Sunday, April 3, 2011

Exploring Google

I have had a lot of experience using Google docs over the past couple of years. I was required to explore one of the Google apps in more detail. I decided to create a Google form that I could use in my future profession. I had thought of the many ways I could use Google forms in my classroom. There are the obvious ways like using the forms for curriculum. A teacher can create a survey to quiz their students. I had also created a form last semester as a sample survey for my future classroom. I figured I could use the survey to get to know my students at the beginning of the school year.

While exploring this app again I thought of a new way I could use Google forms/surveys. I realized that using these forms would be a great way to initiate parent and teacher interaction at the beginning of a new school year. I created a form with simple questions just trying to get to know the parents and their children. I also included an area where they could inform me the best way to keep in touch with them over the school year. Parent involvement is very important and starting it off right away can make it easier. Using a survey on Google is an easy and free way to get the ball rolling.


You can view my sample parent survey here.

4 comments:

  1. I love this idea especially that the parents can point out student strengths and their preferred method of contact.

    How would you react if a few parents DON'T respond?

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  2. I think it's a great idea to create a survey for parents in the beginning of the year. I recently read an article written by a teacher who had the parent questionnaire as the first "homework" assignment for the kids. If the parents filled it out, the student automatically started off with a good grade.
    I agree with Katie- I think it's crucial that the first survey is playing on the strengths of the students. I think that way more parents will be excited to fill out the form, since every parent loves to talk about their kid.
    Having it online also means that nothing can be lost or you can't forget to bring the homework back, and it can be accessed anywhere. In a world where almost all of us have smart phones, it makes it even easier to fill out the "homework".

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  3. I really love your idea of creating surveys for parent/teacher communication and student/teacher communication. I would not make the initial survey mandatory with parents to fill out because some students' parents just won't care enough. It's unfortunate but true. Rather, I would give parents the option to fill them out but definitely make the students fill one out.

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  4. True- and sometimes it's not a matter of parents caring enough, it's a matter of having access to the internet or having time in between jobs to make something like filling out a school survey a priority over sleeping or eating. It also can be difficult to make sure that students are communicating to their parents/guardians about the survey. You could send a slip home with the student for good measure, but it still does not guarantee that the parent will get it. Or, I guess, you could mail it to their residence, but this also assumes they have an address or that the school has the legitimate address.

    Wow, haha, I guess there are just exceptions to everything, but I agree with Miss Hayes that it might not be good to have student grades attached to it. Perhaps it could count as an extra credit point, but I think it would work just as well if there was no reinforcement at all.

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