GAIN 3: Google Sheets

GAIN 3: Google Sheets


My Experiences with Google Spreadsheets:

• When I first began working on my spreadsheet, I tried using a grade book template that someone else had created.  Though the template looked professional, it was difficult for me to use because I did not know the equations that had been typed into the different cells.  I decided to make my own spreadsheet from scratch so that I could learn how to program the cells myself.  There were several things that I did not how to do, including writing different equations within my cells.  I had to look up instructions on how to do this from Google Support.
• The easiest part of the spreadsheet to master was manipulating the columns and rows.  It is very easy to add forgotten columns, or delete unwanted ones.  Merging columns is also a cinch, just by highlighting and pressing the merger button.  It is also very easy to change the size of various columns.
• There are still a few formatting things that are unclear to me.  I noticed on the template that some of the boxes were colored.  My spreadsheet looks very basic.  I will need some more instruction on how to make my spreadsheet look more professional.
• Here is the link to my own spreadsheet: https://goo.gl/uMYbo4

Spreadsheet as it Relates to Common Core:

• The Standards for Mathematical Practice for Common core are created to instill critical thinking skills in students when working with mathematics.  The standards are created to focus on how the student uses the mathematics and not just the knowledge that they acquire concerning a mathematical skill.  Students need to have not just a memorized skill or algorithm, but they must understand how the concepts are applied in order to succeed when they are thrust into a world of data analysis and decision making later in life.
• Google Spreadsheets allows students to not only record their data in a spreadsheet, but to use their charts and graphs to help to explain their evidence.  Instead of a software that provides mathematical solutions for the students, the students must provide the solutions themselves in order to make the spreadsheet work properly.
• By entering formulas and manipulating their own charts and graphs, students will be critically thinking about mathematical concepts and applying them in practical settings.  Students should be able to choose the right tool to help them conceptualize, share, and present their mathematical understanding.  Google Spreadsheets can help students to do all of these things.

Tablets: Literacy for Education

Tablets: Literacy for Education

Preparation Apps:

Dictionary.com

• This is already one of my favorite apps, because I love to use dictionary.com.  Mainly I like to use the Thesaurus option, which is easily found along with a translator tool on the side toolbar.
• The homepage of dictionary.com has a section of trending words, interesting articles concerning words and their meaning or origins, and a largely displayed word of the day at the top.
• When a user uses the bar at the top to look up a word, they are taken to a page that displays the part of speech and several definitions of the word.  At the top, the word is displayed with the pronunciation and a speaker that, when pressed, offers an audio clip of the word spoken out loud. To the side of the definitions, the user can look at the origin and history of the word.  Additional context is also an option at the bottom, where a user can look at example sentences that use the word.  At the top underneath where the word is displayed, there are four tabs:
• Definitions: This is the page that the user is automatically brought to when they search the word.  It displays the common definitions.
• Synonyms: This tab gives a list of common synonyms for the word.
• Learners: Here, users can gather information about the inflection of the word, the specific part of speech, another explanation of the definition, and a context sentence.
• This tab offers several options for upgrade expansion packs for the dictionary app.

Grammar Express:

• This app comes in several different versions.  There are versions to teach parts of speech, tenses, figures of speech, and much more.  The version that I chose is Grammar Express: Active & Passive voice (because this is something that I have struggled with in my own writing).
• Upon launching, the user can click a book in the top right corner that will give the user an overview of the topic, further explanation, and examples.  There is even an option to print these pages.
• There are several tests that the user can take to test their knowledge of the subject, and to practice the concepts.  There are 40 questions to each test.  This light version of the app does not allow users to actually complete the quizzes, but rather the answers are already highlighted at the top.  After the user scrolls through all of the questions, they can see the explanations for why each correct answer is correct.
• I would say that this app could be a good tool for students to practice basic grammar skills.  The light version is not very helpful, though.

Presentation Apps:

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard:

• This application is pretty simple to use.  Teachers and students can use it as an option for a whiteboard that is more interactive than the traditional dry-erase kind.
• If teachers do not have a smartboard, but they have a projection system, they can use the educreations app to project a whiteboard that comes with several different useful tools.
• Just like a normal whiteboard, there are options to choose a color to write with, and then users can use their fingers to write on the board.  There is also an eraser tool that functions just like a normal eraser would.
• The recording tool is a neat feature that will record not only each stroke that the user makes on the board, but audio recording as well.  This can be useful for teachers to playback what they have written and taught in a lesson from the board.
• Users also have the option to import images to write upon, so that teachers can perhaps draw their own diagrams or labels over a real image.
• Though this app is fairly simple, it could be a good tool for teachers looking for a tool that is a tad more interactive than the traditional marker whiteboard.

