Google Sites Experiences

In my experience about the Google Sites wiki, I think it is an ideal app  for teachers to share the Class information with students,parents and others. It  was designed to be easily mastered with many templates or themes for beginners. What's more, it is connected with Google Drive including Form,Drawing, Spreadsheets, etc and you insert any resources that you had made in the Sites.

1.Add Pages Templates.

There are four templates for pages which you can choose to insert in the page, including web page, announcements,file cabinet and list. The user can choose any template according to which  he or she needs. For example, if the teacher wants to post daily newsletters or announcements, he or she can use Announcements template to post. But if he or she want to upload students work, it is better to use file cabinet or list template.

In my Chinese class, I will post the Newsletter and announcements in the Sites that all the parents will know the information by checking the sites. I will also upload the students work or project in the sites to show their results if they agree with me to post on it.

2.Insert Function

In the Google sites, the insert function is connected with Google Drive, Pi casa Albums, YouTube video and so on. And it is very convenient for teachers to insert all the resources which were made by  the Google apps. For example, I inserted the Presentation and Pi casa Albums which were made before on the Google apps and now they are posted on the sites. In the future, I can share all the resources that I had made with my students on the sites.

3. Formatting options

• setting a background color/pattern/photo

Though you may have chosen the theme for your sites, you can change it later in the “manage site” to set a background color/pattern/photo.I inserted the images into the background and it looks very nice. This formatting options will allow everyone to create her/his own style theme of sites. I also unload a logo which I downloaded from the Internet. If time enough, I can design a logo by Drawing and uploaded it. After you set a background and upload the your own logo, it looks a unique sites which you designed it.

• changing the Navigation elements in the sidebar

The site is very smart to separate the formatting options of  the page and the sidebar.When you click the “Edit side layout” and you can design the sidebars. It contains many sidebar items which you can chose.In my sites, I inserted the navigation,text and countdown in the sidebars, but there are items that I have not used yet. I also put some important pages in the horizontal navigation which will help the visitors to check. The countdown item which I like it very much for it will remind the visitors the coming important events like finals or holidays.

4.History of revisions

There is a “History of revisions” in the settings which will allow you to see every version which you had done in the each page and you can even revert it to any reversion. I have not used this function yet, but I think it will be helpful to look for the version which you had done before. Therefore, you will not be afraid of making mistakes when you try to design your sites. You can change your mind to revert it at anytime.

I saved my sites and I will keep editing it. I wish I can share the sites with my future students someday.

Here is a link of my Chinese class sites.

Another World in Augmented Reality

It is my first time to experience so many “Augmented Reality”  apps from iOS and it is a totally new experience that I never experience before and I could imagine how will it surprise kids to see these Augmented Reality apps.

I was considering how I can apply them to my future Chinese class. I am still not quite sure if it will work in my class, but I would like to ask my students at least to try to use them to see another “World”.

1.Space Journey app- a space travel

I think most of us are curious about how the space or universe looks like, and some of us even desire for a space traveling like astronauts did. We might not be able to do that now but we do have chance to see how the space journey is thanks to the Space Journey app.

Students will discover the Solar system and explore the Sun,the planets and their satellites in stunning details by themselves or with the teacher’s directions. It is a interactive learning tool for students to comprehend the features of the Solar System in the 3D Augmented Reality. When students are in the Science class, after they have learned some knowledge of the Solar system and then can experience what they have learned by the Space Journey app and it will help them to dig the deeper understanding of what they have learned from the book.

Applying Space Journey app to my Chinese class, I will chose to use it in the 5-12 Grade from 12-18 ages. They have already learned the basic knowledge of the Space, I may ask students to describe how the universe looks like(Big or Small) and what they see in the universe in  Chinese when we learn some topic about the space. I think it will inspire them to express what they have seen in Chinese in an unforced way.

2.Dinosaurs app

It is impossible to see any alive dinosaurs in our world now and we learn them from books, movies and museums.However, we can see “dinosaurs” are running  in our world through Dinosaurs app.

