Hi there teachers! I try, as much as possible, to make the tips and tricks in this blog relevant to teachers in online programs everywhere.  But this one is just for ncvps teachers.

We have a 4-hours of work in a module due in just a few days -it’s centered on what is going to change in our ELC’s in the near future.  I completed the module and took these notes as I did so.

Now I’d never tell you to read the cliff’s notes and not the book, but in this case, you’ll be able to get the gist and complete the deliverables in about a half hour… I hope this helps!

Here are the notes on a google doc.

If you share the link, please share the link to this blog, www.quickedtech.com, and let people get to the google doc from here -it helps with SEO and other web stuff.

Shu

Ahh, the contact log.  It’s a necessary pain, and it can be a small inconvenience or a real monster, depending on how you approach it.  Thanks to Jenn P, we are still piloting the use of google docs -entering contacts via a form instead of using a spreadsheet with a ton of tabs.  I can’t imagine using a google doc with 60-90 tabs on it, so I’m thankful to Jenn and admin that we can use a google form to enter contacts.  I’d like to hear from you guys in the comments who are using the tabbed version.  Tell me:  horrible, not so bad, or maybe even better than the other method? I’m looking for data like how many students/tabs you have, how easy and fast it is to enter a contact, how many total contacts you’ve logged, and if using a tabbed document is getting in the way of actually contacting students -which is mucho importante!  We are at the end of week 1, and I’ve logged 185 contacts using the google form method.  I wonder if anyone using the tabs method has logged as many.  If so, I might be wrong assuming the google form method is better.  Let’s get some data on it!

The one problem I had when using a google form to enter my contacts is that it’s hard for me to figure out who I’ve contacted and who I haven’t each week.  With a trick I’m about to show you though, that will be a problem of the past.  First though, a quick run-down of the google form method of contact logging.  Make sure your instructional lead has approved of this method before you begin using it.

1.  In google docs, create a new form.

2. On the new form, add questions about the contact.  I like:
a. student name (last name first)
b. Method of contact (choose from a list with Text at the top as the default choice)
c. Contact result: text msg if left blank (to make it faster, because most of my contacts are text conversations)
d. current grade (choose from a list with passing and failing, passing at the top as the default)
e. Reason for call (checking in, failing, iep, and other in the list, with checking in as the default)
f. notes/details (which is where I paste texted conversations from google voice)
g. Contact occurred during which week of school (as a drop down list, where I change the default to show the current week each week)

3.  make a shortcut on your smart phone so you can access the form, and create a desktop background window using chrome’s ‘create application shortcut’ that will give you constant access to your contact log.  Here’s more info on the application shortcut The ninja shortcut is to improve Chrome’s application shortcut by dropping the icon into the start menu -BAM- constant and instant access.  Smiley = (:

4.  Log contacts here, and make sure you share the spreadsheet the contacts end up on with your instructional lead.

Here is a pic of what the form looks like on my desktop:  

This is on my desktop right beside an open google voice window at all times.  When I need to log a contact, no matter how it’s made, I just drop in the info -using google voice and email allows me to copy and paste.  I can also access it via my cell phone any time and anywhere.

 

But this post isn’t just about how to create the best, most time efficient contact log.  This post is about how to make sure you’re not missing any contacts with students on a weekly basis.  No problem.  Let’s move on.

 

When you enter your info using a form like this, it’s going to pop up in a google spreadsheet.  You’re going to have a column full of students’ names (last, first).  The video below explains how, but you’ll copy the names you’ve contacted that week from and paste the list into an excel sheet.  In the excel sheet, you’ll also have a list of your students’ last names from the registration system.  Then you’ll do a simple =COUNTIF formula to count the names from the roster and make sure they’re coming up twice -once on the roster list and once on the completed contacts list.  If a name comes up twice, you’re golden.  If it only comes up once, then you have Saturday and Sunday to reach out to that kid.  Easy as pie, and the video below will help walk you through how.  Here are some bullets that might help.

-I used a list of random names for this example found here.  No students were harmed in the making of this film.

2.  Here is a copy of the example from the actual video.  It has the formulas in place already for you!  I’m working on a way to integrate this into the spreadsheet in google docs.

Here is the example video:

Students arwe still asking a lot of questions and logging in, but I’ve talked with everyone and am getting constant texts and google voice messages all day -which I love! I also downloaded the wordpress app from market, which makes it a little easier to update this series.  Today I:

1. Helped some co-workers with tech stuff, which I love doing!

2. Wrote the second announcement of instructions showing students how to get google voice for free text messaging. 

3. Added an embedded twitter widget to the announcements and told students to subscribe to the twitter account, which I use exclusively for the class.

