they learn. Cool, uh?

Yes, cool.

Thing 11: My Friend Google Docs

I blogged on this topic earlier here, here, here, here, here, and here on my first personal blog Treasure Chest of Thoughts, yet I have only begun to touch the tip of the this glorious ice burg.

For Thing 11, I would like to share the following:

1. A collaborative document that I shared with my 21 CLC team as we reflect on our favorite "thing" about this PLN.
2. A collaborative Google Presentation from one of my English classes. They each signed up for literary terms and posted examples.
3. Cafe 16 Library: this consists of a form that I created in Google Forms, which feeds information into a Google spreadsheet that has helped me keep with who has what checked out of my classroom library.

Go, Google Docs!