iTech Support for Staff

2 Easy "Make a Copy" Solutions for Google Drive Templates

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 19:54:10 GMT

In looking for a solution for teachers who need to have students grab a document and make a copy in Google drive from an iPad (which is not possible in the mobile version or the Drive app), I stumbled upon two great solutions for "passing out" templates to students. Both solutions require that there be a document template that you wish to "pass out" to students already created.

The first solution I found is a Google Script written by Arun Nagarajan. Using this script, a teacher can now give students a link or QR code that they navigate to and click "Open Document" which makes a copy of the original document directly into the students' Google Drive account.

To use this, follow the simple steps below. If you are using a Google account within the Cdaschools domain, you won't have to do anything special. If you are outside our domain, you'll want to set up your own version of the Google Script following these directions given by the author.

Create the document that you wish to share with students in Google Drive and make sure that it is available to Anyone with the link in the sharing settings.

Next, get the unique file ID code for that document (found within the link to that file between the "d/" and the "/edit").

Use this template by Tammy Worcester to generate a QR code for students to scan. This template is very handy because it will generate a QR code that is accessible to everyone through our district filter. I also like using Google's URL shortener goo.gl to generate QR codes, but it is filtered out for students on our network, so it may not be very helpful for this application.

Have your students scan the QR code, click the "Open Document" link, and a copy of the document template will be created in their Drive.

You will want to have your students rename the document using your class naming conventions and share it with you when they are ready to turn it in.

Try this QR code as a sample of what this script will do.

The second, and my favorite, solution I found was a Google Spreadsheet script called Doctopus, written by Andrew Stillman of Youpd. This script, which is based off a class roster, will create shared documents from templates in your Google Drive in your students' drives automatically. This makes sharing a template quick and easy. It requires a bit of set up to get going, but will save a huge amount of hassle with students when it comes time to share work because it is already done for them. I was planning to create a screencast demonstrating the process, but I found there are quite a few created already, so here is one from Jay Atwood via YouTube.

Is There a Purpose?

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 19:12:15 GMT

Purpose is always something that, as teachers, we are asked to provide for students regarding everything that we do in the classroom. Why do they have to read that book? What are the uses of that skill outside of the classroom? When will we use that formula? Why are you assessing students in that manner? And so on...

The same question applies to technology use in the classroom. We must always start our thinking with the purpose questions: Why are we using that tool? What purpose does it serve for students? What does technology allow students to do that they cannot do without it? Once we have found the answers to these questions, we are then able to take the technology and use it more effectively than ever before.

One model that many teachers and educational technologists have started to use is referred to as the SAMR model. This was developed by Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura, founder of Hippasus, a consulting firm whose goal is to "help transform education by combining a broad range of information technologies with novel educational approaches and a set of rigorous metrics for the evaluation of results" (R.R. Puentedura, 2012). The SAMR model is a description of the progression that happens during the implementation process of technology. In short, it describes the stages that implementors go through as they begin to change their pedagogical approach with technology. Instructors will notice a shift from using technology as a substitution for other tools to using technology in novel ways that would not be possible without that technology.

As you begin your own process of implementation, purpose should always be the driver. What is the purpose of using whatever medium you choose with students? Whether it be technology or not. Then, look to the tools that you have available. Sometimes technology won't be the most useful and innovative tool. Other times, students are given the ability to go beyond the normal restraints of schoolwork and extend their learning because of a technological tool that they are allowed to use. Then we can ask the question, "Have I redefined how I'm allowing students to demonstrate mastery of the content?" And if not, then we should ask, "How can I redefine this classroom activity to change how students interact with the content?"

For more information and presentations about the SAMR model, please visit http://hippasus.com/rrpweblog and for Dr. Puentedura's podcasts, visit http://tinyurl.com/aswemayteach.

Reference:

Puentedura, R.R. (2012). About Hippasus. Retrieved from http://hippasus.com/about.html

Google Forms with Pre-filled URL

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 23:21:09 GMT

As I was catching up on my Twitter feed yesterday, the tweet out of this posting by Alice Keeler caught my eye. At first, I thought, what would that do for me? How could that help? But then, I read closer and found out how nice this could be.

One thing that many teachers have told me is that getting students to fill out certain parts of a form correctly is always very difficult. With this simple tool, we can pre-fill certain lines in our form. Take a few moments to check out Alice's blog (and explore as there is a lot of good information) and try out this easy to follow tutorial to ease the use of Google Forms.

Auto Create Folders in Google Drive

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:36:54 GMT

Creating folders to share documents between students and teachers in Google Drive can sometimes be quite a cumbersome task. Each folder has to be created, emails added to the sharing settings, and then worrying that the correct setting has been selected so that students have enough, but not too much access to these documents. Last week, I stumbled upon a script in the script gallery that can streamline this process for teachers, while still maintaining some control over what students can access.