4. Graded everything in the grade book that was waiting to be graded.  I do this every day, as per the school’s policy.  Every time I’m finished, I add an announcement that says: completed daily grading as of (time).

5. Cleared my inbox, checked course messages.  I also do this every day.  I’m going to write a whole post on this, but I manage my time using some very simple tools and rules that work well for me.  The google calendar is at the heart of it; thank goodness it’s synced to my phone!

“Pro-active”
For one time to do’s, I use google calendar.  Ex: inacol presentation.  For daily recurring activities like grading, I use a google spreadsheet I have with checklists for daily activities.  It’s like a check list.  Then, for really quick to dos I need to get done immediately like buy *item* for wife, I use a google tasks list I have permanently on my desktop. 

“Reactive”
I use my email inbox for all reactive work, filing from there to the other places.

-shu

Wow, it’s been a busy few days.  I started applying to universities today after having an epiphany over the weekend -I want to work with upcoming teachers!  Monday and Tuesday have been crazy with the tri-state Symposium with NCVPS.  I attended, learned a ton, and earned a CEU!  I’ve also been working out pretty hard -that’s important when you work from home.  I’ve been biking 4 miles to Pullen Aquatic Center, swimming a mile (35 laps), and then biking 4 miles back home.  Add a couple miles of dog walking, and I’m almost a triathlete!  Here are some bullets of what’s been keeping me busy Monday and Tuesday:

• Called and made contact with every student on my roster!  I’ve only got one section (another reason I’m looking at universities), so it only took me about six hours over the course of Sunday and Monday.  I find that logging every contact via google forms is still fast and easy, but it is hard for me to tell who I’ve contacted and who I haven’t on a weekly basis.  To address this, I added a column in my grade book called ‘contact.’ I make it worth one point, and then I award the point when I’ve had a synchronous contact.  This should help me make sure I’ve made at least one synchronous contact with every student every week, which is my personal goal -that’s raising the bar a bit from the NCVPS policy, but I’m an overachiever.  When I make synchronous contact, I deviate a bit from the script (a script feels impersonal).  I talk to the student AND the parent, and I get both parties to agree to meet weekly over the grade book.  I make the student promise to be positive, supportive, and enthusiastic in all discussion board posts, emails, and messages.  I also have the student text me after the phone conversation with something unique about them.  I do that because it begins an ongoing text conversation that continues all semester, and that toe in the door connection makes them feel less hesitant about contacting me when they have questions.
• I subscribed to the discussion board in my course, and the first discussion board has them all getting to know each other.  I’ve been trying to respond to all of the discussion board posts, but it’s hard to keep up with 30 honors students all posting and getting to know each other!  This is another important first impression.  By being involved, I’m showing I care about them and that connection -crucial.
• In my announcements, I posted a short note on day 1 with a run-through of what they should do every day.  If you can’t give your students a simple guide like this on what to do every day in class, you might want to rethink your course’s flow.  Here’s what that list looks like  (note, this is just an excerpt from the announcement, not the whole thing):

See?  It’s simple.  They know where to find what they need to do when, and they know when it’s done.  Having that golden rule has made this course a lot better.

• I’ve also graded everything in the grade book daily.  That’s a requirement.  On top of that, when I finish grading everything in the new ‘needs grading’ link, which I love, I add an announcement that says something like “daily grading completed at noon” to let them know that if they turn in anything else for the rest of the day,  it will be graded tomorrow morning and that the work they turned in yesterday has been graded.  Transparency, according to Jay Bennett from Michigan Online, is very important in online ed.
• The last bit of genius I’m doing in my announcements is a three part training on how to get free text messaging from google voice.  It would be great if all of my students could text!  I can’t mandate it, but I think that I make good enough connections in class that I can convince them to get on board.  It’s all about the connections.
• I’ve also spent a great deal of time helping teachers set things up in their courses.  I really love helping teachers, so please keep letting me know if I can help!

shu

This is Day 3 of the What Does Shu Do series. It’s after midnight, and I’m just now getting to writing this. It’s been a busy day, but it’s been mainly busy with answering emails, student contacts, helping other teachers, and course corrections.  I will post a few things, though, that I did today to make life easier later… things that most teachers can probably do that will save them some time:

1. (15 mins)  hide work that shouldn’t be available -if your students are working on unit 1 now, hide the other units. As they complete a unit, write something like “As of 2/27/11 at 3 pm, the grade book is updated and all late work will have to be emailed to the instructor to count.” on the outside of the folder.  That way they still have access to old folders but the visually striking unit is the current one.

