Automating the mundane: Using canned response

Picture this; you are required to send the same email content with a different attachment or salutation to a bunch of different contacts over and over again. What would you do? Type the same email content to all the contacts? What??! That's crazy! Copy and paste the same content from a source to a new email? Possible! What about using the canned response? Now we're talking!!!

This week's 'oldie but goldie' Gmail feature is one of the regularly used tool (or support system) in my day-to-day correspondence with either parents, students or colleagues. Here are the steps on how to use it:

SECTION 1: SETTING UP A CANNED RESPONSE


Step 1: Go to setting by clicking on the gear icon. 

Step 2: Once in the setting window, click on the Labs tab and then enable the Canned Responses Lab.

Step 3: Go to compose and create an email template which will then be used in your canned responses.

Step 4: Hover over the drop-down arrow at the bottom right of your email window and click on Canned responses.


 Step 5: Then click on New canned response.

Step 6: Name your new canned response for easier identification in the future (Mine's Sample Email). 

SECTION 2: USING A CANNED RESPONSE

 Step 7: On a new message window, hover over the drop-down arrow at the bottom right of your email window, click on Canned responses and then the email template (Sample Email) which was created earlier.

Step 8: Once your response has been pasted, you can now send your email. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 for other contacts.

Canned responses might seem like a small win, but these incremental performance improvements add up over time and set you apart. Give it a try! 

Rubric Grading using Goobric and Doctopus in Google Classroom

This week's add-ons special will be featuring not one, but two add-ons that can do magic! They are Goobric and Doctopus! These add-ons enable grading directly via Google Classroom, using a rubric which is attachable to the assigned document.  There are also options for self/peer assessment and send assessment feedback via student's email. Check out my youtube tutorial to learn more about Rubric Grading using Goobric and Doctopus.

Click the link below for more samples:

Assignment Example (Copy of Year 4 AFL Term 2, 2018) 

Sample Rubric (Rubric must be in a spreadsheet form)

Attached Online Rubric on a student's assignment

I am planning to introduce this process to my colleagues for our next assessment for learning (AfL) in Term 3. These add-ons will not only reduce time spent on manually writing and then copying feedbacks from one form to another but it also serves as an organised as well as a more comprehensive record of student's work. Give it a go and have an awesome weekend!

Add-Ons Special: Flippity

Doin' the Flip ya'll!

This week's add-ons special is Flippity, a tool which can easily turn a Google Spreadsheet into a set of online flashcards and other cool stuff such as bingo, word search, puzzle, typing test, random name picker and many more. 

You can start by going to Flippity.net or get the add-ons for Google Spreadsheet. Explore the activities by studying the demos available and then follow the step-by-step instructions to create your customized Flippity activities.

Get the Flippity add-ons

Flippity add-ons for Spreadsheets

Creating a Flippity Flashcards for Vocabulary Activity

For the upcoming 2018 World Cup, I'm planning to introduce some 'footballish' vocabulary to my students using one of the activities offered by Flippity. 

First, go ahead and open a new Spreadsheet which I will name 'World Cup Vocabulary.' Get the Flippity add-ons and then launch it. You will then choose the activity that you want and click on the use button. Follow the instructions to create your flashcards.

             

Pick a template for an activity that you want.

Click 'Use' once you've decided on an activity.

Key in your information.

Once you're done keying-in, get the URL to your Flippity Flashcards.

Follow the instructions.

Voila! Your customized flashcards are ready to use.

What's great about this tool is that it allows you to create different activities by transferring the information you've keyed-in, hence saving your precious time to do it again and again for another activity. 

Go to 'More' tab and you can create other activities. 

There are also printable versions if you prefer to distribute worksheets. Last but not least, you can share the link to the online flashcards with your students via Google Classroom as homework or class activity. 

You can opt to print the quiz.

Or share the link to co-teachers or students through different platforms.

Now go and give Flippity a go and create wonderful resources for learning!

