Using Google Forms

Let me start out by saying wow!.  I used the forms to do a quick form even before class last week.  I was all text and survey so I could not the self checker.  I was so amazed and pleased as to the ease in making the test form.  It literally took less than 20 minutes to type it out.  It was for the most part the same effort to type out a test that was going to be printed out and copied.  It was the same work, except once I had finished typing it out, it was ready to go.  I did not have to make sure the printer was working and then make sure the copier was working and then waste 100 sheets of paper that I was going to have to keep up with and then through away.  I am very excited about the possibilities.  In order to complete the performance record, using the self-checker, I went ahead and put one of my Physical Science test into a form.  It is a fairly long test and it worked great.  Also it was very easy.  I simply cut and paste the questions and the answers to the form and it was ready to go.  I was able to get the test ready in less than 1 hour.   This is a tool I can really use and I believe that our administration will also get behind.  I have taught at the same school for 5 years and every single year around about late March early April the copier warnings start coming out.  (We are running ahead of our budgeted copier amounts, we have to cut back.)  Then by May 1st we get the news that we have exceeded our our budgeted copies.  This will not erase the need for a copy machine, I do believe that this could seriously impact a teachers copy amount.

Besides the pragmatics of the Forms I believe that for a while the kids will like it more.  I do think that they will eventually get used to it, but at first it will be new and sort of exciting.  Plus I think it will help our school move to getting tablets for all of the students. 

As far as meeting the Common Core Standards, I can see how Google Forms could certainly help the students gather and present their finding and research.  I also believe that it is a vital tool that the kids need as they go off to college, as it would be invaluable at that level.  But the real power of the forms in my opinion is for the teachers who will take the time to learn and use this.  This should be such a time saver and make one of the most dreaded part of every teachers life a little easier, grading test.  Now if only they could develop one of these programs that will grade essays as well.  Until then at least we can have this part for grading short answer and multiple choice. 

Below is the link to my Physical Science Test

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17SOpzBnQUF6jmJr4ju3SNUf1FgWGmFhzqB3Jtg4B-po/viewform

This is the response spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuZ-0IwuOlQQdGJUcVVVVUJ3eDI0aHNqWUktT1F4NVE#gid=0

This was my first attempt at a Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yyY7z_fIFiiPIuQpQa6Ex-tsx3GqOuMN9YMMduCxiJs/viewform