2.  (45 mins) Create a ‘Contact Teacher’ button in the course.  The new blackboard doesn’t automatically give students a communication link where they can access messages.  I would just add a messages button, but I’m faster at responding to texts and emails.  Also, texts and emails can be searched, whereas messages can’t to the best of my knowledge.  So instead of offering messages as the only contact method, I added a ‘Contact Teacher’ button to make texting, emailing, messaging, and pronto all available then explained when students should use each method.  Here’s what it looks like.

3.  (60 mins) set up Discussion Boards so that you can subscribe to them, and subscribe to and post to the first Discussion Board in the class.  This shows students you’re looking forward to meeting them.  When they start chatting (like mine did today), put some extra time into replying to their posts.  These initial posts are your first impression, and you want to show you’re involved and personable.

4.  (ongoing) be available on Wimba Pronto.  I probably spent a sporadic half hour instant messaging with students today.  When I completed the conversation, I was able to copy it and paste it into my google form to log a contact.

5.  (10 mins) drop google form contact log app onto desktop and log first contacts.  This is a good one.  The form is like an app and is always on my desktop like a background.  In google chrome, when at the contact log form url, hit the wrench in the top right.  Select tools.  Select Create Application Shortcuts…  Select only Desktop, and hit create.  When the new icon is on your desktop, drag it to your start menu so it runs automatically when you start your computer.  Game changer.

6.  (15 mins) send an email to all students with the contact information form link.  The FIRST priority right now is getting working contact information and making those intro calls and connections.  Period.

 

This is the second part in the series answering the question: What does a veteran teacher do on a daily basis.

Today is the day before the Soft Start of classes.  I’m still on vacation, officially, but you can see I’m still working hard! Because it’s summer, the soft start consists of one day and a weekend -in the Fall it’s a week. That’s a good thing, because this is a very busy time!  In addition to the work below, I also met with NCCEE about online education in NC, met with Will Cubbison to discuss politics and the direction the state legislature is going, and wrote this blog entry… but I’m not counting those on my time log, because they’re not things most online teachers are or should be doing.  Also, I walked the dogasaurus, who didn’t believe me when I told him it was too darn hot out for a walk.

Today, Thursday (6/9/11), I have a ton of work to do. Here’s a running list in bullets to keep this readable:

• (10 mins) link contact log to the course and share it with DC and DD.  Also put the form on my desktop as a permanent window using google chrome.  Also add the link to the form on my phone so I can log contacts on the fly.  Thanks to leadership for letting us pilot a contact log process that utilizes google forms -this is crucial because having 60 tabs in a google doc makes the doc almost unusable, putting the contact info in the log is not a great use of time, and imagining teachers are at their computers in front of google docs every time they make contact is unrealistic.  Shout out to Jen Presley for her hard work and Michelle Lourcey for her supportive leadership -way to grab a solution!
• (120 mins) I went through the first unit in the course and made sure that the information in the orientation was still consistent with the new blackboard.  There were quite a few changes, and I wish we’d made the switch before we made the course copies, but meh -win some, lose some.
• (10 mins) Hid all of the units in the course except for the first week’s work.
• (30mins) Created the ‘your teacher’ page.  I give students ALL KINDS of contact information here to show them how much I want to be available for them.  I also encourage them to get a google account and use google.com/voice for text messaging if they don’t already text.  If texts are sychronous but emails aren’t, then that policy is going to push me to use texting more than email to make sure I’ve got my rear end covered, even though email is better because it’s searchable.  Luckily google voice, which is what I use for texting, archives all of the texts I send to and from students, so while the conversations aren’t as rich, at least they’re searchable!  Also, I learned something about the new blackboard in this step.  It doesn’t always keep your line spacing the way you want it.  The fix is easy though, and I’m sharing a screencast here on it.  If you know of an easier fix, let me know in the comments!

