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Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 2) – SULS0207

Kasey Bell — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:00:21 +0000

The post Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 2) – SULS0207 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In part two of this enlightening episode, Sarah Kiefer continues to share her invaluable insights on maximizing the potential of Google Sheets in the K12 classroom.

I often refer to Google Slides as the Swiss Army Knife of the Google suite of tools.
But an often overlooked tool that can really super-power your classroom and your lesson plans is Google Sheets.

This is the secret sauce, y’all!

In the second part of this series, our very own Shake Up Learning team member, Sarah Kiefer, spills the beans on her top Google Sheets templates, nifty lesson ideas, and some seriously cool ways to team it up with Google Forms.
You don’t want to miss this gem!

And don’t forget to check out Sarah’s awesome Google Sheets presentation that she created WITH Google Sheets!

Did you miss Part 1 of this amazing series? CLICK HERE

Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 2) with @SarahJKiefer

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Google Sheets in the Classroom (Part 2)

Google Sheets has evolved far beyond being just a spreadsheet tool; it’s a dynamic platform packed with potential for educators. In part two of Sarah Kiefer’s insightful podcast interview, we explore some of the ways Google Sheets can revolutionize the classroom, empower students, and enhance learning experiences.

Throughout this podcast series, we are exploring Sarah’s Google Sheets presentation that she recently shared with CyFair ISD.

Below is Sarah’s presentation.

Use the template link below to make a copy and save it to your Google Drive. (You can thank us later!)

Get a copy of Sarah’s Google Sheet! Template Link

Making Data Less Daunting

While Google Sheets might appear overwhelming, especially for students, Sarah emphasizes the importance of understanding the basics before diving into complex tasks. When students can grasp the essentials like creating a pie graph to show how many classmates prefer the color blue, the true potential of Google Sheets becomes more apparent.

Versatility of Google Forms

Google Forms are a versatile tool for education. They aren’t just for data collection; they can facilitate a wide range of tasks. From collecting basic student information to enabling surveys and applications, Google Forms can be a teacher’s Swiss Army knife. We can use Google forms for a myriad of purposes, from gathering parent information to tracking behavioral incidents.

Collaborative Data Collection and Sharing

Sarah also delves into how Google Sheets can aid in collaborative data collection. By creating a log of parent-student interactions, teachers can record and share important information with colleagues, counselors, and other relevant parties. This collective approach eliminates the need for hallway or lunchroom conversations, ensuring that vital information is shared effectively and efficiently.

Digital Checkbooks and Financial Literacy

One practical example shared is the use of Google Sheets to teach financial literacy. A fourth-grade teacher came up with a brilliant idea to replace the traditional paper checkbooks used in a city simulation activity with a digital version. The experiment involved students learning to record transactions, calculate balances, and understand the basics of personal finance. Sarah shows us how Google Sheets can make learning practical life skills more engaging.

Encouraging Research and Source Evaluation

An important aspect Sarah highlights is the need to teach students how to conduct proper research and evaluate online sources critically. While technology advances rapidly, the importance of source vetting remains unchanged. A collaborative Google Sheet activity is introduced, where students contribute links to credible sources and provide justifications for their choices (Curation with Google Sheets). This activity is a great way to foster critical thinking, as it encourages students to explain why they believe a source is reliable.

Versatility and Depth of Google Sheets

Sarah acknowledges that the capabilities of Google Sheets extend far beyond what can be covered in a single podcast (or even two!). Its depth and versatility make it a tool that can grow with educators and students as they become more comfortable and proficient. Users are encouraged to explore the full potential of Google Sheets, recognizing that it offers so much more than what initially meets the eye.

Resources and Further Exploration

Don’t forget to explore the wonderful resources, templates, and examples available on Sarah’s websites, techyoucando.com, and templatesforteachers.com.

Whether it’s using Google Sheets with little learners or collaborating on projects with colleagues, there’s something for everyone. It’s all about gradually integrating these tools into your teaching repertoire as you become more familiar and comfortable with them.

Google Sheets has the potential to be an indispensable educational tool. By mastering the basics, teachers can gradually explore more advanced features and open up endless possibilities for creative and effective teaching methods. Sarah shows us how Google Sheets can transform the learning experience, making it more engaging and efficient while preparing students for a tech-driven world.

About Sarah Kiefer

Sarah Kiefer is a classroom technology teacher in a new district. She has spent the last 7 years supporting students and teachers use technology in meaningful ways and 14 years in the classroom before that. Sarah is a wife and mom to three daughters and blogs at www.TechYouCanDo.com.

Current Certifications: Google Certified Educator Level 1, Google Certified Educator Level 2, Google Certified Coach, Google Certified Trainer, Google Certified Innovator, Wakelet & WeVideo Ambassador; Mote Certified Educator; Master Screencaster.

Sarah’s most popular presentation topics: Google tools, Schoology, WeVideo, Wakelet

Work with us!– Bring Sarah or one of the Shake Up Learning Trainers to your school or event.

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Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 1) – SULS0206

Kasey Bell — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 08:00:36 +0000

The post Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 1) – SULS0206 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this episode, join Shake Up Learning team member Sarah Kiefer and me for Part 1 of an in-depth discussion on Google Sheets.

We dive into innovative approaches to harnessing the power of Google Sheets in K12 education.

We explore Sarah’s outstanding Google Sheets presentation, a tool crafted to enrich educators and students by strengthening their foundational grasp of Sheets and elevating their classroom learning experiences.

And stay tuned for Part 2 of this jam-packed series!

Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 1)

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This episode is sponsored by Kognity.

