Since I teach first grade, I’m experimenting with Google Forms as a method of parent communication, rather than as a tool to use with my students. I was hoping, with the add-ons, to find a way to gather the parent information into a single document that would let me view parent data, preferences, contact info, and more.
Overall, I found two add-ons that collect the data into spreadsheets. Both have pros and cons. I also found an add-on that sends individual data in an email. Here's more info about all of them. Form Builder: Form Builder was easy to install and customize. I like how it takes the data from my form and puts it into a Google sheet in any folder I want. However, the output was very hard to read, since Form Builder seems to include each question, along with its answer, in an unwrapped cell of a Google sheet. For questions that are long (like some of the questions on my parent questionnaire), I had to scroll right within the cell quite a bit in order to see the answer. SmartSheet: For my purposes, SmartSheet is a much better alternative to Form Builder. It takes the results from my form and puts them into a SmartSheet spreadsheet that’s easy to read and understand. The only downside is that you need to login to SmartSheet in order to see the data, rather than just opening up a Google sheet. So, it’s easier to understand the data, but there’s an extra step you need to take in order to see it. Email Notifications for Forms: This is a quick and easy way to get an email every time someone responds to a form. I like the layout of the email message….easy to read and interpret. I’m not convinced that I’d want to receive an email every time one of my parents responds, but this would be a good add-on if I did want individual email notifications!
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After reading “Harnessing the Power of Google Forms for Just-In-Time Teaching,” I was longing to find a way to use this with my first graders! What a simple and effective way of ensuring that the students are actually doing their “homework” in a flipped classroom.
Interestingly enough, I was just writing about that challenge as I prepare my project proposal for my capstone project. I’m trying to find a way to take advantage of the benefits of a flipped classroom with the essential nature of in-person teaching in the early primary grades. For my purposes, I believe that an in-class flip will work best, but I would absolutely use this model if I were flipping a classroom for an older grade. However, I do see myself taking advantage of the pre-assessment piece of this. While the way I’ll implement it is technology-free, it’s still an important way to see what the students know, and to frame my teaching to what the students need. From “The New Google Forms, 9 Classroom Uses,” I can see using Google Forms to store quick grades, though I generally use a printed spreadsheet on a clipboard so that I can jot down thoughts about student performance throughout the day. This could be a good way for me to compile classroom data then view it graphically, though the downside is that it’s usually easier for me to jot with a pencil than to use two hands to type. I can also see using the “CYOA” (or branching) Google Forms for a parent volunteer sheet. Parents would submit high-level information about their availability for volunteering, and then the branches would further narrow based on availability, then activity, then area of expertise. In fact, I think I’ll try this for my branching project! So many of the benefits listed in “Flip Your Classroom” by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams are reasons that I want to "half-flip" (or "in-class" flip) my first grade classroom. A half-flipped lesson is a recorded lesson that's available in class after students have had in-class instruction by their teacher. It gives students independent access to differentiated lessons, at their own pace, while preserving the in-person, relationship-based instruction that is so essential in first grade. A half-flipped lesson almost functions as a second (or third or fourth) teacher in the room. While a teacher is working with groups, individual students can refer to recorded lessons for review or relearning. The students can listen, pause, and rewind, customizing the pace of the lesson their own needs. Recorded lessons can be differentiated so that students at different levels can have access to differentiated material at their levels. Even game and activity instructions can be recorded so that students who need to hear the instructions again can do so independently. I experimented a bit with students recording lessons for each other last year. It was effective for several reasons. First, the students were motivated by the idea of an authentic audience for their recording. Second, the students reinforced their own learning by having to explain how to do a task. Finally, I was able to use the student recordings as formative assessments. One hurdle to implementing this model is the amount of time required to record lessons. Another is figuring out how to differentiate lessons and give students access to different material. Finally, I need to be confident that I’ll have reliable and consistent access to technology in my class. What do I need to know to address my driving question? Let's assume that I'll explore my driving question in one content area: math. First, I'll need to know my students' levels of proficiency in a variety of areas, including: math, reading (as it relates to reading directions independently on assignments), navigating tasks independently, and social-emotional (confidence, need for emotional support, ability to work with others). Of course, I'll need to understand my students' levels of proficiency in using an iPad or ChromeBook.
I'll also need to figure out in which areas to flip my classroom. Will it be for content lessons only? Or for directions, too? How will I differentiate my screencasts? I could use QR Codes, or different screencast nomenclature for different groups of students. Will I be creating the screencasts, or could I potentially have students create them? These are just a few of the "need to knows" before I start experimenting with flipping in first grade. How can I use a flipped model effectively in a first grade classroom to differentiate instruction without losing any the in-person academic and social-emotional learning that is essential in the early primary grades?
For older students, a flipped classroom model, in which students are learning material at home then doing project work in the classroom, gives the students the maximum benefit of their time with a teacher to work on their individual needs. But what about for early primary students, who need both that direct instruction and the project and discussion time with their teacher? Can I somehow use the flipped classroom model so that my students get the benefit of both? The problem that points me to this driving question is that the broad range of academic proficiency in my first grade classroom requires that I differentiate almost to the individual. In first grade, this means small group and individualized instruction for almost every lesson. A modified flipped classroom model, in which teacher-created instruction is available without a physical "teacher," could potentially support a highly-differentiated first grade class. In this case, the flipped lesson wouldn't necessarily "front-load" but would instead "back-load" and be available for reinforcement after an in-person lesson. |
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