• (45 mins) Created an announcement with a second announcement as an embedded google form collecting student contact information.  This is the first step to ‘making your students your contacts, so make sure you get that contact information.  Here is a link to the announcement, and I’ve gotta thank Kathleen Orfanedes for sharing her announcement -what a leader!  Here is a link to the form (or a copy of the form I’m using, to be more exact) to give you an idea of how it might look.  Remember, you’ll have to make your own form -you don’t want your students’ contact info showing up on my contact form, because then you won’t have the contact information!  Here’s what the form looks like when it’s embedded in the course -but bigger because you can change the size of anything embedded by looking for ‘width’ and ‘height’ in the embed code:

So, I realize I’m leaning heavily toward the technology I own, and I’m not giving fair attention to apple or blackberry.  Solution:  Go buy the technology I have.  Then we’ll be phone buddies!  We’ll be phone buddies, and you’ll have cooler toys.  ;) Also, I’m pretty sure you can sync your contacts in blackberry and iphone to your google contacts, so this should work for everyone!

I used to keep all of my students’ contact information in a google doc, and I tred to surf around on it to find contact info.  At first, I could tap a number, and the phone would call it.  When that stopped working, I found another way.  Now I add my students in their own ‘group’ to my google contacts. I can delete that folder and start new every semester too, which keeps those contacts from getting all mixed in with my friends and family contact info!  Holy contact log Batman, that’s waay better!  Why?  It’s better because when students call me or text me, I have a record with the kid’s name in my phone’s call log.  It’s also easier because I have the kid’s cell, parent’s cell, dla’s number, and home phone as well as ALL the emails associated with that kid right on my android phone.  CREW-SHALL!!

To do this, go here signed into your google account:  Google Contacts

That should take you to the page where you can manage your google contacts, which are tied to your google account, which you can tie to your phone!  At first I just got my contacts on an excel page saved as a .csv, uploaded that baby to a ‘students’ group, and then WHAM!  My students were in my phone… sort of.  If you’ve tried this, you’ve seen that all the info is in the ‘notes’ section, which makes it useless.  :(

The problem is that google uses a very strict spreadsheet format.  Here’s an easy solution though.  Create a new group called ‘students’ in google contacts.  Then, within your shiny new group, add a new fake contact.  I created a contact named Fakey McFakerson.  Create fields in every blank that you want to enter for your students.  I gave Fakey a fake email, a fake cell, a fake parent email, a fake parent cell, etc…

Now export the document as a google .csv file and open it on your computer in excel.  If your computer makes awful noises and complains about the format, don’t change it.  Look at your computer sternly and say, “deal with it.”  You’ll see your test info at the top of the columns you’ll actually use.  You’ll also see a bunch of useless blank columns too.  Don’t touch them.  Just find Fake McFakerson’s name, and paste in all of your students’ names below his -you should have some sort of spreadsheet with your students’ information, so just copy and paste the columns over.  Find Fakey’s email address, and paste in the corresponding students’ emails below.  Rinse and repeat until you’re out of student info.  When you have all the info pasted into the appropriate columns, save (don’t change the format) and then import the doc back into google contacts… and WHAM!  Your students are in your phone! I have a video below to help clarify this for visual and auditory learners!

The detailed directions for NCVPS teachers with Android phones are below as well.

1.  Got to the NCVPS registration page via the Teacher Boat Dock (in the handbook)

2.  Enter your username and password, and then hit ‘students’

3.  Select ‘export to excel.’  This gives you a home number, dla name, parent name, dla email, and dla number.  It’s not enough.  My suggestion -use a google form in your announcements to gather student cell phone info and parent cell and email info.  That’s crucial contact information!  When you get it, drop it all into one spreadsheet.  It’s time consuming, but it’s worth the trouble.

4.  Open the spreadsheet on your desktop and then go to google contacts.  Create a fake contact with something in every blank you might want to use for your students.  That means you’ll need to create 4 fake email addresses for Fakey McFakerson, 4 phone numbers, etc.  Save it and export the file as a google .csv file.

5.  Now open the file you just exported.  Copy the contact info you’ve collected into the google .csv spreadsheet and place it in the appropriate columns.  Leave everything else the same. Note: There is one more thing you’ll have to do in excel to make the columns work correctly so you don’t get ‘unnamed contacts’ in your phone. I have outlined those instructions in the comments below, so make sure you read them.

6. Save the file and go to your google contacts here (make sure you’re signed into the google account associated with your phone): Google Contacts

7.  Above the Contacts bar on the top left, hit the icon with a plus and a few heads on it.  It’s the new group icon.

8.  Name the group ncvps, and then in the new screen that pops up, select import from the top right.

9.  Hit ‘choose file’ and select the file you just saved.

10.  Select ‘students’ in the add these contacts to box, and check the box.  Hit import.

11.  Make sure in your phone’s settings that you are syncing your contacts with this account.  Wait a while for your phone to notice the new contacts in your google account.  You’re good to go!

