Trying to Make Writing Easier

This term I am playing around with how I do writing in my class. I want to make it easier for me and for my students.

For Students

I used to share a writing motivation for the students - this could be a picture, article, video etc - and then they used to write down all their 'wonderings' in their book. Once they had written down these they had to list all the possible ways they could write from their wonderings. The problem with this was all this information stayed with that student.

What about the student that can't come up with something?
How can everyone else's wonderings and possible ways of writing help the whole class?
What if someone else's ideas motivate me more to write?

Taking these questions into considerations I decided to create a Google Form, which I have shared on my class site, that the kids can see the writing motivation on. They then complete their wonderings and possible writing - see pictures below.

On the same page of my site I have embedded the response sheet (Google Sheet) so when they complete the Form their responses are displayed straight away. Now all students can see straight away what each other has come up with for wonderings and ways to write.

For Students and Me

I have shared something along this line before but am sharing again. 

At the end of each writing session I get my students to complete a 'Teacher Help Form'. This helps me prepare for my next session. They need to tick one of the following boxes:

• Happy with where I am at
• Have started but have hit a speed bump - need you to swing by my table for a quick chat
• A little bit lost - can I have a conference please?
• Totally lost - HELP ME!!!
• Finished draft, proof read and edited - conference please

For example, today after I have worked with one of my writing groups I know I have to swing by 6 students desks to have a quick chat. The students like this as they have asked for help without anyone seeing they are - which can be a issue for some students. Also - if I have any other time in class I can check in with the students that have asked for help.

How it looks on my site:

Click on links below to make a copy:

**Copy of Teacher Help Form**

**Copy of Writing Motivation Form**

Teacher Help - Writing

I love teaching writing but I get frustrated when so many kids need help and there is only one of me to go round. This term I am going to trial a Teacher Help Form. At the end of writing sessions I will get the kids to complete the form - you can make a copy below. It will ask the following: 

Teacher Assistance *

Happy with where I am at

Have started but have hit a speed bump - need you to swing by my table for quick chat

A little bit lost - can I have a conference please?

Totally lost - HELP ME!!!

Finished draft, proof read and edited - conference please.

I will then be able to make a plan of attack for the next day. I am thinking I will be able to catch up with kids who need help if I have any other 'free' time in class. This could be after a reading session, before school, or if I some how manage to find a few free minutes during the day.

Keeping track of this will also help me see what kids are always asking for feedback and help me keep track of who I have seen as in the Google Sheet I will be able to make notes.  Fingers crossed it will make giving feedback in writing easier.

**Click here to create a copy of form**

Using Forms to Create Self Marking Worksheets

An idea I have been playing around with is using Forms for worksheets, flipped learning or reinforcement activities. This is one I have created that I will trial with my students in the first week on homophones. You can make Forms into quizzes so as soon as the students have completed it they can get instant feedback and see what they got right and wrong. You can also embed YouTube Videos, pictures and links. My goal (if it works with the students) would be to create a whole folder of these on different things. I will also get my higher groups to create Forms for other students. This could range from punctuation, spelling rules - the list is endless. 

You can use Flubaroo to mark Forms so I will be trialing this over the next few weeks also to see what works best with my class. I will follow up on that in the next few weeks. 

** Create a copy here** There, their and they're Form

Force Copy

When I share some a Google Form, Doc, Slide or Sheet with colleagues or fellow teachers you will normally see this screen:

This means I am forcing people to make a copy so I don't have to share it with them. This is easy to do and means you don't have to share, risk them making unwanted changes or give access to lots of people. Below is a very short video showing you how to do this.

**You will need to change the sharing settings I think for anyone with the link before you do what I show you in the video**

Using Google Forms to Create a Reading Log

Google Forms are great to create digital Reading Logs for your students. What is even better is you can create a Reading Log for each week of the term, or the year, and have all of the data go into one Google Sheet. Each week will be on a separate tab at the bottom of the sheet. Not only does this enable me as a teacher to track the reading habits of my students, but it also gives me evidence of their reading for them and their parents if needed.

Each week I send out the Form for the week using Google Classroom. In previous years I have just had it on my class website for the kids to access.

**Google Form Reading Log Template**

Google Forms for Reflections/Goals

Google Forms are great and I am trying to use them in class to make things easier for myself and my students. Having seen a Form online that a teacher completes after every guided reading session (to keep evidence for themselves) I have made a couple of forms to use for weekly reflections. Copies can be made at the bottom of the post.

One is titled 'Weekly Reflection' and I see my students completing this every Friday afternoon. This will give them the chance to reflect on their week and set a goal for next week, and also give me some information about things they might have found too easy or challenging.

The other is titled 'My Learning this Week - Maths' and is specific to maths. This gives me feedback on how the students learning went during the week, if things were too easy or hard, and gives them a chance to ask for more help on something the following week.

Hopefully that gives you an idea of how you can use forms in your class. If you have any great ideas please leave a comment as I would appreciate more ideas.

COPY OF WEEKLY REFLECTION

COPY OF MY LEARNING THIS WEEK  - MATH

School Speeches

With school speeches coming up I thought I would share with you how I assess using Google Forms and then it my next post will show you how to share with students. It makes it so much easier for me as I don't have to write and have a massive paper trail. Follow these steps (which really are quite easy).

Click here to get a copy of the Google Form (Yes! I have already created it for you). Name it with your class name and then Speech Marking Form 2017. eg. 8GMc Speech Marking Form 2017

To fill out and then open a new form for the next student see short video below.

When I am marking speeches I have my response sheet open also. Here you can change marks if you need to, directly in the sheet. See how to create a Google Sheet from your Google Form below.

To see how to share with students click here.