Task 2
Create a spreadsheet to track your BTEC Assignments on using Google Spreadsheets.  You will need to enter pupil names or identifiers in a way that complies with data protection legislation.  I colour the unfilled sheets in red.  When pupils start an assignment I colour the cell in orange, and in green when they have achieved a pass grade (thanks to Dukeries school for the traffic light system).
When your sheet is finished you need to publish it using the share options (view only, auto-republish).  This will allow anyone to view your sheet – needed later.
Task 3
Create a blank site using Google sites.  This site will need to be viewable by anybody – so click the option to share with the world.  Give the site a suitable name (preferably something simple so you can give it to your pupils).  Pick a theme that suits you and create.
The home page is where your introduction/welcome goes so click on edit page and enter some text.
Creating a page for your spreadsheet:
Click new page and enter a suitable name (e.g. assignments) and then create at the top level.  When you get your new page click insert on the menu bar and then look for the spreadsheet option.
Select your spreadsheet and click [OK].
Create a page for your bookmarks
Click create new page, give it a name and create it at the top level as before.  When you get your new page this time you click insert go for the more.. option at the bottom of the menu.  This should bring up the Google gadgets menu.  Type in delicious and click the search button.  The gadget you need is called “Del.icio.us bookmarks” – click on it once.
This should bring up another screen that asks you for some settings.  You need to know your delicious username and tags to input here – here is mine…
Click ok and your links page is done.
Additional pages
You can create additional pages in the same way – these could have information/text on them (e.g. deadlines).  You can embed YouTube videos (for pupils to view at home) or even create a page of files (file cabinet option) for assignment briefs, documentation  and so on.
Navigation bar
Now all you need to do is edit your navigation bar at the side.
Click edit sidebar on the left – this should allow you to change the layout of your site.  I removed the [Recent site activity] panel and then clicked edit on the [Navigation] panel.
This brings up a menu which allows you to add pages to the sidebar navigation.  Click [Add page to sidebar navigation] and select one of the pages you created (e.g. links)
Whilst a page is highlighted you can change the order of pages in the menu using the arrow keys at the side.  Click [OK] when your menu is complete.
Your site is now available at http://sites.google.com/sites/yoursitename
If you are technically minded you can register a domain name (e.g. a .co.uk address for your site but I’m not sure of the benefits if you have picked a sensible name for your site).
If you are new to Google Apps or Google sites feel free to contact me using the options at the top right of my blog (or click here) and I’ll do my best to help.

Having devised a template on Excel I proceeded to enter data for my pupils.  Having completed the task it dawned on me that there would have been an easier way.

Once I had created the spreadsheet I could have used Google Forms and had the pupils enter their own data into the spreadsheet.  This would save considerable time with a large mainstream class, it is also a good way to collate other examination marks or even comments written on work.

Maybe next time I’ll remember to use Google Docs.

I’ve used Google Documents in class before but the need had never arisen for pupils to write on the same document at the same time. With collaborative working being an important skill in science, I decided to get my year 7 class to work collaboratively on the same document. Their task was to write a press release detailing their lab test results for their CSI topic. With all the pupils having SEN (we are a special school) , the amount of text was going to be small which makes the process a little quicker.

I created the document with a table to be used as a writing frame or scaffold for the pupils, giving them the basic structure to complete. I asked the pupils to complete a different section of the press release and colour coded the boxes so they knew which section was theirs.  I shared the document with the pupils and invited them to complete their section.

Pupils were fascinated by seeing the text of their classmates appearing as they entered their own.  The flicker you see as the page updates didn’t seem to bother any of them, in fact they didn’t notice it.  Pupils entered their text and we reviewed the completed document.

Not only was this approach far more productive than writing their own reports, pupils had to communicate with each other and tie their contributions together.  This wouldn’t have happened working individually.

I had heard of people using Google forms for data collection (e.g. Tom Barrett, Tim Dolan and D Goodwin) and I knew that Google spreadsheets can be configured to send email when updated.  Put the two together and you have a ‘contact me’ form.

Steps 
1.  Log on to Google Apps and create a form

2. Add the fields you wish your contact form to have

3. You can embed the code (click here to get it) in a blog post or a Google Sites page

4. Copy the link at the bottom of the page and make a note of it – this is the URL you’ll need to link to if you want people to click on a link and fill in your form.

5. Change the notification rules so you are notified of any submissions.

Job done!  I’m running both the Google Forms ‘contact me’ page and the Zoho one here if you want to see what they look like.

First of all I trialled Google Calendar as advocated by Doug Belshaw in his blog.  I liked the idea of the planning being available anywhere, even on my phone.  Setting up repeating slots for my lessons was easy but then I found several other snags that made me give up on Google Calendar for now.  I actually liked way you could integrate different calendars (eg public holidays).  I could cope with not being able to customise the time-frame displayed on the calendar.  But I found that entering the lesson details was fiddly and that there was no satisfactory way to view them.  I would have liked them to be displayed on my calendar .  I could even have coped if my emailed daily schedule information had included the description for each lesson that I had entered.  I decided to give up on Google calendar for now.

Determined to try out electronic planning I searched the internet and found the TPIM (Teacher’s personal information planner) which appears to be the best implementation of lesson planning and personal time management I’ve seen in a commercial product.  I downloaded the trial and found the interface very simple to use – with information readily at hand (this is a daily planning sheet).

Even with extra options such as an electronic register and markbook, electronic post-its and reminders I still found it more convenient to plan using my old paper teacher’s planner/diary!

Is there really nothing to beat planning on paper or am I just set in my ways?  I’d be interested to hear how anyone else has used technology to help with their planning….