Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Give Your Anecdotal Records a Face Lift with Google Forms

Okay, I know it's not Monday, but I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics: Monday Made It! linky party to share this awesome tool I just made. I couldn't wait until Monday to share!


Do you take anecdotal notes when conferencing with kiddos? Looking for a way to organize them and really be able to use your notes to drive your instruction? Google Forms is the answer for you. I love to conference with my kiddos during Self-Selected Reading time. What I DON"T love are the records and notes that I scribble down in my horrendous  messy chicken scratch. In the past, I've kept this giant notebook with a tab for each student. Behind each tab was a set of conference sheets that I used to write notes during our reading conferences. Sounds great, right? It was, until I tried to start pulling data for skill-based groups. Plus, all of that paper...!

Enter this fabulous idea for tracking data---Google Forms! 

I created a Google Form, emailed it to myself, then opened it on my iPad. I then saved the link to the form on my iPad home screen so that I can access the form at a touch. Here's what the actual form looks like:

So, now instead of calling the kiddo to the table where my giant notebook resides or lugging my notebook all over the classroom, I can easily go to the student with my iPad and jot notes into my form. I can also easily access the data through the spreadsheet on my computer. Here's a sample I made:


Another great feature about using the Google Form is that you can click on Form, then choose Show Summary of Responses, and there are great graphs which summarize your data!


I found this amazing idea on Karyn's Doing the Daily Five blog. (Click here for her original post). Thanks, Karyn! I can't wait to try it out next year!

If you'd like to see the actual form, you can click HERE
For a better look at my spreadsheet, click HERE.


30 comments:

  1. Awesome! Thanks for linking up:)) I just tried Daily 5 last year for the first time and LOVED it!!! I love your techno approach to keeping notes on the kids:)

    4th Grade Frolics

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  2. I LOVE this!!! I just found out that all of the teachers at our school are getting iPads for next year, so this will be perfect!! I have no clue how to use google docs, so I will be trying it out! I also love the background on yours! It is super cute!! So excited to give this a try and share it with the teachers at my school!!

    Molly
    Lessons with Laughter

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  3. Oooh, thanks, Molly! How lucky for you all to be getting iPads! That is so exciting! Here is a link to a new post I created about how to make a form. Good luck, and please let me know if you need any help. BTW, I LOVE your blog!

    Creating Google Forms

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  4. This is awesome! Thanks so much- I am loading up Google Docs now to create my own :) Assessment will be so much more on an iPad!!

    ~Stephanie
    3rd Grade Thoughts

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  5. Did you have to purchase the background??

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  7. Did you have to purchase the background??

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  8. Did you have to purchase the background??

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  9. Hi Lisa,
    I didn't have to purchase the background. When you create your form, there is a button on the upper left that allows you to change the theme. I just clicked it and chose the background I liked.

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  10. I featured your tutorial in my post today- thanks again for this helpful idea!

    ~Stephanie
    3rd Grade Thoughts

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  11. Thanks, Stephanie! What an honor!

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  12. OMG!!!!, I just created, my google doc. Cant wait to open it in the ipad.

    Thanks!!!!!

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  13. Thank you so much for the idea for the Reading Conference Form. I've been looking for a way to document these meetings that will track data as well. The use of this form on my iPad will be a perfect fit!

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  14. is there a downloadable version of the template that I can use. I am trying to use one for when I am doing conferencing with the students.

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  15. Love the idea!! Quick question - Is there a way to get a summary of responses for one student? I see that you can filter in the spreadsheet view, but when I filter a particular student and go to Form - Summary of Responses, it still reflects the whole class.

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  16. If I send you an email can you just share the Form with me? You can make it "view only".

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  17. You can share the form with me? You can make it "view only". I can do the same with some forms I have.

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  18. Just made mine!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I cannot wait to use this during CAFE & Daily 5.

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  19. Where do I get this google doc? Cost? Free?

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  20. Is there any way I can copy it into my docs?

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  21. Is there any way I can copy it into my docs?

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  22. how do I see comments I've made? Can I run reports?

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  23. I found you on Pinterest. I would like to use this with my high school classes. What are the choices do you have for the drop down boxes?

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  25. This is a great tool! I bet you have collected quite a bit to of useful data to help your kiddos grow as readers.

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  26. Hi, Farrah. Thank you for sharing this lovely idea. I wanted to use the CAFE tool, but found it overwhelming. I much prefer your Google form and spreadsheet, and they were surprisingly easy to create and link. I couldn't find your lovely theme, though. Did you find it elsewhere, other than in the Google theme shop? I really like it and the others I found weren't full page.

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  27. When creating your Google Form, which option did you choose to get started? Blank, Worksheet, Exit Ticket, Blank Quiz, Assessment, or Course Evaluation? Thank you

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  28. Are you willing to send both google forms?

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  29. Hi, I have just made my form, however I was wondering how you got it to link with your excel document?

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