I’m so excited to take part in Engage by Kognity happening on November 9th! This full-day online event is packed with inspirational speakers and great sessions. Engage is created for anyone and everyone involved in High School Science Education and offers three different session tracks. The Science Pedagogy track, the Elevate Teaching track as well as a Leadership track. Make sure to catch my session: The Teacher’s Guide to Choice Boards: Empower & Engage Students! Also, don’t worry if you can’t attend live, you’ll get access to the recordings as well. If you sign up at kognity.com/engage using my code SHAKEUPLEARNING you can attend completely for free!

Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 1)

Google Sheets is often overlooked by educators and students, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach teaching and learning. In this episode, Sarah Kiefer shares her passion for using Google Sheets in the classroom and how it can be a game-changer. This blog post will take you through some key insights from the podcast and show you how to harness the full potential of Google Sheets in your teaching.

Redefining Google Sheets

Google Sheets often conjures images of data collection and number crunching, which may not seem very exciting to most educators and students. However, Sarah Kiefer believes that Google Sheets can be a versatile and engaging tool for all ages. It’s not just about data; it’s about how you use it.

Sarah Kiefer had the opportunity to present on Google Sheets at a recent conference. Instead of creating a traditional slide deck, she decided to build her presentation entirely within a Google Sheet. This choice allowed her to showcase the versatility of Google Sheets beyond data collection. With this unique approach, she demonstrated that Google Sheets can be a dynamic tool for creating engaging classroom activities.

Get a copy of Sarah’s Google Sheet! Template Link

Creating a Google Sheets Presentation

The presentation Sarah created within Google Sheets is a testament to the application’s capabilities. She started with a cover sheet that resembled a typical presentation slide. She merged cells, inserted images, and added links, showcasing that Google Sheets can be as visually appealing and functional as other Google applications.

Mastering the Basics

Sarah understands that not everyone is familiar with the terminology and features in Google Sheets. That’s why she dedicated a tab to the basics, offering a comprehensive glossary of essential terms, toolbars, and tabs. This resource can serve as a cheat sheet for those new to Google Sheets or as a reference point for students.

Data Capture with Google Sheets

One common use of Google Sheets is data capture. Sarah shared a template used in her previous school district to collect and analyze data for incoming kindergarteners. The data capture sheet made it easy for teachers to input student information, and it could be accessed by grade-level teams and administrators. Google Sheets simplifies data management and provides a centralized location for collaborative efforts.

Google Forms Integration

Google Forms are often underutilized in conjunction with Google Sheets. Sarah highlighted the power of Google Forms for collecting data from students or team members. She emphasized the importance of planning your form to get the data you want and highlighted how Google Forms’ recent improvements make data visualization even more accessible.

Expanding the Possibilities

While Google Sheets excels at managing data, it offers much more. The presentation explores advanced functions like personalized email, Flippity activities, and creating to-do lists within Google Sheets. These features demonstrate the endless possibilities of Google Sheets for classroom activities.

More Coming in Part 2!

We couldn’t fit it all into ONE episode and blog post, so don’t miss the second half of Sarah’s ideas and resources!

Unleash the power of Google Sheets in your classroom and see the positive impact it can have on teaching and learning.

About Sarah Kiefer

Sarah’s most popular presentation topics: Google tools, Schoology, WeVideo, Wakelet

Work with us!– Bring Sarah or one of the Shake Up Learning Trainers to your school or event.

The post Empowering K12 Classrooms with Google Sheets (Part 1) – SULS0206 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

15 Plug-and-Play Lesson Plans from Google – SULS0198

Kasey Bell — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 13:32:15 +0000

The post 15 Plug-and-Play Lesson Plans from Google – SULS0198 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this blog post and podcast episode, I’m sharing 15 Plug-and-Play Lesson Plans from Google’s Applied Digital Skills program.

These are perfect for Back-to-School or ANY TIME of year!

And Google has improved the integration of these lessons with Google Classroom, so it’s even EASIER now to assign these to students.

Kick off the school year with lessons that help students express themselves, build relationships, and stay organized while learning new technology skills.

15 Plug & Plan Lessons from #GoogleEdu

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This episode is sponsored by Everfi.

Want to prepare your students for career and life success, but short on time? Busy teachers use EVERFI’s standards-aligned, research-based digital lessons, recently awarded with the ISTE Seal for high quality curriculum, to teach students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Interactive, game-based lessons designed by experienced educators help you engage students at all grade levels and bring critical real-world skills like financial education, early literacy, character education, health & wellness, and more to your classroom. Thanks to partners, these lessons are FREE for all K-12 schools and students. With back-to-school season gearing up, now is an exciting time to give your students a jumpstart on their future. Go to everfi.com/shake to learn more, and sign up to get a virtual swag bag full of free goodies to get the school year off to a great start.

15 Plug-and-Play Lesson Plans from Google

Did you know that Google’s Applied Digital Skills program has readymade, plug-and-play lessons for your classroom?

Today, we are exploring a special collection of lesson plans for the back-to-school season, but this collection has ideas that will inspire you all year long. There are actually 21 lessons in this extensive collection, 15 of which are listed below.

Oh, and did I mention they have improved how these lessons integrate with Google Classroom? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, y’all!

What is Applied Digital Skills?

Google’s Applied Digital Skills program is a flexible video-based curriculum that prepares students of all ages for the growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills.

This is a growing resource of lessons that walk students through each step of the creation process. You get the entire lesson, AND the step-by-step tech how-to.

And since this is video-based, students can pause the videos and rewatch them as needed.

But the best part is that these lessons are free and ready to use!

As you are getting kids back in the swing of things this school year, you can rely on these lessons to help your students learn how to complete basic technology tasks like using Google Classroom and help them learn how to use Google tools to create!

Learn more about using the Applied Digital Skills program and set up your teacher profile here.

1. Introduce Yourself in Google Slides

STUDENT DESCRIPTION: Create a slide that represents what makes you special or unique using Google Slides.