Google Break-WIth-Tech Session CPD

Hi there everyone. Greetings from a geek-wannabe!  



Last week was one of the busiest weeks of the term as I had Term 1 report to work on, a class assembly presentation to practise with and last but not least, a Google session small group CPD to facilitate. It's great that we have a week-long break right after that as I could use some time away from the hustle and bustle of 'academia' life!

On Thursday 24th of May last week, I've offered a Google session mini CPD to a small group of colleagues who are keen to explore more about everything Google. It was the first self-initiated session for me as my previous experiences were of invitational basis.  

I started by discussing my desire to offer this CPD with my senior leaders which was much appreciated, therefore, approved to go on. The first step was to send a pre-session Google form to my colleagues to gauge interest and to find out more about their ability and comfort level with various topics that will be discussed during the session. 

Upon receiving responses, I then finalise the topics and shared it with my colleagues so that they'll have some ideas on what will go on during my session. The format of my session was designed in a 'choose-your-own-adventure' style; differentiated and self-paced learning which covered topics of their choice. (see Google slides below for more clarification) 






I think the session went well as most of the participants were able to 'take-away' at least two new things to be implemented in their classroom. It would be even better if I focused the 1-hour session on a specific topic, for example, Google Drive, as there were just too many to digest, too little time! However, I've shared the presentation slides for them to further explore on their own and at their own pace. 

After the session, another Google form was sent (unanimous responses) for feedback purpose which will be helpful because I can improve in the future and also understand my audience's perspective a little bit better. 
So, here's to a better and improved session next time! Sayonara!

Formative Assessment Tools Special

It's been a while since my last blog entry. I've been busy with work and other commitments and in the midst of that, I finally had the courage to take the Google Trainer Assessment which is one of the requirements for Google Trainer application and proud to say that I've passed! Google Trainer Certification, here I come!! 

This week's special will be featuring three online formative assessment tools which I've used with my students and will continue using when opportunities arise. You'll never believe how much excitement and engagement it brought to the class; some students were literally jumping in the air each time they answered the question correctly and begged me to play it again.

Quizizz and Kahoot are a fun multiplayer classroom activities, that allow all your students to practice together either in class (live mode) or at home. Both work on Android or IOS devices and do not require students logins. Plickers, on the other hand, is a simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time data without the need for student devices. 

Quizizz and Kahoot

Upon signing in to Quizizz and Kahoot, you can start by creating your own quiz or save time by searching for the ready-made quizzes by other educators. Once you're ready with the quiz, you can opt to play it in class-live mode or assign it as homework. 

Both Quizizz and Kahoot provide real-time data and allow you to download or share results or feedback with your students. It also integrate with Google Classroom so you can direct the students to the game page or assign as homework.

Live mode Quiz via Kahoot

Excitement while playing Kahoot

Video on How to Assign Homework Using Quizizz

Plickers

Picture this; your students taking a long time to log-in on the computer or even open the right app. For some reason, the device decided to act up at the exact moment you wanted to start your activity using one of the online tools.

Enter Plickers, a powerful online tool that gives all the student a chance to participate and engage in learning as well as providing instant feedback for a quick check of understanding. No device required for the students, just Plickers card printouts which can be used again and again. 

The idea is that once the quiz is launched live, students will answer by putting their card up to be scanned by the teacher's device. They will rotate their card according to their choice of answer. For instance, if your answer is B, then that alphabet should be positioned upright such as below.

An example of a Plickers card.

Check out the link below on how to get started:

Getting Started with Plickers 

Plickers Live View

Try these tools out as a fun starter, a short-burst activity in the middle of a session to check for understanding or as a plenary to consolidate learning. They'll have lots of fun and I bet you will too!

