Get A Grip On Grading.

As the second semester gets into full swing you might find yourself a little behind on grading already. Don't feel bad, we have all been there. Here is a list of 5 tech tips that might make grading in Google Classroom a little easier and faster.

     1. To Do List 
             
               If you click on the menu in Google Classroom (that's the stack it the top left of
               the Google Classroom Page) you will find a To Do List. This list shows you
               all the assignments that need to be graded. This is wonderful tool because it
               keeps you from having to go into each assignment separately to see if anyone
               has submitted work. You can also see how many students still need to turn in
               work, and how many you have already graded. Another great thing about this
               feature is you can see work from all your classes or you can select a single
               class to review.

       2. Handwritten Feedback on Digital Assignments. 
         
              Many teachers don't like grading digital assignments because they cannot
              write on the assignments. If you have a smart phone or tablet, this is not a
              problem. Just download the Google Classroom app, and you can write on
              students work. Depending on your handwriting you might find it easier to
              mark up an assignment if you use a stylus and/or a tablet.
             

Picture from

@tonyvincent on Twitter.

          3. Open assignments in a new tab.

                    When you go to grade an assignment in Google Classroom you need to
                    click on view assignment. The problem is when the assignment opens it
                    takes you away from the Classwork or To Do List Page. If you need to go
                    back and forth between assignments this can be very frustrating. Here is
                    a simple solution. Press the Ctrl button and click the link. This will open
                    the assignment in a new tab and leave your Classwork page open in the
                    original tab which means you can quickly select another assignment to
                    view. Note that you can also right click on an assignment and click open
                    link in new tab, but the first option is a little faster and when you are
                    grading every second counts.

          4. Comment bank

                  One of my favorite features in Google Classroom is the comment bank.
                  This takes a little time to set up, but the more you add to it, the more
                  useful it becomes. When teachers grade by hand they don't have time to
                  write out full explanations for why students are docked points, so they
                  tend to give short nondescript explanations such as, "subject verb
                  agreement," or , "order of operations." This means the student will have
                  come back and ask about it later or look it up themselves, and let's be
                  honest, they probably aren't going to do that. With the comment bank,
                  you can write out a detailed explanation as to what a student did wrong
                  and more importantly how to fix it. You can even include links to
                  websites or videos that could help the student. Once you save your
                  comment you can reuse it with other students or assignments. The students
                  still might not review the content, but it is available to them. In a future
                  blog we I will give you some hints about how to use tech to encourage
                  students to take ownership of their own education. Here is a link to a
                  video that might give you more ideas for the comment bank.

Picture from https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2018/08/classroom-updates-2018.html

       5. Split Screen For Faster Grading 

                Once you have graded assignment you still have to enter the grades from
                Google Classroom into PowerSchool. This can be a time consuming task
                and teachers don't have enough time as it is. While there are ways to
                import grades from Google Classroom into PowerSchool, I find I can type
                the grades faster than doing all the steps required to import. The problem is
                that I hate to go back and forth between screens. What I do instead is drag
                my PowerSchool Tab to the left side of my screen, and my Google Classroom
                to the right side of my screen. Windows 10 will automatically resize the
                windows and now I can quickly copy grades over. If I want one or both of the
                windows fully open I can just drag them to the top of the screen and they will
                resize to full screen. This is a huge help when transferring grades, but it is
                also useful whenever I need to see 2 websites or documents side by side.

Image From https://www.lucidica.co.uk/help/how-to-go-onto-split-screen-in-windows-10/

In the comments below share a tip 

that helps you get a grip on grading. 

Time Management

Teaching is a multifaceted job that requires a lot of time. Sometimes it can feel as though there is never enough time to get everything done, but there is hope. Keeping a well maintained 
calendar can help you manage your time more effectively. Here are 10 tips to help get the most out of your calendar and save some of your precious time. 

1. Create and maintain separate calendars for work, family, friend, and personal events. You can see everything at once, or you can hide calendars you aren't interested in. 

2. Share your calendars. Make sure that no one is left out of upcoming events by sharing the appropriate calendars with friends, family, and colleagues. 

3. Set notifications that work for you. When creating an event in Google Calendar, you can customize reminders so that you get notifications on your computer and/or phone, or you can receive emails. You can even create multiple reminders, if you need extra prodding. 

4. Include addresses when you save events. Just click the link in your calendar and Google Maps will give you directions. 

5. Attach docs to calendar events. This allows you to quickly see related information about an event.

6. Receive a daily agenda by email. If you check your email more than your calendar, you can have Google Calendar send you a daily agenda to your email every morning. 

7. Add Google Calendar to the Windows Calendar App. Quickly access your calendar in the start menu even if you are offline.  

