For years, I have studied multiple programming languages including Visual Basic, Java, C++, Assembly Language, LUA, Objective C. I am now teaching programming classes at my high school. When I found out that I would be teaching Java I was thrilled. Later I found the other programming class would be an HTML class. I was far from excited because I never had the need to learn HTML, it is rather basic and I find little challenge in coding in it. I have now come to a point in teaching the class that I can appreciate the benefits of HTML.
My students will leave the class appreciating how well done a good website is. They can begin to appreciate and understand seeing the website, to how the website works. The other benefit is that most online blogs have an option to write in HTML instead of a rich style text. By writing in HTML, I can now import java script into my code and have things happen that normal bloggers can't...all because I took the time to learn some HTML. A simple language, but provides a nice foundation when entering other programming languages, especially if you incorporate javascript into your HTML coding. As an example, here is a button you can click on.
Learning HTML should be an essential tool that bloggers and anyone who manages or oversees a website consider investigating in.
Stay Effective!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Google Forms
Google Forms is becoming a very powerful assistant in the classroom. Forms allows you to make all sorts of things such as fill in the blanks, rate from a range, multiple choice, etc. Currently google forms do not grade the problems, but you get a display on an excel sheet that you could set up some formulas that would self-grade if you have a multiple choice test. (I am hoping they will make it easier on us sometime soon). Anyways, I wanted to write about how we could use these forms and ways I use them in the classroom.
I teach some programming classes in which the entire class is differentiation at its best. Every single one of my students work at their own pace, experiment differently on the projects and reason out the projects different ways. My role as the teacher in this class is to simply guide struggling students along with support and encourage and get excited for students that are just excelling. I have several google forms available for my students to use. What is nice is that students that work in the library during study hall or at home can use these forms and request things. I have forms where students can request help on a packet. This way I can go in order and I have documentation of which packets have the biggest struggles. I can then go back to these packets at a later time and see if I need to touch them up or reexplain something. I have another form that students can request additional packets for enrichment, such as if they are working on drawing on a Frame, they can request how to incorporate other shapes, polygons, or colors. I then have a tally of most requested and can write additional packets to enrich my students to the best of my ability.
We did a class competition, I used a google form for students to rate each other projects privately. I can also make a course evaluation that students can answer anonymously so I can get some feedback on what I can do to better serve my students or to consider altering in the class. Google forms are extremely easy to work with and design.
You can use it for a quick assessment, you can keep the data up on your computer and watch as people submit their answers. Instant feedback, you can do a poll on your students on a lesson and get instant feedback. There is a lot of potential and with combining of google drive for sharing files, you could run a whole online class or provide a lot of supplemental information where you have a lot of data that is easy to crunch and use as you wish.
Stay Effective!
I teach some programming classes in which the entire class is differentiation at its best. Every single one of my students work at their own pace, experiment differently on the projects and reason out the projects different ways. My role as the teacher in this class is to simply guide struggling students along with support and encourage and get excited for students that are just excelling. I have several google forms available for my students to use. What is nice is that students that work in the library during study hall or at home can use these forms and request things. I have forms where students can request help on a packet. This way I can go in order and I have documentation of which packets have the biggest struggles. I can then go back to these packets at a later time and see if I need to touch them up or reexplain something. I have another form that students can request additional packets for enrichment, such as if they are working on drawing on a Frame, they can request how to incorporate other shapes, polygons, or colors. I then have a tally of most requested and can write additional packets to enrich my students to the best of my ability.
We did a class competition, I used a google form for students to rate each other projects privately. I can also make a course evaluation that students can answer anonymously so I can get some feedback on what I can do to better serve my students or to consider altering in the class. Google forms are extremely easy to work with and design.
You can use it for a quick assessment, you can keep the data up on your computer and watch as people submit their answers. Instant feedback, you can do a poll on your students on a lesson and get instant feedback. There is a lot of potential and with combining of google drive for sharing files, you could run a whole online class or provide a lot of supplemental information where you have a lot of data that is easy to crunch and use as you wish.
Stay Effective!
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