This script, called gClass Folders, is simple to set up and run, and will save teachers a lot of time and headache. Just like any other script in the gallery, it will apply to only the document that it is attached to, so for this script, open a new spreadsheet and go to the Tools menu and access the script gallery. From there, search for gClassFolders and install the script to that spreadsheet. Be sure to give the script permission to access your Google Drive.

When installed, there will be a new toolbar option called "gClassFolders." Select this tool and run the "Initial Settings." Here, folder names can be customized, but it is probably much easier to keep them the default names. As the initial settings are created, the column headers in the spreadsheet will be auto-populated. DO NOT change the header names!

Next, populate the spreadsheet from your class roster on Skyward (you can pull a report that will contain the students' names, email addresses, by period). This is the most time intensive portion of the process. Once the spreadsheet is complete, go to the gClassFolders tool and select "Create New Folders and Shares." This operation may take a while to complete, depending on the numbers of students in your spreadsheet.

Once this is complete, the teacher and students will have a set of folders that allow them to share documents in a variety of ways.

The assignment folders will house folders that are shared between one student and the teacher only. This will be where students can "turn in" their assignments so that teachers can view, edit (or comment on), and grade them. Here, the folder is private between a single student and the teacher. No one else will have any access to these folders.

The first class folder (marked with -Edit) will allow teachers to "pass out" documents to students and give them Edit rights to that document. This means students will be allowed to make changes to the master document. This could be used for brainstorming or full class collaboration.

The other class folder (marked with -View) will allow teachers to "pass out" documents to students with View-only rights. This is useful if the desire is to have a template or assignment passed out to all students who will then copy the document to their own drive and make changes on the copy of the template.

The final folder is a teacher folder designed to house all the documents that a teacher would create for that class. This is private to the teacher only, and would be used to store all documents for that class that are not in use and possibly quizzes or other private documentation for that class.

One very nice feature is that the master roster spreadsheet keeps track of which students have folders created for them and which ones do not. If a new student comes in, just add his/her information to the bottom of the spreadsheet, run the script, and new folders will be created for that student without changing the existing folder structure.

There are many other things that can be done with this script. One major advantage is that all the folders are owned by the teacher, giving them the ability to control all rights and privileges. Teachers can: archive students who leave the class (keeping their work intact), move students from class to class, add other teachers to the class list for collaboration or team-teaching, and even add a student aide to the folders (which gives them similar rights as the students).

For more information, please check back regularly or contact me directly at dkirkbride@cdaschools.org.

You can also follow me on Twitter at @mrkirkbride351.

Google Drive Scripts

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:28:20 GMT

In an earlier post, I wrote about the use of scripts within our Google Apps for Education domain. The scripts that are available in Google Drive make some everyday tasks automated with very little set up and no need to know any coding. Scripts exist that will auto score assessments taken in a Google form, pull data from a Google spreadsheet and auto fill a document template, create folders and subfolders that are shared for easy classroom set up on Google Drive, and so much more.

The script that I will share today, called Flubaroo, will auto score any assessment that is given via a Google spreadsheet. It requires very little setup, but will save precious time that is spent pouring over individual student papers to grade a quick quiz or even longer assessments.

Before we begin talking about this script, though, one principle of Google scripts must be mentioned. Each script must be "installed" and authorized for each document in Google drive. So, even though you may have used a script previously in a Google spreadsheet, you will still need to add that script and authorize it each time you create a new document.

To begin using Flubaroo, create an assessment in a Google form, or alternatively use my Sample Vocab Quiz (please make a copy of this for your Google Drive before you add the script!). Once it is created, the next step is to create a response destination.

Once the spreadsheet is created, there is one more step before installing the script. Go to the live form and submit the correct answers for each question. It will now be row 2 in your spreadsheet. Label this row as the Answer Key.

At this point, we are ready to install the script. Go to the Tools menu option and choose "Script Gallery." Search for Flubaroo and choose the install option. The script will ask you to authorize it to run and access your Google account.

Now, it is time to let the script do its work. It cannot be run until there are at least two responses populated on the spreadsheet. There should be a Flubaroo option in the toolbar of the spreadsheet. When that is selected, choose "Grade Assignment."

Follow the prompts for each screen to select the columns to grade (with optional question weighting if desired) and the row to identify the answer key. Then, the grading will begin. A new sheet will be created in the response spreadsheet that will display the grades, by student, with identification of how many questions were answered correctly, a percentage correct, and break down of which questions were answered correctly or incorrectly.

This could give teachers a new reason to use quick, formative assessment daily in their classrooms. With just a few minutes of set up and planning, teachers can gather more information about their students' learning and how to redirect their lessons in real time.

Update Note: A teacher can also add a field into their assessment to collect student email addresses and then once the assignment is graded, send each student an email with their results and answer key for review.

