Using Google Forms for Documentation

Hi Everyone!  About a month ago I replied to a post on Facebook about using Google forms for documentation.  I offered to share the one that I had created for the new Self-Regulation and Well Being frame.  Sooooo many people were sending me their email address!!  I was able to keep up for the first week or so, but after that...I was lost lol.  I am still super happy to share, but needed to add it to my blog so that people could get it here.  I felt so bad that people were asking me for it and I was slow getting back to them.  I apologize for that.  June...craziest month EVER!!!

On to Google Forms...truly one of the hidden gems of Google Apps I think :)  There is so much that we can do in Forms!  I know that I have only scratched the surface.  I would love to hear how you are using forms if you have any ideas!

The key to sharing this though is that everyone HAS TO make a copy of it once they download.  If you do not make a copy, then any changes you make (adding educator names, students names, etc.) will show on the master and everyone will get it.  

To make a copy:
Once you have opened the google Form, click on the 3 dots in the right hand corner.  The top option should be "Make a copy".  Click that, name you new doc, and away you go!  (see image below)

Since I have a little bit more space in the blog to share with you I wanted to share some of our thinking about the Google form:

• There is a way to create a "home button" on your ipad so that you can open directly into this form (rather than having to go into your Drive every time).  I think this will be super great to help with time and ease of use.  Perhaps ask your tech dept to help you set that up.  I am sure we could google it to ;)   I haven't done it yet...I just know the possibility exist.  

• There is also the option to voice record your notes rather than type in your notes.  This is also potentially very time saving.   I have not looked into setting that up yet either, but it is on my to-do list for September.

• The idea for the Google form is that you can give access to whomever you would like to collaborate with on collecting documentation.  All you need to do is share the form with them (again, not the master from my blog, rather the copy you make for yourself).  That way they can enter in information as well.  I love this option for itinerant and prep coverage teachers.  As we are still figuring out how they will be reporting on the new Communication Of Learning, I like that we have it all in one place together.  I think this really helps with the notion of "team".  Everyone collaborating together and sharing their documentation.  You can share it with your teaching partner(s) in 2 different ways.  I think how you share it will be depending on your partnership and your needs/situation.  You can simply click the share button in the top right hand corner of the form, and away they go.  Or you can add them as a collaborator, which would allow them to edit the questions on the form.  See the pic above to find the "Add collaborators" options as well.  Only people who are collaborators can see all of the entries.  This also means that they can delete entries.  I know with some of my colleagues who are not as comfy with tech did not want that access - ha!  They just wanted to be able to contribute, and then if they every needed/wanted to look at the overall results, their partner would call it up on their ipad for them.  So, as you can see...totally dependent on the team :)

So that is all I have you on Google Forms lol.  I am not an expert, but I am happy to help in anyway that I can.  Please leave questions or comments below and I will try to get back to you (Faster that I did on Facebook - ha!)

Talk again soon,
Carly

Click here to access the Google Form

Conscious Discipline Part 2

Today's post is a continuation of this post,which introduced Conscious Discipline and explained how I started on this journey.  If you have not read that first post, I encourage you to check it out before you continue with this one.  This is series of post that build on each other :)  As I mentioned before, I am not an official trainer for Conscious Discipline.  I am merely sharing with you my interpretations and understandings as I read, chat and explore.  Let's get started...

We know that we have 3 brain states.  The survival state is our flight or fight function.  SUPER important part of the brain!  If a rock comes flying at your head, and you duck without thinking about it...thank your survival brain :)  The emotional state of our brain is where I tend to operate from in stressful situations, or if I am super tired or frustrated (insert my husband saying "amen" here lol).  This part of our brain is still not where we (or our students need to be for optimal learning).  We may hear students saying "This is stupid",  "I hate you", or name calling when they are in this state.  The 3rd brain state is where we want to be.  The executive state.  This is where we are thinking, communicating and responding at our very best.  You know those moments in class when you look around and all your little kiddos are diligently working, chatting away productively, getting along, and you are flowing freely between students prompting them with questions and challenging their thinking???  That is the sweet spot!  You are all in your executive state.

Conscious Discipline goes into great detail about how each Brain State impacts a child's ability to learn (and how our brain state impacts our ability to teach).  Something that was so eye-opening for me, was learning that the brain is pattern seeking.  It doesn't sound that profound, but for me, it has transformed how I interact with students.  If a child comes from a home where chaos is normal ("chaos" can be caused by a variety of things...lots of fighting, lack of parental involvement, inconsistent presence of parent/guardian, uncertainty where next meal will come from, and so on) that child's normal brain state is set with a level of chaos always being present.

image taken from drinkhelp.ie

In the classroom this may look like the student who "for no reason" goes over at hits a kid, or knocks down their tower and then simply walks away.  Sound familiar?  Are you picturing any of your little friends in your head right now?  These children often appear to have no reaction.  They are not looking to engage in a fight, they are not fired up or melting down.  But now I understand...they are seeking a feeling of "normal" or chaos.  That is their brain's pattern.  That is where it feels "normal".

As educators we work so hard to provide an environment that is calming and supportive of self-regulation (I know I am a HUGE believer in the environment as a third teacher - another post one day perhaps).  But it never occurred to me that in these calming spaces, some students will actually be seeking the feeling of chaos.  WOW!  That has opened my eyes to understanding some student behaviours.

Our job as the adults/educators for these students is to help set a new "normal" for the child's brain.   That is the great news - we can reset our normal (even as adults).  When I was working with a team this year on implementing Conscious Discipline we often came back to this.  We wanted so badly for this little kiddo to be "fixed".  We understood his behaviour (thanks to reading Conscious Discipline), and we were working hard to implement some of the strategies Dr. Bailey provides, but our hearts just wanted to make it better.  I actually found it heartbreaking at times to think about "What is the 'normal' brain state for these students?" - but it is such an important question to ask ourselves.  If we really want to help our students, we need to understanding them on a very intimate level.  We need to understand how their brain is functioning, how that impacts their behaviour, and how we can support them to reach optimal brain functioning.  As a parent, I am charged with the responsibility to help set my children's "normal".  Learning about the brain...amazing stuff!!

Click here to watch a video of Dr. Becky Bailey explaining the 3 brain states.

Talk again soon,
Carly