I think this app could be used for any grade in any age. For example, in the history or biology class, the teacher could use this app to let students to discover the dinosaurs by themselves for it is easy to manipulate. It gives them the direct impression to see the dinosaurs and help them understand better about these old animals.

In my Chinese class, I prefer to use this app for elementary students. It may has less chance for me to use this app to teach them about the dinosaurs but I still can use this app to ask them to describe what they have seen from the app and encourage them to use Chinese language to express it. Though their Chinese language is limited, but still they can use the words what they have learned. I can related the Dinosaurs to the topic of animals to let my students to see the big old animals.

3.GWR 2015 app--A magic book out of imagination.

I think if every book will be like the “GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2015”, and students will fall in love with reading. In my personal experience in GWR 2015 app, it is my best experience about the Augmented Reality apps. It looks so real when you scan the pages and see the things coming out from the book through the GWR 2015 app. I enjoyed watching a big whale swimming in the sea and tallest man in the world stand in front of you.

In my opinion, this app could be used in the any age or grade. In my Chinese class, I will use the app to teach them some words related to my class. For example, I want to teach them”tall”  and “short” in Chinese, I can use the app to let them see the tallest man from the book. I am sure my students will enjoy it very much in my class.

4.Anatomy 4D app

Through Anatomy 4D app and printed image, it transports anyone who wants to learn about the body into an interactive 4D experience of human anatomy.

This app could be best used in the middle school and high school from 12-18 age,even in the colleges. In the science class, the teacher could use this app to let their students to learn and see the human anatomy.

I really like to see when students see a "human body" on their hand to explore the mystery of the human anatomy by themselves for it is also an interactive app.

I may not use it in my Chinese class for the elementary school students, but I may consider using it to teach human body in Chinese words for high school or abuts.It really depends on their Chinese language level.

Form and Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Google Form is an ideal tool for gathering data from students as well as delivering online assessments to students.The Form’s function also meets the Common Core State Standards to help students to collect data from their peers and learn to analyze the data.

In the Graham’s book, he listed some Form application examples；

”Self-grading students quiz;Student survey for use in data collection;

Begin survey for the year student information form( collect interests,phone numbers,addresses, and other information that may help the teacher);

Faculty meeting sign-in form;

Discipline form that automatically e-mail parents,team teacher,and principal.”

Google Form has a wide application in the school and classroom and I want to share which I will use in my future class.

1.Students collect data for projects.

According to the standards, student will  “present information, findings and supporting evidence.” In my Chinese class, I may ask my students to do a project as teamwork, for example to research a city in China, in this project, they need to collect many data from books,Internet or others and use Form also help them to gather the real information from peers, parents and communities to make decisions and form presentation about the topic.

After they collect data, click the “SEE RESPONSE” to view the response to the form and it will automatically creates simple charts and graphs. It is easy to use,  even for the elementary students, creating  the results without learning the complicated spreadsheets commandments.In the CCSS Mathematical Prentice Standard 5 “calls for students to use the appropriate tools wisely.Instead of use the Spreadsheets to full out the data, use the Form to automatically create the spreadsheet response will be a wise choice.

2.Collect data concerning students’ performance

In the Graham’s book, he gives some examples that teachers had used the Form to track students’ performance and shared with parents and other teachers. Instead of filling out form of Spreadsheets, the teacher created the Google form to collect students’ progress and the data are automatically populating a Google Spreadsheet, where they are kept safe and ready for interview.”The spreadsheet is safe and data are secure because unless, unless told otherwise,forms do not let participants see the result.” (Graham’s book, p125) It is important to keep the students’ performance safe and The Form can make that happen.

The Form are beneficial for both teachers and students and make the data easier to collect and analyze. When I use the Form, the easiest part for me to master is edit the question to the Form.What you need to do is type the questions then choose the question types. But the difficult part for me to handle is how to analyze the data from the Spreadsheets Response. However, the good part of the Form is that it will create Graph automatically in the RESPONSE.You can analyze these data if you do not want to use the Spreadsheets.

When I  was creating the self scoring features for Forms, I was considering how will I use in the future. I might use the Forms to collect data rather than take it as a quiz  for elementary school students. As for the middle school or high school students, I think use the Forms as a quiz or test will save much time to analyze their performance.

