Google Sites

This was the most difficult item for me to learn on Google so far. I could get used to Spreadsheets, Presentations, and some other features because they are similar to something I have used often in the past. But I have not spent much time using tools to make websites or wikis. The only experience I have creating websites is from one of my computer classes in high school, but that was during my freshman or sophomore year, making it at least seven years ago. Technology and the Internet have come a long way since then. It also took some time to make up a class for the wiki. But, when it comes down to it, Google Sites is a great resource. It might take some time, but it's a great tool. I came across a website for a fourth grade class, and I thought it was neat because the teacher had so many resources on her site. It also looked great and seemed to have a great layout.

I did have to watch some Atomic Learning videos to learn how to do things in Google Sites. I also looked at the examples given to see what types of items other teachers included on their sites. It definitely took me some getting used to, and I still have plenty to learn. I like that even though you choose a theme, you can still change the background color of that theme. It is nice to know that if you like a certain theme, but not necessarily the color combination, you can change the color. I love the revisions history feature. I added in a couple items I decided I didn't like, but I didn't know how to delete them. By using the revisions history, I could revert the wiki back to an earlier stage. It's nice to know that if you do something you don't like, there is an easy way to change it. The most recent versions are pretty much saved. I thought it was pretty easy to add links and pictures, which is great. I also like that each page within a wiki can have its own layout. They will have the same theme, but the layout I used on one page could be different than the layout I used on another page. On one page I only wanted one column, but on another I wanted to have three.

I think Google Sites is a wonderful option for teachers, and also just in general. It took me a while to create my wiki, and it doesn't even have very much information on it. If I were to create one for a real classroom, I think it would take quite a while. But after using it often, I think it would become easier and take less time. I enjoyed learning about Google Sites and will have to keep it in mind for the future. Here is the link to my wiki.

Google Forms

I think Google Forms is a great tool. I had never put a Form together or even knew Google had that feature. Now that I think about it, I've taken many quizzes from this, but I never thought about how it was put together. Teacher Education students at Johnson normally post quizzes on Facebook at a certain time of year and ask people to take it because it's for a class. Now I know how they put it together. It's a great tool to manage quizzes, send them out easily, and have them graded for you. I thought it was easy to learn how to make a form. I liked that it didn't take much time at all to figure out how to do it. It's great that responses are sent to a spreadsheet. It was a little trickier to figure out how to have the responses self graded, but it still wasn't bad. I really like this feature on Google.

Here are the links to the form and the spreadsheet.

After reading from Google Apps Meets Common Core, I learned that Google Forms can be used for more in schools than just quizzes. Forms can be used for student surveys or to gather information about students. Teachers can use Forms to track grades, behavior, and assignments. They can then share this information with parents or other school personnel. Some Common Core State Standards require students to present information, findings, and evidence to support those findings. One high school standard requires students to conduct researcher projects to answer questions or solve problems. Google Forms would be great for helping fulfill these standards because it is a great way to easily gather information and results. Students can create a form and share it as a way to gather answers or opinions from people. They can then have responses put right into a spreadsheet so they can easily see results. There is also a tool on Forms where students can see data in simple charts and graphs without having to make them on their own. And of course, Forms are great for tests or quizzes, because they can be self graded and students would enjoy getting to use technology to take them.

Drawing Pad

I like the Drawing Pad app, probably because I had a lot of fun with it. I like that the drawing items actually look like paint brushes, pencils, markers, and crayons. The different backgrounds look like construction paper and the different types of erasers look like erasers. Everything looks real. I think it's just a fun app because of all the different options, such as stamps and stickers. It's also easy to share and save pictures. I don't know how often it could be used in a classroom because sometimes it can be hard to make your best artwork on an iPad. I think a lot of times that's better done on paper. But, it could be good to help students see how creative they can be and I think it's something they would enjoy using it.