Comic Life:

• Comic Life is an application that allows users to create their own comics using images and drag-and-drop elements such as speech bubbles, thought bubbles, and various types of text.
• Comic Life offers several different types of templates for users to choose from, which they will then customize with drag-and-drop features and their own uploaded images.
• Comic Life users can share their comics with others who can then read them in various downloadable formats.
• This app could be useful as a presentation tool for students-- especially for narrative presentations that describe things like trips and events.

GAIN 2: Google Drive/Presentations

GAIN 2: Google Drive/Presentations

Google Slides vs. PowerPoint

The basics of Google Slides are very similar to PowerPoint.  It is quite simple to change the theme, formatting, and animation of your slides.  The themes that are available are very simple, and not very engaging visually.  But for a basic presentation, they would do.  The best part about Google Slides is the advantage that comes with all Google apps-- collaboration.  It is not uncommon for students to have to create presentations within group projects.  In my own experience, it usually falls one a single group member to consolidate all of the information that other members produce into one coherent presentation.  With Google Slides, all group members with internet access may edit the presentation at any time.  This means that as each group member completes their portion of the presentation, they can immediately enter it into slides.  Other group members can view these slides and become acquainted with the information as soon as it is entered into the program.  How convenient!

Here is a link to the small presentation I created:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xrHHOFaHNIXXjB7L7tRR7CHqSu0bLme7qi-ic-JuLR4/edit?usp=sharing

Google Apps Meets Common Core Reading

Just like Google Docs, Google Slides offers sharing, cloud-based storage, and the ability for the user to download the presentation in other formats.  Depending on the share settings, if the unique web address of the presentation is shared with another user, they may edit the presentation themselves.  Presentations are key in student communication.  Google Slides allows students to work together to present information to their classmates.  The Import Slides feature will allow users to import slides from not only any other Google presentation, but from Microsoft PowerPoint files as well.  Another advantage to the Google Slides program is that it can be used from all devices-- Macs, PCs, and anything else with internet capability.  Presentations can be downloaded as PNG, JPEG, SVG, PPTX, PDF, and TXT formats.

Tablets: Basics for Education

Tablets: Basics for Education

Keynote vs. PowerPoint:

Similarities:

• Basic Slide Format:  Both of these programs offer a basic formatting for a user's created slides.  Slides are set up surrounding a central theme and color palette, and the format options for slides are your elementary title/subtitle/text/possible options.
• Animation Options:  Each program gives users the ability to customize the way that their text and images enter and leave the screen.  While the animation options themselves may be different, the essential feature is the same.
• Linear Presentation:  While there are some presentation tools out there that allow the user to create a more interactive presentation (Prezi, for example), both of these programs present slides in a standard, linear format.

Differences:

• PowerPoint's User-Friendly Toolbar:  I find that navigation is much easier with PowerPoint.  This could be because I have grown up as a Microsoft kid, but the toolbar with Keynote is very limited, and many of the features are hidden.  The way that PowerPoint's tools are laid out-- separated into themes, tables, charts, smartart, transitions, and animations-- makes it a cinch to figure out.  Keynote is not so self-explanatory.
• Template Quality:  The quality of Keynote's templates are obviously better than the templates that PowerPoint offers.  While PowerPoint templates are generally pretty basic, Keynote offers designs that are more artistic, refined.  There are also more template options that can be downloaded.
• Easy Remote Option:  After creating a Keynote presentation on an iPad, users have the option of pulling up the presentation on a different device, and using their first device-- in this case, their iPad-- as a remote for presentation.  Anyone who has suffered through a class PowerPoint presentation awkwardly standing in the corner of the room by the computer to press the space bar knows that this feature is very useful.

Box:

I uploaded a picture that I took with my iPad to my new Box account:

iThoughts:

iThoughts could be very useful for the classroom.  Especially in classrooms where students are provided with various Apple products, students could use this application to create interactive graphic organizers for many different uses.  Students could use this app to brainstorm before a writing assignment or project, to present research information, or even to map out assignments that are due in each class.  The calendar function allows users to create calendar events for various branches of their organizers.  It is easy to use and manipulate map features, and it would be a great way for students to organize all different types of information.