In a word, Google Form is a helpful  tool for anyone who needs to collect data and analyze data.

Forms

 I created the Forms  and The Spreadsheets(Response)

Spreadsheets and CCSS

I never use the spreadsheets before, but I use the Excel instead of it. I think they are quite similar but I prefer the spreadsheets to Excel since I know how to use the spreadsheet. I think the spreadsheets is much easier for me to master and it has more functions such as  comment, share and spelling check which I like them very much. And when I paste some information and I can choose "paste special" avoiding wrong paste.

When I was using the spreadsheets, I  think the easiest part of it for me to master is to edit. For tit has already laid out the most important function and I can just edit without looking for it. But I still have a question about how to insert the right functions. For example, what is this function”=IF(D3+D$2,100,0)” meaning? How would I learn these function languages? I learnt them before, but it is still hard for me to deal with what is the right function to be used when it is needed.

Here is link about my Chinese class Grade Sheet example  that I would like to share with you.

Spreadsheets and CCSS

As Graham has written in his book, Google Spreadsheets primary focus on Math, but other subject will be used as well. In our daily life, we all have to deal with data, like shopping recipes,tips and tax, and use the Spreadsheets to teach students is a good to tool for students to "explore the mathematical concepts and models." 

1.Data and Graphs 

In a traditional way, when a teacher try to teach students to collect data and draw a graph according to the collective data, and  it takes time to explain and draw the graphs. But it will be easier if teacher already made a Spreadsheet and ask students to fill out the sheet, it not only saves time, but also helps students to observe the data changes resulting in graphs changing. 
Furthermore, you can use the "scrips" function  as a self-check and It helps students to know if they are right or wrong. 
2.Number Expressions
In the CCSS, Expressions and Equations Eighth Grade requires "perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation." In the Google Spreadsheets, the" Number "displayed many numbers in different expressions. Students will learn from it to explore how to express numbers in different expressions.
3. Behavior Chats
The teachers usually will use the Behavior chart to record students' behaviors but how to deal with these data, the Spreadsheets provide a way. When you show the clear report including data and graphs, the students will learn form it and understand their behavior with the data.

There are many functions in Google spreadsheets will help students to learn to understand
 data, analyze data and use data to make a right decision. 

5 popular apps for learning Chinese Language

Learning another language is a long process and it takes time and patience. I totally understand for I have been through this process and still learning it. I want to help my future students to learn Chinese in many different ways and use App is a good way. There are not so many apps to learn Chinese, especially for kids. It is hard for beginners to use this app to learn another language by themselves without teachers’ assistance.

For example, Chinese Characters are based on strokes and all the strokes have their own writing order. And you also have to Learn Pinyin(Phonics) to help you to speak it. But there is no connections between the Pinyin and the Characters which means you have to learn both of them, and when you see a Chinese character, you have to recognize it and speak it without Pinyin on it. It sounds complicated, but there are many apps have been created to help people to learn Chinese, and I want to discuss 5 of them with you.

1.Pleco- A Chinese dictionary tool for all the level learners.

Pleco is a popular free app that I see many Americans who live in China use it to learn Chinese. Its basic function is a dictionary and you can input both English and Chinese in Pinyin or strokes.

I think it is a good tool for both students and Chinese teachers. For example, if you want to teach a Chinese character, you can use this app to find the character and then you will know its meaning in English expression. It will help teachers to explain its meaning better to students. Furthermore, it will also inspire teachers to teach some information related to the character according to its explanation.

For the students, it will help them to use this app to learn the new words or characters by themselves. Its explanation is written in English and Chinese, including Chinese pronunciation. I  will suggest my students to use Pleco app to learn the word they do not know. In my Chinese class, I will also use this app to ask students to check first the new Character in this app before I teach them.

But it is a tool app but not a tutorial app to teach Chinese. For one word has many different expressions in Chinese, and it sometimes confuses the students when they check one word and find many words.

2.Laokang-learn Chinese in different parts.