Google Forms Part 3: Result Evaluation

Here comes the last and the most exciting part of Google Form. Evaluation of results! Check out my previous blogs for Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Grading and Feedback 

In this post, I'm going to show you ways to grade assignments automatically. Yes, you heard me right. Automatically! No more wasting time on mundane tasks of marking the same questions over and over again. Here are two ways to do just that.

 

Google Forms Quiz 

 1. In your form setting, go to quizzes tab and enable "Make this a quiz."  Check and review the quiz options below and then click save.

2. When assigning assignment on Google Classroom, enable Grade Importing so students' grade can be shared easily via email. 

3. To share scores or grades with your students, click on the responses tab on your Google Form, click on the individual tab and then choose to release score. The scores or grades will be shared via individual email.

4. This is how it looks like from a student's point of view. 

Flubaroo Add-ons  

This amazing and time-saving add-on is highly recommended to all the teachers out there. It's user-friendly and its developer is always looking for ways to improve the functionality of it. Check out my tutorial video below on how to use Flubaroo to automatically grade and share results with your students.

Conclusion

In short, the Google Forms quiz option is easier to use than Flubaroo. However, Flubaroo currently provides some extra features such as generating a Google Docs report for students who do not have Gmail.  

Digital Tools To Promote Learners Agency

One of the essential components for change in international schools is the use of digital tools to promote learners agency. Having said that, I've compiled five digital tools which are not only adjustable but also able to support ALL learners need.

1. Rewordify

Rewordify is a free and user-friendly online tool that can help learners read words easily. It can simplify difficult English texts, teach words for better vocabulary and help teachers save time and produce engaging lessons.

Go to rewordify.com, enter a difficult English text and click 'Rewordify text'.

Highlighted parts of speech for grammar lessons.

 

Difficult words changed to easier ones.

                                                    Teacher time-saver printables.

Example of a printable activity.

2. Google Image-Tools

Support comprehension with images using Google images-tools. It makes image searching quicker, easier and customized for your learners' need. Images can be filtered by sizes, colours, types and usage rights, amongst others.

Click on the tools.

Filtered by colour.

3. Read and Write

Read&Write for Google Chrome™ is an extension that provides personalized support to make documents, web pages and common file types in Google Drive more accessible. It’s designed to help everyone engage with digital content in a way that suits his/her abilities and learning styles. Some of my favourites and often used are Text and picture dictionaries, Text-to-speech and Vocabulary.

Read and Write walk-through.

How to get the Free Teacher Subscription to the Read&Write? 

First, get a free trial via the Chrome Web Store. The Read&Write for Google Chrome 30-Day free trial includes access to ALL features. After having installed the trial, sign up to get free Premium Teacher Subscription here.

Please note if you have had the free 30-day trial version of Read&Write for Google Chrome and it has expired, skip the first step, uninstall the extension, sign up for the teacher subscription as in step 2, and then re-install the extension.

4. Kiddle search engine
Kiddle is a visual search engine designed for kids, therefore offering safe kid web, image, video search and kids-friendly texts. This should be a better option for young learners to protect them from inappropriate materials as its results are vetted by editors.

5. Anything to QR

These days, almost everyone demands quick response for everything, hence the QR code popularity. Anything to QR allows you to generate url of the current page, any text/image/link on the page. You will see anything to QR code icon at the top right corner once you've added it to chrome. By clicking on the icon, a QR code for that page generates in seconds or you could also right click on an image and then choose generate QR code from the drop-down menu.

Anything to QRcode from Chrome Web Store.

Once the extension is added, you'll be able to see the icon on the top right corner of your toolbar.

Right-click on the image and choose to generate QRcode from the menu.

QR codes can be used in a variety of ways; a quick share of a link to a video, website or an image to support learning, make it fun in a game-based lesson such as breakout or print and stick the QR code (linking to a relevant tutorial or resources) in their text or notebook for a more personalized learning.

There are thousands of digital tools which have amazingly transformed the learning pattern in the international school. Start using some of it and prepare to see increased student engagement and participation. Have a great week ahead. Ciao!