Top Google Tech for Teachers - Spreadsheets



Thanks for joining me on my weekly adventure to learn about new Google Apps and tools that one can use without Google Classroom!

Last week, I explored Google Forms as a way to digitize my student information sheet that I typically give out in paper form with my syllabus.  You can read more about that here.

In my quest to use more digital tools, I thought it would be great if I could have my students track their own data digitally.  I thought this would be great for portfolios and parent conferences!

At first, I thought a Form might be the answer since I thought I could just add a required question where a student would have to choose their name from a drop-down.  Then that information would go to a spreadsheet and I could sort by student name.  That would work if I was the only one that was going to look at the data, but I want students to see their own data too, of course!  The reflection part is so important!

That led me to a Google Spreadsheet.  

I knew I could set up a nice chart in Sheets for my students that might look something like this:

Using Google Sheets to create Digital Data Tracking



Now if you're like me, you're thinking "Great!  I can send the spreadsheet to my 130 students, but wait, I will have to look at 130 spreadsheets to see if the students are actually tracking their data..."
<sigh>
  So I went in search of another way.  I found this AWESOME template from AliceKeeler.com that you can use to make a tab for each student at the bottom of the spreadsheet so you can view an entire group or class at one time.  I thought that was THEE answer, but no - because then all the students can see each other's tabs.  

However, this tab template could be used for some pretty creative collaboration between students for group projects!  AND it helped me to see how I could make/design a template and then share it with my students.

BUT, I still have the problem of 130 spreadsheets...but apparently there's an add-on called Doctopus that will fix all that...?

I'll do my best to find out by next Saturday!

Thanks for stopping by!