There are several add-ons depending on which browser you are using. If you use the Chrome browser, you can add-on EquitI0 which allows students to provide mathematical answers that might have radicals, exponents, or complex fractions. It also has a feature that allows students to verbally give an answer for the program to write down.
If you use the Safari browser, there are several math editor add-ons you can choose from. I've used the EquatIO so I'm most familiar with those.
Last time, I discussed using it for a spiral review but it could also be used to build quizzes in the same manner using either multiple choice or short answer questions. For multiple choice questions, you choose the correct answer when you build the answer key. You can also put in answers for the short answers but if the answer in the key does not match the one the student gives, it may not mark it correct. What I means is that you write x = 3 with spaces and the student types in x=3 so you need to put both in. The form automatically grades but if you do not want the students to immediate see their scores, you can set it up to mail the results at a later time. I sometimes do it this way so I can double check the short answers just in case they wrote the answer in a form the answer key does not recognize.
There is also a choice to have a paragraph answer which I like because I can have students explain their thinking in regard to solving a problem, the steps they took to solve a problem, how they translated a word problem into an equation, or explain what is wrong with the way an equation was solved so they find the mistake. This allows more space for students to record their responses so they don't run out of room in the short answer. The other advantage to use paragraph form rather than having students write out their answers on paper is that you can actually read what has been submitted.
Google forms are great for bell ringers or warmups so students can start working on it as soon as they get into class and you have the results immediately so you can see where they need reteaching or support. Forms is also great as exit tickets since the students answer the question and they are ready to go. Both ways provides data you can use to meet the needs of your students.
If you need to do a pretest to see what they know before you start the new unit, forms is a great way to do this because of the data it provides. It is much easier than trying to make copies, pass them out, collect, grade, and try to remember who didn't take it. The results from this allow you to teach what your students need rather than just following the book.
Forms is also great for end of section tests since you can write problems, include diagrams, pictures, and so much more. In addition, you can set the form to shuffle questions so everyone gets questions in a slightly different order. You can also let students see which questions they missed and the correct answers but only after the results are released for the whole class. Furthermore, you can set point values if you want so students know what each question is worth.
One of the tasks teachers often must do in the first day or two is gather parent contact information. This can easily be done using Google Forms and then forms drops all the information into a spread sheet so you don't have to add it all in. Yes, I know that many folks use a system where you can look it up but sometimes it is not as well organized or things like phone numbers change.
Google forms are a great thing to use in the classroom to help make your life easier so you can spend a bit more time caring for yourself while getting all the assessments done so you have better data for lesson planning. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.
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