Google forms are a versatile tool for use in the classroom.  They allow you to collect information, quiz students and organize data.  Consider having students use Google Forms to collect information on class projects.  For example, in science we look at 24 different specimens of life.  Over the year’s students would create labels for each jar, then they could cut and organize them into different groups.  To improve this activity, I created a Google form that each student uses to collect information.  They fill out a form ticket for each jar and the ticket populates a spreadsheet they can use to analyze data after the activity.   The same method could be used for observations of daily events, daily writing prompts or even vocabulary tickets.  The best part is there are no lost notebooks and sorting data in a Google Spreadsheet is a snap.  The following are video instructions from my animal classification lab.  This lab requires students to collect data from 24 preserved specimens, then analyze it in Google Sheets

This is a special guest post from Jeremy @ Learningedtech.weebly.com


The Education Technology market is closing in on $1.9B and most public-school systems are utilizing 1:1 initiatives to bring more tech to the classroom (Molnar, 2017). The whole school process is being digitized from registration to homework and it is time to stop and consider the vulnerabilities that are being created through technology. First, consider the technology used in administration; registration software, Learning Management System, Student Information System, Website, local servers, and office software. In administration alone, schools are subject to over five vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks and all these technologies are generally integrated with each other. Now add the classroom to the mix. Until recently, I've used roughly five to seven 3rd party integrations with office software during a school year. Now we have over ten vulnerabilities on any given school year that is subject to exposing student and teacher information across the internet. That information could be addresses, social security numbers, grades, assignments, health records, contact information, and online communication. 
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Special Guest Post from Jeremy at Learning Technologies. 
The Education Technology market is closing in on $1.9B and most public-school systems are utilizing 1:1 initiatives to bring more tech to the classroom (Molnar, 2017). The whole school process is being digitized from registration to homework and it is time to stop and consider the vulnerabilities that are being created through technology. First, consider the technology used in administration; registration software, Learning Management System, Student Information System, Website, local servers, and office software. In administration alone, schools are subject to over five vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks and all these technologies are generally integrated with each other. Now add the classroom to the mix. Until recently, I've used roughly five to seven 3rd party integrations with office software during a school year. Now we have over ten vulnerabilities on any given school year that is subject to exposing student and teacher information across the internet. That information could be addresses, social security numbers, grades, assignments, health records, contact information, and online communication. 
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The ability to collaborate in Google Drive is the best application of Google Apps.  Did you know you can comment on a document and assign a comment to a specific person?  This is a great help at several levels.  Teachers working in teams or students working on projects.  This allows you to use a Google Doc like a project planner.  Watch the video to learn more.  If you are interested in using this as a class lesson, follow this link for a free preview (click the preview option to download).

Everytime we talk about social media in school,  it ends up in a discussion over Facebook and student drama.  I've often wondered how we could connect with our students in a positive way to teach them about social media and how to use it appropriately.  Many school policies ban certain types of social media contacts with kids (I like my job), so what is our alternative?  Edmodo is an educator centered social media website.  It's simple to use and your classes can connect with you and their classmates.  The best part is the teacher controls who is in the class and can easily monitor everything that is going on.  I've even set up Edmodo classes for my after school groups to discuss important topics.  If you have never used Edmodo before, check out the video and links below.  Best part, its free!

Plickers are an amazing tool for classrooms.  They are printable student response cards that can be stapled, glued or taped onto your kids notebooks.  The best part, they are free.  This gives you a quick and easy way to collect responses from bell ringers, questions or whole class assessments.  If you haven't experimented with these yet, check out the video below, I highly recommend Plickers.