Rover vs. Safari:

As I first launch the rover application, I notice that the basic set-up is very similar to Safari.  There are tabs with an address bar at the top.  It advertises itself as a safe browser for kids to use.  It filters websites so that inappropriate content is kept from its users.  When a user opens a new tab, the rover app displays quick link options to various educational games and websites for kids.  When I typed in the URL for Facebook, Rover did nothing.  When I typed in the URL for Google, it loaded immediately.  I think that depending on the types of sites that are consistently blocked, this could be a great tool for educators who want to monitor the kinds of sites that their children are accessing on school grounds.

GAIN

GAIN

Google Docs as a Word Processor:

• Strengths:  There are many strengths that come with using Google Docs as opposed to a traditional word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word.
• Easy access from multiple devices:  Documents that are created or saved on Google Docs are easily accessible from any device that has internet capability.  When using Microsoft Word, a user must save the document on the device.  To access the document form a different device, the user must download the file from an email that they previously attached the document to, or they must download it from a portable drive like a USB.  With Google Docs, the user can easily access and edit the document from any device that has internet capability-- even an iPhone!
• Collaboration Capability:  With Google Docs, a user can share their document with other users so that each user may edit the document from any device, anywhere, at any time.  Up to 50 different users may be editing a document at the same time.  This is perfect for students who are completing group projects, limiting the time that is necessary to set aside for in-person meetings.
• Commenting Tool:  Users can make comments on the text of a document by highlighting the text, right clicking, and choosing comment.  This is convenient for the peer-editing part of the writing process, and it also gives teachers the option to leave immediate feedback on the work of a student.
• Quick Save and Revision History:  Google Docs will save your document every two seconds, as well as saving a history of your past revisions.  Because of this feature, students can access many of their previous drafts so that they may see the progress that they have made.
• Online Sharing:  Users of Google Docs have the option to share their work with a broader audience by sharing it on the web.  It can be shared with specific people, groups of people, on social media, or it can simply be published on the web so that anyone can have access.  Users can post to and receive feedback from as many or as little viewers as they like.
• Spell Check:  Instead of a spell-check button, like that of Microsoft Word, Google Docs has the automatic red line that will appear if the word is spelled incorrectly.  Right click on the word, and you can see spelling suggestions.  The difference between the spell-check on Google Docs and Microsoft Word is that if a user is signed in to their Google account, Google will remember a list of the user's troubled words.  They can use the always correct to feature to automatically correct their common misspellings.  There is also the familiar add to dictionary option, but with Google Docs, the user's personal dictionary will follow them wherever they log in.
• Basic Editing Tools:  Google Docs comes with several formatting options for creating tables, symbols for equations, and images.
• Add-Ons:  Though the initial set-up of Google Docs seems quite simple, there is a vast database of add-ons that users can download to accomplish different tasks.  These add-ons range from practical bibliography generators to a rhyme finder that will help you find rhymes with any word that you type. 
• Weaknesses:
• Required Internet Connection:  Though it is easier for a user to access their documents through internet connection, this also means that the user must have an internet connection to be able to access and edit their work.  This can be an inconvenience.
• Missing Editing Tools:  There are a lot of editing tools that Google Docs does not include.  There are a lot of things that Word users may be used to-- things such as word art, formatting options such as pagination and headers, and SmartArt-- that may be missed when first beginning to work with Google Docs.  Luckily, the add-ons feature can make up for some of these (for example, the Styles add-on that allows you to create various types of headers).

Google Apps as Related to the Common Core:

• There are three specific standards for writing that go hand-in-hand with Google Apps.  
• Standard 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• Students can easily revise old drafts by accessing their save history on Google Docs.  They can share their documents with peers for peer editing, and teachers can help them to revise or share comments for them to try new approaches.
• Standard 6:  Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
• Google Docs fits in with this standard perfectly.  Collaboration is a natural part of the tool, users have the option to publish using both technology and internet.
• Standard 10:  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• Students can come back to their work at any time, with any device that has internet capability.  This allows them to write routinely over both short and extended time frames.

Collaboration in Action:

• My own first extensive experiences with Google Docs happened in my Senior Capstone course at Johnson.  Because capstone requires lots of group work, we needed to have an option to work together in a way that would work with our busy senior schedules.  Google Docs allowed us each to type out ideas and share resources in a single document, even when we were not sitting in the same room.  To create our littleBits task cards for the first half of this class, my group and I used Google Docs to all work on the project at the same time.  Google Docs is a great way to allow groups to work together without all of the hassle of having to meet in person every single time, or having to send countless emails with updated attachments.

Tricks of the Tablets

Tricks of the Tablets

The Bigger, The Better?

