Google Apps Tip – Digital Flashcards with Google Docs

Digital Flashcards w/Google Spreadsheets – A howto guide

[NOTE: as of 2015 the gadget and mobile apps are no longer available).

Put together by Jessica Cam Wong, this step-by-step walk-through will show you how to create digital flashcards using a basic spreadsheet template in Google Sheets. To create your digital flash cards you will need:

• A free Google account
• A blank Google spreadsheet
• A set of vocabulary words with definitions entered into the spreadsheet
• A Google “Gadget” by Seth Glickman easily obtained from the Insert menu

Each step comes with written directions and a detailed screenshot. If you are unable to locate the flash card gadget from the list the tutorial provides a direct link and alternate path to apply it to your Google spreadsheet. I’ve included a screenshot below of a flash card list I made up using a random selection of technology terms.

In addition, Jessica talks about a free flash card App available for iOS and Android portable devices (there is a fee to get the BlackBerry App.) called gflash. This app. can pull down data from your Google Docs account and create digital flashcards on your portable device.

INTEGRATE

• Here is a quick an easy way to create assessments for students. Integrate with an interactive whiteboard to involve the whole class in the activity.
• If your students have their own Google accounts or have accounts provided by your school, then they can create their own flash cards to help them review for upcoming quizzes and tests.

Thanks go to Jessica Cam Wong for the flash card tutorial, Sam Glickman for designing the Google Gadget, and TeachersFirst for featuring this tutorial on their “Featured Sites” weekly bulletin.

Website of the Week: Quiz Factor (Gr. 4-12)

Quiz Factor – Free, fun quiz questions and answers online

This UK-based site contains hundreds of online quizzes covering a wide variety of topics. You can search through their general topics list that include Animals & Nature, Geography & Travel, Literature & Books, Music, Science and more, or you can search for topics alphabetically. The site employs three types of quizzes: Time Trials, the Ladder Board, and True/False. With an account (free) you can take advantage of their newest feature: create your own quizzes and host them on the website.

FYI: I tried my luck at the Robin Hood Time Trial quiz and got 16 out of 20. Can you best my score?

INTEGRATE

• If you have access to two computers, divide students into teams and challenge them to who can get the best score in a Time Trial quiz.
• Because the site is not Flash-based, these quizzes can be accessed from an Apple iOS device, such as an iPad or iPod Touch.

Website of the Week: 24/7 Science (Gr. K-8)

24/7 Science – The best projects and activities whenever you want!

From the Lawrence Hall of Science, this website is chalk full of interactive games and activities covering a wide variety of science topics. The first collection of activities are designed to be hands-on with titles like Sticky Situations and How Old is Your Penny? The second collection of activities are designed to be interactive games and challenges, organized into categories such as Arcade Games, Earth & Space, nanoZone, and Quizzes. I tried my hand at the Alien Juice Bar, where I had to serve a clientele that only consume acids, bases, or neutral drinks. The site is still under development and notes that an educational resources section is forthcoming.

INTEGRATE

• Here is another example of a website who can suggest ideas and activities to integrate into your lessons without having to re-invent the wheel.
• The interactive games section can act as both an introduction to a topic of study or a wrap-up activity to help students prepare for a final assessment.

Alien Juice Bar Activity:

Website of the Week: QR Code Treasure Hunt Generator (Gr. 4-12)

QR Code Treasure Hunt Generator – Get students using their mobile devices to move and to learn.

If you’ve ever been shopping at just about any type of store, you’ve seen the bar codes they use to quickly scan and record the price of each item. Recently, a variant of the bar code called the QR Code has emerged. These codes are designed to be scanned by smart phones in order to quickly and easily distribute information for a variety of purposes. Enter QR Code Treasure Hunt Generator, a website that uses QR codes to generate a scavenger hunt for use with students armed with smart phones and other devices with built-in cameras. This site allows you to create a list of questions that you want students to answer, then tags each question with its own unique QR code. Print off the QR codes and place the sheets around the classroom, school, or community for students to find and let the treasure hunt begin!

An example can be found by clicking here.

Make sure to follow the website instructions for how to format your treasure hunt questions. Most smart phones and media devices with built-in cameras have some sort of scanner app. to use on the QR codes and are often free to download.

INTEGRATE

• Use this activity to show students a positive, educational way to use smart phones in school.
• This is a great idea for getting students up-and-out of their chairs and moving around as they attempt to complete the treasure hunt.

Website of the Week: Snag Learning

Snag Learning – Documentary films as educational tools (Gr. K-12)

An educational division of Snag Films, Snag Learning offers free access to documentary videos on a variety of topics. Snag has collected videos from such sources as National Geographic, PBS, Sundance and more. You can browse their archive of over 275 films by subject, grade level (kindergarten up to and including college level) and channel.

INTEGRATE:

• When you make a video selection, scroll down below the video to find a list of guiding questions that Snag Learning provides with all of its videos. Use these questions to ignite group discussions and/or to assess comprehension.
• Because Snag Learning videos can be accessed over the web for free, students who are absent could access the videos from home.
• NOTE: Keep in mind the reliability of your school network to stream these videos, especially when it comes to the longer films.

My thanks to FreeTech4Teachers for sharing this find.

Website of the Week: The Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits

The Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits – How do they work? (Gr. 3-6)

This interactive site introduces students to the concept of electric circuits and leads into the related fields of conductors, insulators, switches and more. Each of the five sections includes an information section, a game/activity segment, and finally a multiple choice quiz. Throughout the site important words are highlighted in red and can be clicked on to reveal additional information. Students must earn a score of at least 4 out of 5 on each segment quiz in order to receive a star award. Students who earn all five stars will advance to the bonus stage of the site.

INTEGRATE

• Use this site to introduce the concepts of circuits before starting the hands-on lab activities. This site can also be a great alternative when obtaining actual lab equipment is a financial hurdle.
• Use the site as a review at the end of the unit. Have students go home and take the quizzes with their parents to bring them into the learning.