Spreadsheets and Surveys

Google Docs. program has so many amazing features. It can make things so much more organized and helpful. Particularly the spreadsheets and surveys we explored today were fun to discover all their functions.

I remember my teachers using in grade school using an actually grade book to record our scores. The grade book could easily become messy as the teacher had to erase and change scores. Plus, it was hard to look through all the scores to find all the scores that were missing. I plan on using Excel or Google spreadsheets to create my gradebook if the school does not already have a grade book program. By using Excel or Google spreadsheets, teachers are able to quickly add in formulas to figure out averages, percentages, etc. Also, teachers can quickly add in scores or change scores without the messy look on the paper. It looks nice and clean which can help teachers find scores that may be missing.

Besides Excel and Google spreadsheets, I love the Google surveys/forms feature. This would be a simple way to find out how parents feel you are doing or teachers can discover what the students already know and what they want to learn through taking a simple survey that can be quickly done in class or at home if they have a computer/internet at home. Plus, I really liked the idea of using the Google survey/forms feature to give quizzes to the students. It is easy to create and use. However, I may consider giving the quiz at the school computers rather than at home so that they do not cheat using a book or something. Although, I guess the students could cheat at the school computer, too, yet at least the teacher would be there to monitor.

Google spreadsheets and surveys/form are user friendly programs that I hope to incorporate in my future classes. I also plan on sharing these programs with others. This can be helpful in so many different careers such as doing business surveys to find out how customers like the store or creating a spreadsheet to keep track of how much is selling in different departments. I love these programs!

Here is my amazing survey that I created: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pO1OFsTbORWnYn3ntLdeVQA

Word Processing (e.g. Google Documents and Microsoft Word)

When I see attachments in my email, I have been given the option to open the attachment as a Google document. I have been curious to discover what is Google document and the features that it offers.

Google documents is such a helpful tool. I could see this being positive thing to use in the classroom. I struggle a lot with grammar. Google documents would be nice to use in order to have another teacher help me write and correct a document that I may be sending to parents. This may be easier rather than using attachments back and forth. Attachments can be confusing if you have too many from sending and receiving so many times.

On the other hand, I liked the activity we did in class using Microsoft Word. I think in a situation where you were having the class do a writing activity and are not going to be sending attachments, this would be a fun activity for them. The students would love using the editing feature and it would be so much easier for the students and teacher to read.

Before today's class, I did not really see any way a teacher could make using a word processing program any fun. However, after class, I realized that so many different writing assignments can be done and made exciting for students to use. Students should use and become familiar with Microsoft Word because it is used so much today in many careers. Older students could also learn to use Google documents which also would be useful in their further endeavors. I enjoyed learning more about Google documents and features in Microsoft Word. I plan on using them in my classes today and in my future classroom.

Webquest Adventure

Webquest is such a wonderful way to do projects where the students may not actually be able to go out of the class, yet they can work and research using computers. I still think it is important that children are not constantly glued to a computer screen, however, every once in a while it would be exciting to do things on the computer. Plus, a teacher may find it is more effective to use webquest than any other way.

In classes that I have observed, I have noticed that many of them do not use technology or use it minimally. If teachers would take advantage of webquest, I think it would add a great variety to the teaching. Many times today teachers do a lot of skill and drill. Students would learn so much deeper and more effectively if they can do these interactive projects. I think students will be more engaged and productive if they have the opportunity to do projects and activities on webquest or any other way that lets them explore with a group or on their own rather than sitting and listening to a lecture. Plus, computer are so prominent in society, it is important to teach students at young ages on how to use a computer and internet to research and learn. Webquest helps teach students this along with other academic subject material in a exciting way.

Hopefully, within my future classroom, we will be able to do projects on webquest. I hope to be able to subscribe to webquest and create projects that I may find helpful for the individual needs of my students. I am glad we were able to learn and explore webquest.