Monday, December 30, 2019

Assessment Tools Cheat Sheet


Formative assessment tools are a vital part of any teacher's toolbox. Regardless of which tool you use, gathering data is a critical component to help teachers monitor and adjust their teaching to meet the learning goals for all students. It certainly doesn't hurt if the tool you use are enjoyable for students! Feel free to explore the Assessment Tools Cheat Sheet to learn about a variety of digital formative assessment tools that make learning fun. Flipgrid, Gimkit, Nearpod, and Edpuzzle are among my personal favorites!



Thursday, December 5, 2019

Creation Tools for Students

HyperDocs are a great way for teachers to design learning experiences for students that are both meaningful and authentic--meaningful in that students can work at their own pace and can choose how they want to demonstrate that which they have learned, and authentic in that their artifacts can be shared with a wider audience that provides them with feedback. For teachers who are not yet immersed in the digital world, however, it can be daunting to provide students with opportunities to show what they know in a creative way. The good news is that teachers don't have to be experts in all of the instructional technology tools that are available to students. Feel free to make a copy of this "Creation Tools Cheat Sheet" and share it with your students to offer them choices in how they demonstrate learning.


HyperDocs Hype: Extend

"I'm done--now what do I do?"

"I already know how to do this."

"I learned this last year."

"I'm bored."

At some point, we've all heard at least one of these comments in our classrooms. That's because when we work with such a diverse group of students with varying interests, achievement levels, and pacing needs, we often struggle to keep all of our students engaged cognitively all of the time. Fortunately, one of the benefits of a HyperDoc is that we can extend our lessons by tagging on "extension ideas" for the students who finish quickly, need an exciting nudge to stay motivated, and willingly accept challenges on their own. This portion of a HyperDoc also gives you the freedom to work one-on-one with those students who need a little more time or support form you while the rest of the class moves ahead and stays on topic. Once students finish an assignment, you'll find that they will often want to go back and use more web tools from the extend sections, allowing them to continue creating--and further their learning. In a Hyperdoc, the extension activities are a great way to fit in fun activities that you may never seem to have time for, such as art and design thinking.

HyperDoc Share Strategies



EXTEND TOOL: ONLINE GAMES
To keep students on topic, engaged, and learning even after they have completed an assignment, link to an online game like GeoGuessr in your HyperDoc.
21st Century Skills
Critical Thinking

ISTE Standards
Digital Citizenship
Research and Information

SAMR
Augmentation

Sample HyperDoc
goo.gl/WvcJC8
    How to Design
    If you are simply linking students to an online game, you most likely will not need to design anything from scratch. Instead, choose from the multitude of engaging games already available. Simply select one that is content and age appropriate and add a link to it in your Hyperdoc.

    How to Deliver
    In your HyperDoc, link students directly to the online games for extra practice in your class.

    How to Collect
    You probably won't have to worry about collecting student work from the extend portion of your HyperDoc, especially if your students are simply playing online games.
    EXTEND TOOL: WONDEROPOLIS
    As twenty-first-century teachers, it's our job to find the most engaging, relevant, and meaningful websites that will encourage our students' creativity. Wonderopolis is one of the best. This educational resource updates daily, keeping students on topic, engaged in exploring a subject, and wondering (and learning). Wonderopolis is the type of website you'll want to include in your Hyperdoc as an extension activity and one that students will revisit independently long after the lesson is complete.
    21st Century Skills
    Communication
    Critical Thinking
    Creativity

    ISTE Standards
    Technology Operations
    Digital Citizenship
    Critical Thinking
    Research and Information

    SAMR

    Substitution
    Augmentation

    Sample HyperDoc
    goo.gl/hy2LIY
    How to Design
    There is not necessarily a design element with Wonderopolis; instead, determine how you want to encourage your students to use the website. Students could: Search for a "wonder" about a particular topic. Choose an interactive wonder from the Wonder Jar to share with their families. Do a hands-on Maker lesson. Add their own question or wonder to the Wonder Bank.

    How Deliver
    In your HyperDoc, direct students to link to Wonderopolis.org.

    How to Collect
    Discuss interesting things students have learned by reading other people's wonders and answers on Wonderopolis' website. Foster a culture of wondering in your classroom by creating a physical jar for students to put their wonders in. This collection of wonders can launch future individual research topics or class discussions.
    EXTEND TOOL: CANVA
    Canva is an online graphic design platform. It offers free access to a wide assortment of design tools and options that encourage creativity. Students can extend a lesson concept by graphically designing an artifact on Canva.
    21st Century Skills
    Creativity

    ISTE Standards
    Creativity and Innovation

    SAMR

    Augmentation

    Sample HyperDoc
    goo.gl/FBvQeP
    How to Design
    Canva offers wonderful design tutorials so both you and your students can learn the basics of design in addition to more advanced skills and techniques. Use Canva to design something from scratch or choose from the website's incredible library of templates for everything from posters to magazines and infographics. Canva even offers materials so you can teach the basics of graphic design in our classroom.

    How to Deliver

    As with any HyperDoc extension activity, simply add a link to Canva's website and a few simple directions for students.

    Quick Tip: Direct students to the Canva Design School, where they will find video tutorials to quickly transform their graphic design skills!

    How to Collect
    You can collect students' Canva designs in a number of ways. Students can do the following:Download their Canva design directly and turn it in. Take a screenshot of it and add it to their social media site, digital portfolio, etc. Email or share it with themselves, you, or their classmates, etc.
    Turn in a link to it using a Google Form, Padlet, etc.