Pam Hubler
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PLC Communication Using Google Apps!

9/9/2018

7 Comments

 

Problem:

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In the beginning of this year, I started a new job as a Reading Coach for a K-8 school.  I asked about how PLC's ran, what worked, what didn't work, etc.  During that discussion, my Principal asked how we could improve the communication between administration and the teachers asking questions or needing feedback during PLC's if they weren't able to attend. 
In previous years, the Reading Coach had a great PLC agenda/notes template, but knowing when they were filled out or even if there were questions was hard for administration to keep up with.  Our Principal really wanted to know if she could get a notification each time a PLC was held, but using a Google Team Drive, she'd have to just check the folders every day or watch the activity panel.  We all know that is a time consuming task and not very productive.  I knew we could use our GSuite tools to do it,  just needed to figure out the best way to use them effectively! I'm sure there are add-ons and extensions for this, but we needed to keep it simple to be productive. 

Solution:

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I racked my brain and searched for easy solutions, I knew there had to be a way!
I guess I never really stopped thinking about it, then it literally came to me first thing the next morning as if I was still working on the problem in while I slept!  Here's what I did... 


DIY Details...

We have a template created in case anyone wants to make a copy of it for their own PLC's. In the Google Team Drive, we also have a folder per grade level, then a folder per month to keep them organized through out the year. That's the easy part, most of you probably have a similar system. 
The part I decided to add to the bottom of the template is a "Submit" button. 
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Since I usually facilitate the meetings, all I do at the end of the meeting (or once I review it to make sure it makes sense) is click the button at the bottom of our document to open the Google Form for me to submit the URL.   I created the "button" using the "Insert Drawing" feature the Google Doc, then added the hyperlink to the Google Form (pictured below) to that image. 
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The only thing I had to do ahead of time, was create the spreadsheet to go with the Google Form so Administrator(s) could choose how they got notifications.  Yes, you can use add-ons for this, but I wanted them to know how to do this easily (and show them it was possible in case they wanted to use it on other forms they created). 
To explain this, I did a test submission so my Principal could see the responses.  In that spreadsheet, I also added a row of check-boxes (LOVE this feature BTW!) and a column for Administrator notes so she could use it as documentation for follow-up purposes. Now, all she has to do is open this sheet to get to all of the PLC notes.  We did move this spreadsheet to a different Team Drive to keep it private from the rest of the school who has access to the staff Team Drive.  
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The last part of this communication process is to check the last PLC agenda at the beginning of the next session to review the comments Administrators added to the document.  We can do this easily by linking the agenda into the "review of last agenda" section at the beginning of each PLC.  
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We may change this a little as the year goes on, but for now... everyone is happy with the quick turnaround for feedback. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or ideas to make it better. 

Thanks for reading! ~Pam @specialtechie


9/22/18 - UPDATE: 

I made a template with directions so you could try out this process.
Let me know if you tweek it in some way that might make mine better. 

Try It Now
7 Comments
Aubrey
9/13/2018 10:55:53 pm

I think that it is so powerful when we not only fix a problem (or make something better) for ourselves, but do it in a way that can spread systematically to help everyone! Nicely done!

Reply
Pam link
11/15/2018 10:12:09 am

Thanks! Let me know if you try it yourself and have any feedback.

Reply
Evan link
10/4/2018 11:17:21 am

This is a great idea and solution to a problem that I think exists in many forms throughout a organization. Thanks for providing a template and I plan on looking to implement something similar in our district for PD review and approval!

Reply
Pam link
11/15/2018 10:12:59 am

Thanks! Let me know how it goes! ~Pam

Reply
Matthew
12/30/2018 09:27:53 am

Have you ever thought about putting the PLC documentation inside the form? If I had a campus that respected the process this much, I would love to make that for them! :)

Reply
Pam Hubler link
12/30/2018 08:42:50 pm

Everyone has access to the PLC minutes, my admin just wanted to be notified when something changed on the documents. This was just a work-around. As PLC's meet, we review the last agenda at the beginning of the meeting in case teachers didn't go back to it during the week to see admin comments/suggestions. Does that make sense? Thanks for the suggestion!

Reply
Mya
10/1/2021 04:57:33 pm

This was really helpful. I am going to try it with my teachers. Thanks!

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    I'm an Innovative Learning Coordinator in Berkeley County South Carolina and a Google Certified Trainer.  
    I have 25 years of experience teaching K-8 special ed., General Ed., and instructional & technology coaching. 
    ​Since I enjoy technology more than some, I started this blog for educators who love it too. Thanks for visiting! 

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Pam Hubler ~ Instructional Coach, Daniel Island School, Berkeley County School District ~ @specialtechie
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