There are several different sizes of tablets that one can choose from.  Most of these sizes reflect the function of what the tablet is used for.

• Smaller tablets, ranging in from sizes of 5 inches or smaller, are usually used with smaller phones and mp3 players.  Tablets of this size would probably not be the most practical choice for our purposes in the elementary school.  
• The medium-sized tablet is usually about 6 to 7 inches.  Although these tablets are larger than most smart phones, they can still easily be held with one hand.  Traditionally, tablets of this size tended to be cheaper.  However, this is no longer always the case.  With Apple coming out with the 7.9 inch iPad mini, and the cheaper Google Nexus tablet series producing tablets like the 8.9 inch Nexus 9, size is no longer contingent upon budget.
• The largest sized tablets are generally around 8 to 11 inches.  The Galaxy Tab S by Samsung is a tablet that has a display of 10.5 inches, which is just a little larger than the 9.7 inch iPad air 2.

Operating Systems:

There are three main operating systems that tablets will use:

• iOS: This operating system comes from Apple.  As a closed operating system, it is easy for schools to maintain, and the graphics and sound that come along with iOS are perfect for educational apps.  Generally, the apps that are created on this system are easily transferred between devices.  There are both benefits and drawbacks to the tablets that run on iOS. iPads that run on these operating systems can generally connect to Wi-Fi and bluetooth.  Some of them will also use cellular connectivity.  The batteries in these tablets cannot be replaced, and the buttons and power connection ports have been known to wear into disrepair.  iOS tablets also come with a personal assistant, Siri.  Siri can be used to send, read, and reply to messages.  She can add events to your calendar, search the web, check the weather, and she can even be used to locate your contacts.
• Pros:
• Easy-to-use closed operating system
• Interactive school textbooks available
• Wide range of educational apps
• Apps and purchases are generally easily transferrable and shared from device to device
• Cons:
• Regular tablet wear and tear
• Android:  This operating system is run by Google.  Android works on an open operating system.  This has caused updates for the Android system that is used with generic Android tablets to come out relatively slowly.  The Google Nexus tablet is a tablet that shows the most promise in competing with the iPad.  It makes use of Google Play, which is Google's own system to offer apps, music, and books.  Google Play is fairly underdeveloped, making it weaker than other markets.  The Amazon Kindle is an e-reader that works on the Android operating system.  The newer Kindle models have the option of running on a cellular network.  The Nook is Barnes & Noble's e-reader response to the Kindle.  Nooks do not have the option of running on a cellular network, so the user must have the option of connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
• Pros:
• A variety of tablets to choose from, including e-readers which are specifically used for books
• Customization-- The Android OS system gives users the option to customize their options in any way they choose
• Widget capability allows users to plug any application from the homepage without launching the app
• This device is an independent device that does not have to be synced with a computer
• Cons:
• Underdeveloped Google Play market
• An open-sourced operating system can result in a security issue for its users.
• Windows:  This is a system run by Microsoft.  Microsoft has been a huge force in the world of computer software with its productivity tools.  The Surface tablets that run on Microsoft come with these productivity tools already installed, and they run on the Windows 7 software.  They can play music, games, and videos.  Surface tablets are more like laptops than any of the other tablets, coming with multiple ports and with a keyboard cover that makes it easier to use for productivity work.
• Pros:
• Productivity tools automatically installed
• Keyboard covers, good for use with the productivity tools
• Various port accessibility
• Cons:
• Underdeveloped Windows store
• Limited number of apps-- these tablets are basically laptops with more portability and less storage and capability

Sold on Cellular?

All tablets make use of Wi-Fi connectivity to perform.  Some tablets also make use of cellular connectivity.  Cellular connectivity means that the tablet can run on cellular service.  The positive to this is that with cellular connectivity, a tablet can be used in areas without Wi-Fi-- this means that the tablet can be utilized in many more places.  The drawbacks are that not all tablets are created with cellular capability, and in order for one to use cellular connectivity with a tablet, they must have some form of a contract for cellular service.  This would mean that in order for students to be able to use cellular connectivity with their tablets, the school would have to work out how to obtain a contract for cellular service to be used with them.

Conclusion:

In light of the pros and cons discussed above, the tablets running on the iOS system seem to be the best fit for our school.  With its user-friendly closed operating system, its vast array of educational apps and interactive textbooks, and the simple nature of transferring its purchases to other Apple devices, these tablets seem to be the jack of all trades.  I do not believe that we should purchase the tablets with cellular connectivity, because with Wi-Fi capability in the school building, there is no reason to purchase a cellular service contract.