Terry's Tech Tips

Rubrics can be problematic for teachers.  Rubrics cost time to create, students may ignore/not understand project requirements if rubrics are complex,  and Rubrics may introduce grading concerns.  (Do you find you tweak your ratings to end up with the grade you think the student deserves? ) My last few posts have been about Rubrics and ways to use them to make grading more efficient.  This post poses the question: How can I change my Rubric so it is more user friendly for me and my students? In my previous posts, I used a typical rubric example: Does this rubric template serve you best?   Based on this blog post by Jennifer Gonzalez of Cult of Pedagogy and Mark Wise , consider these 5 steps to ' Repair your Rubric ' : 1.  Measure what really matters Simplify: Single Point Rubrics: Sometimes, we create Rubrics with many categories.  Lots of categories make it hard for students to focus on thei...

We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience. ―  John Dewey Google Forms is a workhorse in the classroom.  It can be an information gatherer, a quiz, an assignment collector, feedback gatherer, and a place for students to reflect on their learning. The Rivers & Revolution program relies heavily on Google Forms to support their learning process. Supporting the Learning Cycle: Rivers has four major units of study.  At the culmination of each unit, students create a major artifact to reflect their learning.  This artifact is either an extension activity of the unit's work or a related area of interest chosen by the student.  While the student may choose from a wide range of artifacts, they will eventually represent their artifact digitally - either in an image, video, or another digital format. Pre-Work: Students are provided a comprehensive artifact overview including expectations and possible artifacts ...

Have you ever heard of or participated in an Escape Room ?  They are tons of fun!  You attend with a group of family or friends.  Your goal is to work together to solve riddles and puzzles to unlock locks.  Eventually, you discover the code to ' Break out ' of the room. Amy Byron, with the support of the Parent Association, purchased both a Breakout Room kit (physical locks) and an account for Breakout Edu Digital (for digital locks).  These Breakout Edu options allow you to construct breakout experiences using YOUR CURRICULUM CONTENT!  It is a fun and engaging way to have students access and use your content. Watch this video to get a better sense of Breakout Edu: How did Amy incorporate Breakout EDU in her classroom? Think back to the first day of school.  You are a student.  What is your experience?  You move from class to class, where each teacher introduces themselves, talks about the course, class ...

HyperQuests (also known as Hyperdocs) have been receiving a lot of teacher attention lately.  HyperQuests support differentiated student independent inquiry learning.  They leverage the use of technology (though not all activities are digital), embed collaboration, and build in student critical thinking and problem-solving! The concept works because it begins with strong lesson design, curates quality instructional content, and packages learning experiences in ways which engage learners.  (1) Note:  While the rest of the world calls them HyperDocs, the CCHS Tech Leaders prefer the term HyperQuest .  HyperQuests are based on the old WebQuests, and the name HyperQuest eliminates confusion with an older application actually called Hyperdocs! What are they? HyperQuests can be any digital tool and are often built in Google Slides.  They provide a visually engaging digital framework leading students through a lesson or unit of carefull...