For more information, please check back regularly or contact me directly at dkirkbride@cdaschools.org.

You can also follow me on Twitter at @mrkirkbride351.

iWork and Google Drive

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 18:53:34 GMT

In my last post, I discussed Google Drive and the Coeur d'Alene Schools District's Google Apps for Education domain. Now, we have more ways to integrate this resource with apps that don't support Google Drive with in-app connections. One such application is the iWork suite offered by Apple (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote).

At first glance, one might think that you are unable to use the two together, but using the iWork app and the Google Drive app together, a connection can be made very easily. The thing that we all have to get used to, which took me a little bit to wrap my brain around, was that Google Drive is now cloud storage, not just for Google formatted, Google friendly documents. I can put any kind of document that I want in my Google Drive for safe keeping. This does not mean that Google can open it, but it does mean that I can save it there and access it from accessible programs or apps anywhere that I need to.

In order to do this, I follow the steps below. See the video below for a quick visual of the steps being performed.

To begin, I will select the open in another app export function.
Then I select the file type that I wish to export it as (in most cases I choose Pages format because I may want to go back and modify the document) .
I then select the "Choose App" option and select the "Open in Google Drive" option.
The iPad will switch over to the Google Drive app and ask if you would like to upload the file. Here, select "Upload" and it will be uploaded to Google Drive.
When you want to pull it back into the iWork app, just select the file from your Google Drive app, it will tell you that it cannot be opened by Google Drive, and you will select the "Open in..." option.
Choose the appropriate app (Pages, Keynote or Numbers) and it will be loaded back to that app for editing and further use.

CDA Schools Google App in Education domain

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 19:29:43 GMT

Recently, I've been doing training sessions in the district on the use of our Google Apps in Education domain, more specifically, Google Drive with admin, staff and students. My love for Google's online products has gone on for many years. Early in my teaching career, I was shown Google Sites and Blogspot by my tech mentor, a fellow teacher, and began creating my own teacher website and blog, before it was even thought of in that district.

Fast forward a few years, and we (SD 271) are in an environment where all 4th-12th grade students have access to a Google Drive account. This opens up many doors for teaching collaboration, document handling and other skills considered to be 21st Century skills.

One of the things that I want to highlight in this post is how easy it is to manipulate the sharing settings and create a collaborative environment for students and colleagues. In most of the Google elements (folders, documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings - not forms) the default sharing setting is "Private - only people below can access." When you want to change those settings, click on the "Change" link and modify them according to your desired use.

As the owner of the document, it is up to you to set the sharing settings and make sure that all persons involved have the adequate rights. This, now lends itself to teaching students about who to share things with and how to make sure they are always aware of what rights they give to others online. Not only do your students learn how to work in a digital environment, but they are also learning to be the safe-guard of their private information and work.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email me at dkirkbride@cdaschools.org.

Tune in next time for some really great scripts that can be used in Google spreadsheets!

Infocenter and All of its Wonders!

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:45:55 GMT

Today's post in going to be about Infocenter. Although it has received a bad reputation over the last couple of years, our newest version allows us to leverage a more collaborative environment and share documents like never before.

One major collaborative step that our new version of Infocenter allows will lower the number of documents that have multiple copies across buildings and districts. At the building level, a document can be uploaded and then shared with everyone who has access to that page. Then, those with access can open and possibly edit that document without creating new copies. The original document is in the same place and modified by multiple collaborators without creating multiple copies of the same document. When sharing this document with collaborators, instead of sending that document as an attachment, it should now be the protocol to send a link to that document on Infocenter. This way, a collaborator can open it from its one source and there is no worry about which document is the most recent.

Another great collaborative option that we've been given is the discussion board. On each page of Infocenter, there is a discussion board for that group or committee. These discussions allow for asynchronous dialogue to occur over time. One major area that we plan to utilize this will be for curriculum and assessments. In that section, a person from one school could comment on a revision that should be made to an assessment or a curricular document. Then, others can see this comment and adjust their use of that assessment or document right away. Also, changes can be made to the assessments so that they are kept up-to-date and adjusted constantly to insure that the assessments are assessing the content that they should.

If you have any questions or concerns about how to use Infocenter, please talk to your building tech leader or email me at dkirkbride@cdaschools.org.

Welcome Back!

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:54:40 GMT

Welcome back everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to let everyone know that I'm very excited to be back here this year and embarking on a new adventure for our district. Since we have not had a technology coach for a very long time, I am honored to be in this position and I hope to work with as many students and teachers in the district as possible.

I plan to use this blog to promote different technology tips and tricks throughout the year. Please remember to check back and see what new things I have for you each time.

Also, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like some support with any technology that we have or you are hoping to use. I'm just an email away and will get back to you very quickly.