Laokang apps are separated into Pinyin, Tones, Characters in different apps and they provide both training and tests. Some of them is free and some of them are not.  I know the founder of these apps when I was in China. He is an American and he has been in China more than 20 years. He can speak well Chinese almost without accent. He created these apps with his group to help others to learn Chinese better. It is also his methods to learn and teach Chinese in these apps. For example, in  laokang-Character Conqueror app, he taught you to learn Chinese character in different components instead of  strokes. It also gives you some tips to memories the characters.

I will use it as a reference to teach Chinese but I am not sure if I will use his ways to teach Chinese. The students learn Chinese is based on content and I will teach them according to their needs, probably I will use the tests app for just have fun. It is better to be used by the older students not children.

3.Skritter-an app to practice writing Chinese characters

Skritter is a popular free app to learn to write Chinese and  it allows you to write the Character by your fingers on the iPad through the app. It will show both Chinese character and their meanings in the app. After you see it, you can practice them on the iPad. It also could be connected with Pleco app to see the words meaning in Pleco app’s explanation. So many people will download both of them to learn Chinese.

I think it is really hard for the people write the Chinese characters without any instructions. It gives no any instructions to write the Characters and I do not believe the people could write the Character without any basic knowledge of writing character.

I probably will not use it in my class for it is not easy for my students to practice by themselves. And  I will also not teach the characters from the app. For they were put in no order.

4.My language-a helper to translate language

MyLanguage is an app to translate language. You can chose the language which you want to be translated, not only Chinese but also other language.

I think it is not a good way to learn Chinese by use this app. For example. If you input English and you choose to be translated to Chinese. It will show the answers written  in Chinese Characters. If you don not know much about characters, especially for kids, it is useless for them to understand it in Chinese. You have to pay for it if you want them to speak it in Chinese. Compared with Google translator, I like the Google translator better.

5.Wechat-Let we chat with Chinese

WeChat is a very popular social media app in China and I see more and more other countries’ people start to use it. You can use it to send both written and voice record message. You can also use it to make a voice or video call. Here are many more functions in this app and you even can pay for it through this app.

Learning the language is for communication and the WeChat app is a good way to communicate with Chinese people.

In my Chinese class, I will use this app to make a WeChat group and ask the students to record their pronunciation in Chinese and sent it to the WeChat group . It will help them to practice both speaking and listening.

In the future, maybe their Chinese is good enough, they can use this app to talk to Chinese students in Chinese. But as a teacher, you should be careful for your students to use the social media app in a wrong way.

Google Drawing

It is my first time to see and use the Google Drawing. To be honest, I rarely draw pictures for I am not good at it. I am considering will I use the Google Drawing in the future for preparing my  class. If the answer is YES, How it make a application in my future class. Then I drawled two pictures and I want to share with you.

Application

1.Reward

I learned how to make this label from the internet and I drawled one by myself and I am considering to use it to as a reward label. I will put student's name on it and I will give it as a reward for the good behavior students to motivate them to learn it better.

2.Timeline

Chinese Language has a long history and sometimes it is heard  for non-Chinese speaker to learn the history of this old langue. I can make the timeline related to Chinese history language and it will help my students to understand it easier.

Lesson plans with the Google Drawing

The Lesson Plan about the Math class”Exploring Shapes” uses the Google Drawing to learn the different shape. I think it is a good idea to use the Technology in the classroom.

Instead of traditional teaching way to ask students to learn this shapes by reading and drawing them on the paper, the students can rotate shapes on the computer. There are many shapes provided by Google Drawings and students can explore them by themselves.

In my experience, it was hard for me to understand concept “rotate 90 degrees”  when I was a child. But If I can manipulate shapes, and rotate them through Google Drawing, it will be much easier for me to understand it.

CCSS and Drawing.

I read the chapter  from the Graham text concerning CCSS and Drawing, Graham mentioned the CCSS 1 for writing  wants students to “read closely” to understand the text and make analytical conclusion from it.

I think it is high requirements for students to understand and analyze the content and then write a article. But if teachers could use the Drawing to ask them to organize their ideas first, it will help them to write. It is quite similar like Ithoughts APP. But Drawing can insert pictures and provide more shapes to use.