8. Set Goals. This is only available on the Google Calendar mobile app, but it is great to help you set all kinds of goals and automatically adds them to your calendar.   

9. Get extensions that work with Google Calendar. Search the Chrome Web Store for calendar extensions that improve the looks and performance of Google Calendar. 

10. Reflect on what you have accomplished. By implementing the tips in this list, your calendar can serve as a journal of everything you do. Take time to give yourself credit for everything that you have accomplished. 

Keep It!

Sticky notes can be a great way to leave yourself little reminders or  to keep important 
information easily accessible. I have a ton of these little notes all over my desk. The problem is when I leave the sticky notes stay right where I put them (hence the glue on the back). 

A digital alternative to sticky notes is Google Keep. This application allows you to 
create notes and easily access them on your computer or phone. That means you have them while you are at the computer as well as on the go. 

Here are some other Google Keep features:

• Color or Label your notes to make notes easier to find. 
• Create lists. 
• Add Images to notes. 
• Add Voice Memos  (Phone only).
• Set reminders based on location (Phone only).
• Share your notes with other people. 
• Insert your notes into Google Docs

Using Google Keep for the Classroom.

• Create a list of your students. Use the list to keep track of things like who has completed a task. You can make copies of the list anytime you need it. 
• Leave yourself a voice memo and set a reminder to buy hand sanitizer and Kleenex next time you are at Walmart. 
• Take notes and insert pictures while on a field trip or for school activities. Then copy the note into Google Docs to quickly create a newsletter for parents. 

To Start Using Keep: 

• Go to https://keep.google.com/ 
• Login with your district account. 
• Type your note in the box at the top of the page that says take a note. 

For more information about using Keep,

watch this video from Flipped Classroom Tutorials!

Can it!

 

UPDATE: I wrote this post a while back. Since then Google has changed the name from Canned Responses to Templates. Other than the name change, the feature and steps seem to be the same. 
 
     One of the expectations of teachers is that they will answer questions. Even though it's a normal part of the job, it can become really irritating, especially when you have to answer the same questions again and again. Luckily for you there is at least one technological solution that will save you time and possibly save your sanity.
   
     Canned responses is a feature of Gmail that allows you to save an email to reuse as often as you need to. For example, let's say that one of your students sent you an email asking when a project you assigned was due. Your response might be: "All assignments are posted in Google Classroom. If you click on the assignment you will be able to see all the details for the assignment including due date. You can also use Google Calendar to see when assignments are due by looking for anything posted for our class. Remember you have to log in with your district account."

    This is a great response. Instead of giving the date for this assignment, you gave the student instructions for finding the information on their own and putting the responsibility back on them. That is a major 21st century skill (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving). The problem is 5 minutes later, you get another student asking the same thing. You are already getting frustrated because you posted the due date on Google Classroom, on the handout you gave them, and it's posted on the board in your classroom. You quickly find the email you just sent and copy your response and send it. The next morning you check your email and 5 more students are asking the same question. A lot of teachers at this point would do one of the following: 1) just ignore the emails, 2) wait until class to proceed to fussing at the class for being irresponsible, or  3) quickly send 5 emails saying "FEBRUARY 3RD!" All of these responses are understandable, but not nearly as productive as the first email you sent. This is where Canned Responses come in.

    Let's rewind. The first student just asked when the project was due and you have just crafted that great response. You know from experience that this will not be the only student to ask you when the project is due so you decide to create a Canned Response. Here is how you do it:

1. The first time you use canned responses (NOW TEMPLATES), Log into Gmail, go to settings>advanced, enable Templates, and click save at the bottom of the page.
2. Next compose a new email. Make sure the email is exactly the way you want it. Remember, you will be sending it multiple times to multiple people, so don't include student names or write it in a way that is so specific it wouldn't make sense to someone else. 
3. In the bottom right of your composition window (where you write the email), click on more options (3 dots/skinny snowman). 
4. Click on Canned responses(TEMPLATES)
5. Click Save draft as template
6. Click Save as new template
7. Enter a new template name (be specific so you can find it later).

After that you send the email like normal. When you get that second email: 

1. Click reply 
2. Click More options (3 dots/ skinny snowman) 
3. Click Canned responses (Templates)
4. Click on the name of template you want to use 

Your reply is now filled with that same wonderful email you sent the first student. You can repeat this process for every student that asks when the project is due. 

One Last Tip: If you don't do it already, have your students submit questions through email. Once they get into this habit it will make class run smoother, make sure everyone's questions are answered, and gives you a record to show that your answers are correct and consistent.

In the comments below share one question you have had to answer a thousand times this year.