Story Kit

I thought this app was pretty neat. Books are stored on a bookshelf and they can be read right on the iPad. Pages can be arranged and pictures, text, paintings, or voice can be added to them. It also has a great place for notes to be added while reading the book. Even though it didn't always work well for me, I liked how I could just swipe to the next page. I just thought it was great how different things could be added to the book so easily. That can help make reading a little more enjoyable or memorable sometimes, which would be great when working with students. It could also be cool to have students add text or pictures to certain books. It's a good way for them to interact and dig into the book themselves.

My Spelling Test and Merriam Webster

My Spelling Test

I did not like this app as much when I tried to use it on the iPad. It was a little tricky for me to use, even though I don't think it should have been that difficult. Setting up the tests and then going through them did not come easily to me. But after watching a video about the app, I saw how it could be used in the classroom, and that made me like it more. I never really minded spelling tests in school, but this app presents another way to take them, and sometimes it's nice to have more than one option. Someone can set up a test on the app and when the test is ready, the words will be spoken but not seen on the screen. Students then type the words and are told whether or not they got them right. Even if teachers still want to give writing tests themselves, I think the app would be great for practice. Students can take practice tests and do them on their own. They also might be a little more inclined to practice since they can use an iPad. While it was not the easiest for me to use, I think My Spelling Test is especially a great tool for spelling practice.

Merriam Webster

I liked this app on the iPad. I normally use Merriam Webster's website when I want to look up the meaning or pronunciation of words. One of my teachers told me about it when I was young and I have been using it ever since. That's why I like seeing it as an app. I like how the app has a list of words on the side. You can see the words that come before or after the word you look up, or you can scroll through all the words under a certain letter that are in the dictionary. You can also hear how a word is pronounced, just like on the website. You can also do a voice search. I like this app and would recommend it for iPads being used in the classroom.

Spreadsheets

I have used Microsoft Excel in the past, but it has been a while since I used it. I had never done any work with Google Spreadsheets until this assignment. From what I did with Google Spreadsheets, I thought that it was very similar to Excel. Both programs are great and I like the formula functions, but both take some work getting used to. I think since I had already worked with Excel it was easier for me to get used to Spreadsheets, but I think I still have a lot to learn in both. I think I would need to work with both quite a bit more in order to get the hang of things. Excel seems to have the formulas on the toolbar at the top of the page, while I did not find that feature in Spreadsheets. However, the formulas in Excel are still kind of confusing because there are so many. Of course the nice thing about working with Google is that the spreadsheets are online, so they are easily transferred from different devices, while that is not an option with Microsoft Excel.

I attempted to make a grade book using Google Spreadsheets. I did not think it was too hard to figure out how edit text or cells on Spreadsheets, whether that be changing color or merging cells. It did take time to get everything organized and enter in the formulas. I looked at a couple templates of grade books to see what types of layouts and formulas were used. I used two sheets in my grade book and tried to insert totals from one sheet to another. I believe there is a way to do this, but I am still not sure how to do it. I tried using a formula I found, but it didn't working. I don't know if it had something to do with me renaming the spreadsheets or if I was not entering the formula correctly.

The Common Core State Standards require students to work with different types of data. Certain standards require students to gather data. That data could then be organized into a Google Spreadsheet. Once the data is organized, students can then put the data into a graph. They could use Google Drawings to make that graph or they could use Spreadsheets to create bar graphs, which will be linked to their data. The graphs will change when the data changes. This would be one of the functions that I do not know how to use and would take some practice for me to get used to. The Common Core Standards also require students to represent and interpret data, and Spreadsheets is a great place for them to do either one of those. Teachers can also easily share documents with students. Other standards require students to understand data to help them answer statistical questions, and by working with Spreadsheets they should be able to understand that through practice.

Safari vs. Rover Apps

I have not used the Rover app at all before this class, but I have used Safari a lot on my phone. I like Safari because it is easy to use and is mostly like using the Internet on a computer. Both apps allow Internet access, but other than that I was not able to find many more similarities. I was able to find some differences though. With Safari you can get onto any website, but Rover is limited to educational websites. Rover does not allow access to just anything on purpose, which in that case makes it great for education. Teachers can allow students to get on certain websites, but keep them from getting on sites they're not supposed to. Teachers can add educational websites to Rover. iPads do not support Flash, which means when using Safari certain items may not work because they require Flash. Rover has a way to still be used without requiring Flash. Safari has better quality and not as many delays as Rover does. Rover also uses up a larger portion of the network which makes the Internet collection slower than when compared to Safari. This makes it hard for many people to use Rover at one time.

