About This Blog

This blog is an instructional tool to help teachers learn to create efficient and effective blogs that use Google Tools in order to communicate,  promote your program, and  collect information. Since the format of a blog displays the most current information at the top of the page, and order of posts is determined by the time of each post,r here are a few suggested ways to use the blog.

1. Use the Google Presentation linked from the tab at the top of the page to guide the learning. Start by viewing the presentation to get a glimpse of the contents. When you come to a topic of interest, click on the link on that page in the presentation to go directly to the related blog post.
2. Use the search tool in the sidebar to find what you are looking for.
3. Scroll to the the first post, click older posts at the bottom of the page.

If you have questions or need additional support, please contact me. Information is posted on a new page, which is accessible through a tab at the top of the blog.

Have fun blogging!

Use Google Docs to Create a Portal of Information

Ways to Use Google Docs on Your Blog
Look for examples in the sidebar.

• Publish handouts
• Collect information through a form
• Post presentations
• Create student portfolios
• Publish student-created projects

Check the handouts section in the sidebar for step-by-step directions on using Google Docs.

Intro to Google Docs

Promote Your Program

A blog is a good way for you to share the great things that are going on in your classroom. Parents are more likely to check your blog if you show them what you are doing. One way to do this is to publish student work.

View this example of how a kindergarten teacher created a blog and combined it with Google Presentation to create portfolios of student work for sharing. All work displayed was chosen by the students and deemed to be an example of something they were proud of.

Click image to view.

Collect Information: Use a Google Form

A Google Form allows you to collect information. Posting a form on your blog will streamline the process. Look at the form in the sidebar of this blog, titled Get Started with a blog. Visitors click on the image and complete it, and on the back end, the blogger receives information in the form of a handy spreadsheet. This information can be sorted or it can actually be graphed.

View Question of the Week example in the sidebar of this blog.
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Let's take a look at another form used for students to turn in assignments.

View form: In Box This is what visitors see.
View back end: Google Spreadsheet. This is what you see.

Tutorials: Create an Assignment Tracker Using a Google Form

• Teacher Tutorial: Create an Assignment Tracker/In Box
• Student Tutorial: Use an Assignment Tracker/In Box to Turn in Assignments 

Get directions for creating a form in the sidebar of this blog, under Google Docs Guide.