Beginning of the Year Survey (using Google Forms)

 I enjoyed using Google Forms to create this Beginning of the Year Survey because it allowed me to see all the features of Google Forms. I could see myself using Google Forms to make a beginning of the year survey for my students' parents. It would save me the time of making a get to know you form, making copies, and waiting for the students to bring it back. I know from personal experience that some parents never send these forms back. Having parents fill out this survey online would spare me from having to make copies and waiting for students to bring papers back.
  Since Google forms sends you a spread sheet of the responses given by those who answer the form I could see myself using this app to make pre and post assessments. This would help save paper and would save me the time of having to record all the of the students scores into an excel spreadsheet. Google forms would also make creating rubrics much easier. I could create the rubric and post it to my blog, wiki, etc. so that my students can see it. This way they always know what is expected of them and their parents can also check to see what the criteria for a paper and/or assignment is. There seems to be a lot that can be done with Google Forms and I know that I have not even begun to scratch the surface. I look forward to discovering new and innovative ways that I can integrate Google forms into my "teacher tool box."      

Reflection - google apps

A simple Google search led me to a multitude of resources that give specific examples of how Google apps could be implemented into education and the classroom. There are so many ways that Google can be used in education that I was honestly overwhelmed by the examples I found. Some of my favorites that really stuck out to me include using Google Docs for collaborating on lesson plans. This is a great tool since I know that in many districts all the teachers of a specific grade are expected to share lesson plans and stay on the same page for the most part. Using Google docs to translate documents or letters for parents is something I could definitely picture myself using because some of my students' parents do not speak English. Being able to translate documents with the touch of a button would make my life so much easier and allow me to communicate with parents that I might otherwise have no connection with. I also really liked the idea of using Gmail to connect students with pen pals and due to Google translate a language barrier is no longer an issue. I definitely see how Google could help make my life as a teacher easier and help me provide my students with new learning opportunities.

Certificate for the Google for Education Basics Exam

As I was reading the basic lessons for the Google for Education Basics Exam it occurred to me that there is a lot I do not know about Google and all of its capabilities. Every time I think of Google what comes to mind is the main search engine page that I use on a daily basis. Now that I have gained some insight into all that Google has to offer I am curious to learn more about what components I could integrate into my life and/or classroom.

As I was reading the lessons before completing the basic exam it occurred to me how little I knew about Google and all the apps it has. Whenever I think of Google what immediately comes to mind is the search engine page that I constantly use. I never realized how many apps Google has that could not only be integrated into the classroom but could also make a teacher's life much easier. The calendar app alone could help an educator with organization which is a must in our field. I am excited to learn more about Google's applications and what I can do with them.

Wikis and "Casting"

       I could definitely picture myself using wikis because it would allow me to connect to the parents and promote interaction between multiple classes. Wikis could however be useful for keeping parents in the loop and for collaborations between classes if led by the teachers. Wikis can be used for parents to sign up for parent conferences and other events. The new spelling words for the week can be posted on the wiki rather than sending paper copies home every week. The parents can list which spelling activities the students completed and provide screen shots of the online activities students completed if requested by the teacher. Teacher can post links to educational websites such as Starfall that parents can use with their children. Parents and children can add additional links to sites they come across throughout the year. In first grade students learn about plants and insects. They cover the life cycle of a butterfly so the class could create a wiki with the information they already know about life cycle of a butterfly and other classes could collaborate by putting their knowledge onto the wiki.

         At this point I do not know if I could picture myself using screen casting or casting of any kind. If I did screen casted a few times just to get comfortable with it than I could picture myself posting them on my wiki or website for my students to view. Off the top of my head I could picture screen casting to show parents how they can log on to the math and literacy websites that go along the programs. The parents often ask multiple questions about how to log in so by posting a screen cast of how to log in online they can go back to it as many times as they need to. Using wiki and casting meets the ISTE standards because it allows students participate in various learning communities and promote student reflection.  

Link for 21st Century Educator Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lhP2o7V6xkfMJsMYhTkA31o0vySvXLvJLbMmAgOLsxQ/edit?usp=sharing

Professional social networks/ blogs

Today I joined Edutopia, Classroom 2.0, and TED blog. These sites seem to offer a plethora of information regarding the field of education and/or will allow me to connect with other teachers from around the world.

• Classroom 2.0 seems like a great site where I can connect with others. I look forward to posting some of the challenges I am facing as a new teacher and being able to discuss these topics with teachers from all around the world. 

•  Edutopia's site has information on topics such as classroom management, diversity, differentiated instruction, etc which I look forward to exploring. These are all issues that are pertinent to my profession and that I have questions about so I look forward to being able to find useful tips on this site. 

•  TED blog is a site I joined because I can honestly say I enjoy TED talks and have watched many that discuss the education profession in the past. This site will make it even easier for me to watch TED talks and I might even be able find something that I can use with my students.