I like that teachers can only add to Rover what they wish, but I like Safari better. It is easier to use multiple items on one network and teachers don't have to worry about adding a new website if they later decide they want students to use it. Safari cannot be deleted from iPads anyway, so students will still be able to easily get on and search what they want. Most schools block certain websites anyway, so hopefully that will help keep students away from inappropriate sites when using Safari. 

iBooks vs. Kindle Apps

I have not had much experience using iBooks or Kindle apps, but I was able to gain a little bit more by using them both for class. There are some similarities and there are some differences between two.

I like that I did not need a new account for either one. I already have an iTunes account and an Amazon account, so I could sign into either one easily. Because Kindle and iTunes allow users to have the same account across the board, that made it easy to search for books. The iBooks store is like the iTunes music store, so that was easy for me to navigate. Since Kindle requires purchase through the Amazon store, I was able to easily navigate that as well. Both have a great page turning feature, which makes it seem more like reading hardcopy of a book. You can also scroll through the pages in both sources. Both have a good preview feature and will allow you to have a small sample to check the book out for free. You can easily search for words in both sources, or highlight and set bookmarks. The font and color can also be changed on both.

 

From watching a tutorial about the Kindle app, I learned why they do not allow downloading automatically from the app. Apple gets a certain percentage from items downloaded through their apps, but Amazon wanted to keep the profits within, so they make users go to their online store, which I understand. But I would say that is a plus to iBooks, because books can be downloaded through the app instead of having to open another source.

Since I have not used either iBooks or the Kindle app much before this class, I had trouble finding many differences between the two, although I'm sure if I used them both more I would be able to find more differences. I kept thinking I found a neat feature in one, but it turned out the other source had the same option available. Even though I liked them both, I would probably prefer to use iBooks. It has all books available through the app, whereas with Kindle you have to get online to even search for books. 

Box

I used Box on both an iPad and a computer. I took a picture on an iPad and right away I could pull it up on the computer with my Box.net account. I liked how a document can be created through Box or by using Google features, such as Google Docs or Spreadsheets. It can also be used to upload items from Microsoft Office, but it would need to be downloaded first. I like that items can be shared through different devices instantly. Cloud features are great because they can be used to share items between devices and also save items. When everything is on a computer only, if the computer crashes, everything is gone. With online storage, documents and pictures can always be saved. Box is another great online source for storing documents, pictures, and more and being able to easily share them.

Pages

I decided to give the Pages app a try. I had never used it before, but found that it has some similarities to Microsoft Word. They are both used for creating documents, whether they be letters, resumes, and so on. Both have multiple options when it comes to the layout, such as different types of fonts, different font styles, and inserting tables. They also both can be easily used to put together a document because I think they are both easy to get used to working with. Word and Pages are also pretty different from one another. If I were typing a large paper, I would rather use Microsoft Word because I believe using a computer for that task would be easier for me. I like having a larger screen and keyboard when creating papers or large documents. Pages also does not have as many editing options as Word, which is probably because it is made specifically for an iPad, rather than a computer. But since Pages is on an iPad, it is easier to use on the go and I think would be easier to use to make a quick document. Even though I would not want to use an iPad to type a paper, I think they have a positive impact when it comes to making quick documents or making them on the go. An iPad is small and sometimes the touch screen makes it easier to use than a computer. It also seems easier to insert and edit photos in Pages, partly because the touch screen makes them easy to edit on an iPad.

Tablets in Education

The main thing I have learned from looking into the uses of tablets in education, as with many advancements in technology, is that they are changing the way a classroom runs. The overall use of tablets in the classroom seems to have a positive impact on teachers and students. It looks like the iPad has been used the most in schools. It has some features that stand out when compared to other tablets, as well as many, many apps. But the Kindle and Nook offer competition to the iPad, especially when it comes to books.

