Technology Essentials in Education Episode 26:
Smart Ways Teachers Can Use Forms Beyond Surveys

Hello there, my name is Monica Burns and welcome to Technology Essentials and Education.

Today I'm chatting with Chad Reed from Jotform about the many ways forms can help educators stay organized and save time throughout the school year.

Chad is the VP of Marketing at Jotform and we go way back.

I had the chance to connect with their team about a decade ago to learn about what Jotform can do for educators.

So this is a perfect conversation and very timely with an AI connection as well.

We'll talk about some of the ways that the platform has evolved over the past few years, including some of the things that are super new.

Whether you think of forms as something that's just for surveys and quizzes or you're already using them in lots of different ways, I'm confident you'll leave today's episode with plenty of ideas to put into practice.

There are so many possibilities for classrooms, schools, and districts that we get into in this conversation.

This episode is brought to you by Jotform, which provides an all-in-one solution to streamline administrative tasks, enhance community engagement, and foster innovation.

Using their no-code drag-and-drop forms and workflows, your teams can securely collect and store data, automate tasks, and collaborate on team resources.

Educational institutions are also eligible for a 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise. Head to their website to learn more at Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.

Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited to chat with you today about all things surveys.

Before we get into that, can you share with listeners what is your role at Jotform and what does your day-to-day look like?

Thanks, Monica. I am Chad Reed, the VP of Marketing at Jotform. I was one of two original marketing hires back in 2014 and have been with the company for many years, seeing its full evolution and getting to know forms in an intimate way.

I'm super excited to join you today.

That perspective brings a lot to our conversation, especially since educators have navigated big changes in ed tech over the past decade and especially the last few years.

We'll talk about AI stuff today as well as the past decade or two as educators tackle what's the right fit for their classroom.

When many educators hear the word form, they think of surveys or quizzes. From your perspective, how do you define the broader role of forms in organizing work and decision making?

Forms definitely include surveys and quizzes, but for educators and anyone really, forms are a starting point for work.

They get you the information you need and get that information to the right place and people.

Besides surveys and quizzes, forms include questionnaires ahead of parent teacher conferences, permission slips, sign up forms for committees or clubs, and anything where you need specific information funneled to a specific place.

There are myriad use cases for forms.

I was having a flashback to field trip forms with students, just making sure everything was organized and no one's forms were missing.

Moving from clipboards to streamlining and making things smoother for schools is a huge benefit.

You work with organizations outside education as well, so what are some common uses of forms educators might not realize could work well in schools?

Request forms are powerful, whether work requests, purchase requests, or other types.

In my team, sub teams have forms for different requests like written content, copy, video, or meetings.

Though it can seem overwhelming, forms streamline information and get the right questions to the right people, applicable in schools internally or through parent teacher communication or students.

Incident reports are another example broadly used across sectors and powerful in school settings.

Jotform is a horizontal utility product used for any possible way you can imagine needing to collect information.

There are endless possibilities and versatility is huge for collecting information, incident reports, or requesting resources.

Forms cut out back and forth when gathering info, making things work in schools.

Teachers using surveys or forms with students know they don't want to forget important questions to assess understanding.

It's an opportunity to make sure things don't fall through the cracks.

Teachers manage many things, often described as CEOs of their classrooms, juggling planning, communication, and documentation weekly.

Where do forms fit into behind the scenes workflows families might not realize teachers handle?

I can't imagine the juggling and mental fortitude to oversee classrooms.

A reflection log or documentation form is useful to assess how the day went or note insightful student interactions.

Forms allow logging this information efficiently, accessible via mobile forms for quick access.

IEP forms are a great way to organize critical information for reporting, used by parents and teachers for special education students.

Forms are a conversation, initiating interaction with parents or students and building relationships.

Everything must be designed thoughtfully to make it better for both those filling out the form and those receiving the information.

Forms working behind the scenes are the best kind.

I like framing forms as part of a conversation, gathering information to use, like formative assessment data.

Reflection forms are huge, especially with mobile access, allowing teachers to note wins or lessons learned to improve future teaching.

IEP forms can be a beast to complete but gathering info over time saves huge amounts of time.

From an academic standpoint, how can forms support assignment submissions, project planning, or tracking student choices without adding more for teachers to manage?

Assignment submissions are easy with file upload components in Jotform.

The back end organization is where forms shine, with tools like Jotform Tables to view, sort, filter, and label submissions.

Email routing and integrations with Google Drive or Sheets make sorting and accessing information simple.

Jotform lets you build forms in minutes, including student surveys, homework submissions, and quizzes, with free templates designed for education.

It's important that users know where to find forms and how to create them to gather information effectively.

Teachers can give students flexibility in submitting assignments whether in person or asynchronously, designing experiences with autonomy.

Jotform has always been an EdTech tool and has evolved to keep pace with changes in education technology.

I've played with baseline AI features like uploading a document and having AI help fill in areas, but there's much more AI now.

Can you tell us about where AI stands now and how it helps teachers save time with forms?

We just released Jotform AI, accelerating form creation speed, especially for complex forms with many fields.

You can prompt Jotform AI by typing or voice to create forms with specified fields, producing accessible, attention-grabbing forms that you can then refine.

It's a massive time saver; I timed myself creating an event registration form and was about 10 times faster with AI.

For busy teachers, you can create accurate, powerful forms with conditional logic between classes or bell rings.

Most Jotform features are free up to a point and cost effective, so I highly recommend giving it a try.

This tool accelerates workflows, which is important as AI can feel intimidating but can remove blank page syndrome by helping users see what they want.

Users remain in control, customizing components and using conditional logic to jump in where needed.

At a school or district level, forms are effective for approvals, purchase approvals, professional development requests, and Title IX reporting forms.

IT requests and curriculum reviews are also managed with forms, helping administration report more effectively.

Athletic departments use forms for many reasons, and Jotform tries to cover all needs to keep everyone organized and prevent things from falling through the cracks.

Is there a misconception educators might have about forms that you want to clear up?

Forms are easy to get started with today, easier than ever, removing technological or time barriers.

I'm not a tech wizard and have made hundreds of forms, and I believe forms are massive time savers once you get started.

Forms aren't just about getting information; they're about starting a process to help organize and improve workflows.

There are many parts of what educators do where adding a form can save time and improve organization.

We've covered many ways forms help in educational environments today.

If teachers remember one idea, what would you want it to be?

You don't have to be a tech wizard to improve your work; better processes exist and trying forms will make you more organized, productive, and save time.

Where can people connect with you and learn more about your work?

You can email me at Chad at Jotform.com, find my blog posts on the Jotform blog, and connect with me on LinkedIn by searching Chad Reed Jotform.

Thank you so much, Chad, for your time and great strategies for educators today.

Thanks, Monica. It was a pleasure.

It was lots of fun chatting about forms and what educators can do beyond simple surveys or quizzes.

Here are four takeaways: use forms beyond surveys for permission slips, signups, and requests; leverage AI-powered form builders to create customized forms quickly; think of forms as conversation starters to build relationships; and start with one workflow and expand as forms save you time.

Thanks for tuning in to Technology Essentials in Education. You'll find many links and resources below to keep the conversation going.

A big thank you to Jotform, the presenter of today's episode. To learn more and get a 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise, head to Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.