I hope that helps!  If anyone else wants to add instructions for how to do something similar to this in other phones in the comments section of this blog, that would be awesome.  It’s a complicated process, so ask any questions you might have in the comments below!

Hi there teachers!

Read this post after you read the one about google contacts… it’s part Deux.

If you’re logged into your google account, go to www.google.com/voice.  It will give you a phone number, you’ll answer some pretty basic questions, and then you’re off.  Don’t stress about the setup.  Google pays lots of more intelligent people than I to make this as user friendly as possible.

When you have your google voice account and phone number, you’ll be able to send free text messages.  You can do this via your phone if you download the google voice app, and you can also do it via your computer.  That’s beautiful, because when you send out 30 texts to students, you’re going to enter into 30 different texting conversations all at once, and, if you’re anything like me, you’re better armed to deal with the onslaught if you have your keyboard!

The tutorial below will show you how to easily send that mass text quickly.  I couldn’t actually record the onslaught of student texts that result in sending 30-60 check-in text messages, but it’s epic.  Think Braveheart right after the quivering sword is thrown out on the field and the painty-faced rebels are charging… look out!  Our students LOVE to text -and this is how we can meet them where they need us.  Enjoy the tutorial!

 

Got an awesome question from a new teacher at ncvps a month or so ago.  Basically, new folks are a bit inundated with data and they need it boiled down.  This happens in a face to face setting naturally, as the newbs make friends and get to see what the veterans are actually doing with their time.  I’m going to do a series of entries on this topic; I’m going to try to do one every day if I get enough readers.  If you’re reading this series and finding it helpful, write a comment so I know you’re out there.  Otherwise, I might just put this down and pick up some other topic:

What did Shu do today?

I’m starting it now rather than mid-semester, because it will be valuable for new teachers to see how I start a semester -and the summer semester is a bit condensed, which will keep this series short.  This will not have information on how to be a TA, nor will it show how to be a mentor or what goes down in the ELC -no extra ‘stuff’ to clog up the process.  Also, I will do my best to not editorialize too much, but I do want to give newbs the thought process behind a lot of the stuff I do.

Today is June 3rd.  I reported classes from the Spring semester successfully yesterday.  Now it’s time to clean out the vessel and get seaworthy for the next semester, to borrow Ellen’s Boat Dock metaphor.  On the list of things to do today:

1.  Complete the teacher orientation and see what’s changed and what processes I’ll need to adjust to meet ncvps policies.
I’m counting on this taking at least 3 hours, even with the new ‘take a pre-assessment and get out of hours of work.’  I don’t want to miss anything major that gets slid in there like the new policy to contact students weekly or bi-weekly -something like that only takes a couple of sentences in the orientation, but it will add hours of work per week and will necessitate a shift in processes.  So in short -pay attention to the orientation and take your time going through it!

2.  Clean out the google contacts so I don’t have a million contacts in my phone and my computer with old students’ information.  I have upwards of 1200 contacts right now, so thinning that out is going to probably take 2 hours. It is totally necessary for the upcoming semester though!
This is pretty easy.  I just go to http://www.google.com/contacts and delete any name that I know is a student (or any name that I don’t recognize, as those tend to sneak in there every semester as I meet new people and fail to follow up).  Some students have elected to facebook friend me -great!  I’ll keep those contacts in my facebook friends, but I won’t keep them in my google contacts.  The rest -give ‘em the boot from the contacts list!

3.  Mail my contract and teacher obligation form to Tammy Pearson -30 minutes to print it, read it, sign it, and mail it for me.  (Much longer for a face to face teacher who needs to get permission from a superintendent to continue working for ncvps.)  Poor Tammy always gets inundated with emails and calls with questions after she sends out an announcement.  Rule of thumb -when Tammy sends an email out, don’t reply right away.  Just suck it up and ask a department chair or a veteran if you have questions.  Tammy can’t keep up with organizing 600 mailed contracts and obligation forms AND answer questions all day.  I don’t like to piss anyone off in the administrative office, (because remember -there’s no guarantee of future students at ncvps -so I try to lend a hand when I can and keep my head down when I know they’re busy.  So far, that’s been a pretty good rule of thumb for me!

Total workload today:  5.5 hours