In one article of his articles, Jeff Bertolucci compares the iPad to the Kindle DX to try and find which one is better for education. He says the iPad is good when it come to textbooks, but the Kindle DX offers the best competition. They both cost about the same, although the iPad can end up costing more when certain features are added on. But those features make the iPad the better choice when it comes to that category. Both are good for books, but the Kindle DX has a better screen for students who will be reading on it often. The Kindle DX has a much better battery life, but the iPad has better storage. Both have 3G wireless, but the iPad costs more to add that on. The Kindle DX also has a better keyboard. In comparison, Bertolucci points out positives and negatives to both. I still think I would go with the iPad when it comes to education, but the Kindle DX still has a lot to offer, and that can make it very appealing.

http://www.techhive.com/article/188239/apple_ipad_vs_kindle_dx_which_is_better_for_education.html

At an elementary school in Arizona, six graders were given the chance to use a Nook for two weeks at a time. It was a way to motivate students to read more. By using the Nook, students could have books instantly and for a cheaper price. The librarian who helped implement the program, said some librarians would be threatened by the emergence of technology in the way of books, but not her. She saw it as an opportunity to encourage students to read more. I like the librarian's take on this. Instead of trying to resist the changes, she embraced them and saw a chance to use them in a positive way. The kids had a positive reaction and enjoyed having a device with books, as well as Internet. It shows that kids like technology and there can be ways to use that technology for good when it comes to education.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/03/27/20110327gilbert-school-e-reader-nook-club.html

A third article I read talked about how students who use iPads in school have seen rising test scores. At some middle schools in California, students have been given iPads issued by their schools. At those schools, academic performance has improved. Students seem to be more engaged and they like working on an iPad. The iPads are filtered at school, but students still have many options in one device when it comes to education. The students seem to be all for the iPads. While I do believe tablets in classrooms can be a good thing, I still believe they shouldn't be the only way to educate. It may even be a little too early to tell if students who use iPads in the classroom will continue to have improved test scores, although it would be great if that continues.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/05/09/schools-see-rising-scores-with-ipads/5/

Google Presentations

This was the first time I had used Presentations on Google Drive. It seemed a little easier to use and learn than PowerPoint. I have often used PowerPoint in the past, but it still takes me some getting used to each time I use it. One of my favorite features of Presentations on Google is how easy it is to add pictures or videos. The tools on Presentations easily allows images from online or  pictures saved on the desktop to be inserted. You can also insert videos from YouTube or upload existing slides from PowerPoint to work on them in Google Drive. I like the layout of the toolbar better on Google because it does not seem quite as cluttered as PowerPoint. Although I did not use all of them, Google Presentations offers some great advanced editing features, such as adding superscript and HTML view. Of course, it's always fun to play around with the animation. I have added a short presentation about myself that I made when learning how to use Google Presentations.

The Common Core State Standards for listening and speaking require that students learn how to present information clearly. Students are to use digital media and visual displays in their presentations. One fifth grade standard requires students to include graphics and sounds in their presentations. Google Presentations allows students to fulfill these standards by offering many different tools, while also allowing collaborative work. The great part is that students can accomplish these standards by going to one place, which is Google Drive. They have everything available to them and should be able to incorporate all parts of the standards, such as using visual displays and including graphics and sound. As students get older, they are required to use technology to produce and publish individual or shared writing projects, as well as link information within the technology. By using Google Presentations, students are able to have all of this available in one source. This would especially be helpful if working on shared projects with other students. By using Presentations throughout their years in school, students will become more familiar with it and should be able to meet the state standards.

Google Drawings

Previous to this class, I had not had any experience using Google Drawings. When I was younger I used Paint a lot, the program that comes with Microsoft Windows, but that was just for fun. Google Drawings can actually be used for many different purposes. It can be used to make charts, tables, posters, and many other things. One great feature of Google Drawings, as with other items on Google Drive, is that drawings can be shared with other people. You can post drawings and allow others to edit them or only allow others to view them. In order for me to learn a little bit about Google Drawings, I watched a few videos on YouTube and played around with Drawings. I tried inserting text boxes, shapes, and tables. I experimented using different colors. I thought it was great how images and links can be easily inserted into a drawing. I also learned that you don't just have to stay in the square when you're working on a drawing template. You can go outside the lines and use the space outside of the main square. A drawing can be created and incorporated into other Google  programs, which is a wonderful feature.

I looked into the lesson plan for elementary school students. One plus to having students use Google Drawings for a math assignment is that they can do the lesson, as well as get used to working with a program on Google Drive. This assignment can get students used to different tools for drawings, and they also learn terms pertaining to math, such as rotate vertically or 90 degrees. By using the rotating commands, students can learn about symmetry. I like that students are to add other shapes and make a unique drawing, because that can help make the lesson a little more fun and creative. It's also great that a teacher can make one template and each student can then have their own copy, rather than everyone editing the same one.

Google Drawings can also help schools fulfill Common Core State Standards. One standard requires students to make analytical conclusions from reading certain text. Creating a graphic organizer on Google Drawings can help prompt students to do this. It is a great resource teachers have and presents another option for them to help teach certain standards. Another state standard requires students to draw different shapes freehand, with a ruler and protractor, and with technology. Drawings would be a great place for students to complete the technology part. There is also a social studies and science standard requiring students to interpret information presented in different ways, such as charts, graphs, animations, web pages, and so on. Students would be able to complete all of these in one program. Drawings could be a good way for teachers to set  these up, as well as have students interact themselves. From reading about Google Apps and some of the Common Core State Standards, I can see how Google Drawings can be used not just in one subject, but in many subjects. It is also a good way to get students interacting and using technology.

GAIN #1

Google Documents

1. Most of my experience with word processors comes from using Microsoft Word, but I have also had some experience working with Google Docs. A couple strengths of Google Docs come to mind right away.

Google Docs can be accessed from anywhere having Internet access available. A document can be opened and edited on multiple devices. When using Microsoft Word, documents are limited to one computer, unless they are placed on a flash drive or emailed. With Google Docs, documents are stored online and can be opened just by going to the Internet. Google Docs can also be shared among different people. A document can be interactive, meaning multiple people can edit a shared document. Google Docs can be used on any computer, no matter the operating system, because it is an online resource. There is no limit to the number of documents one can create in Google Docs, and it also offers unlimited storage space.

A downside to using Google Docs is that offline access is more difficult to setup than that of Microsoft Word. Word can be used offline, no matter what, while downloading Google Drive to use offline is a little more complicated.

2. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, students will need to become familiar with word processing systems. In the future, students may start taking writing exams on electronic devices. Since Google Docs is a word processing system, it could be one that is used for that purpose. In the breakdown of some Common Core State Standards, Google Docs is specifically included. For example, in his book Google Apps Meets Common Core, Michael J. Graham includes a standard for third grade in regards to writing using technology. The breakdown of the standard includes that Google Docs is the best place for students to learn certain writing skills because of easy sharing, collaborating, and publication. Graham also includes a standard for fourth and fifth grade which also specify the use of Google Docs. Students are able to interact and collaborate with other student using Google Docs, as well as easily access their documents from multiple sources. With the changes in technology, specifically when is comes to state standards, it would be good for school leaders and teachers to become familiar with Google Docs.

3. I remember using Google Docs to take notes in one of my college classes. The professor lectured and we were to take notes off of what he said. In order to do well in his class, we had to take a lot of notes. We covered a lot of material each class, so it took work to keep up. Some students started a document in Google Docs for people in the class to use and take notes. It was very useful because maybe someone else picked up on something that you were not able to, and they could put it in the notes for you to see. I liked to write my notes by hand, but it was helpful for me to double check what I wrote or be able to pick up on something I missed using the class notes in Google Docs. It was also another resource when it came to studying for tests, and it was easy to access the documents.

There is also a chat function when multiple people are connected to the same document on Google Docs. This is helpful because topics can be discussed while people are working on a shared document, no matter how far away they are from one another.

TECH #1

Tablets in the Classroom

Although I have not had much experience with different types of tablets, I believe each type of operating system comes with its pros and cons. I will go through the Apple, Google, and Windows operating systems to find a few positives to each, as well as at least one negative aspect of each. I will also include a section on the different types of tablet sizes. I will then discuss how these findings can relate to a school setting so an informed decision can be reached as to which one would be the best choice for classrooms.

iOS (Apple)
From the little experience I have had with tablets, most of it has come from using an iPad. I also have an iPhone, so I am more used to this type of operating system.

Pros
1. The first pro to the Apple system is that it is very user friendly. Before I had an iPhone I was able to pick up an iPad or iPhone and use them easily. When I got an iPhone it was very easy for me to adapt to using it.
2. Has a lot of storage space.
3. For the most part, apps are the same across iPads and iPhones. With the different types of Android tablets, apps are not always the same for each one. Some are designed specifically for a certain type of tablet and my not be available for a different type of tablet within the Android operating system.

Cons
1. Not as rich in the book market as some tablets in the Android market.

Android (Google)

Pros
1. Probably the best choice of operating system when it comes to downloading and using books on a tablet.
2. The Amazon Kindle goes a step further in offering video streaming straight from the library instead of requiring downloading.
3. Some Android tablets have better battery life than iPads.

Cons
1. The different types of tablets will only use apps specifically designed for them. The apps are not available across all different types of Android tablets.

Windows (Microsoft)

Pros
1. The Windows Surface comes with ports, while other types of tablets may not.
2. Uses standard Windows 7 software, making it the same as computers which use Windows 7 software.
3. Large screen; great for video display.

Cons
1. Windows does not include book downloading.
2. Not focused on apps.

Tablet Sizes
When it comes to the size of tablets, there are three choices: a small one, which would be similar to the size of a cell phone; a medium one, ranging from about 5"-7"; and a large one, ranging from about 8"-10". In order to be used in classrooms, small tablets wouldn't do much good, since they would be closer to the size of a cell phone. That leaves us with figuring out if medium or large tablets would work better in a classroom setting. Medium sized tablets would be easier to hold onto or hold with one hand. Larger tablets would be the easiest to read on because they have a larger screen. They also will be able to display larger videos and photos. When it comes to a classroom, I would suggest choosing the larger tablet. They may be a little more difficult to hold, but the display is larger and they are still small enough to be moved around more easily than a computer.

Cellular
Cellular means the tablet would have cellular capability and connect to a cellular phone tower. The tablet would need to have the cellular capabilities built in as well as a cellular contract. This would be like setting up a phone contract with your tablet, or adding it to an already existing contract. This could affect the discussion about which type of tablet the school should go with because it presents another option. The nice thing about cellular is that you do not need wifi in order to use all the applications, because the device can use cellular data. But since the tablets will mainly be used in a school, cellular may not necessarily be needed. The use of cellular would require a contract, which would be one more thing to add, whereas without it, the tablets could still connect to the internet wherever there is wifi available and the password is known.

In the Classroom
When it comes to deciding which type of tablet would be best in the classroom, there are a few different ones to choose from. We have to look at what the tablets would be used for the most. In a classroom, tablets could be used for different things, such as downloading and reading books, web surfing, playing games, using apps, showing videos, and much more. They would also be used by students, some of which would be young students. We would not want anyone to have difficulty using the tablets. We would want something easy for everyone to use. It was more difficult to find negative aspects to the iOS operating system. They offer one type of tablet so it is the same across the board. The iOS tablets and phones are even pretty similar to one another.  Even though it may not be quite as good with books as some tablets within the Android operating system, it still does a great job with those. I believe an iOS or Android device would be better for a classroom setting than a tablet with the Windows operating system. Windows devices seem more geared toward business. If choosing a device from the Android operating system, there are different ones to choose from. More thought would then need to go into that.

I think that any type of tablet device would be beneficial in the classroom, no matter which one it is. Tablets have a lot to offer teachers and students. No matter which one is chosen, I think they can have a positive impact.