Dec 032021
Aug 132020
Jun 112019
Permalink: http://goo.gl/zQO6IC – Updated 5/11/19
Slide Deck:
Instead of purchasing expensive and dedicated student response systems from SMART or Promethean, here are some alternatives around for formative assessment in the area of web-based classroom ‘clickers.’ If you have access to iPads, Chromebooks, or even student cell phones, you can utilize some great (and FREE) web based student response and feedback systems – without the need to purchase additional single-purpose devices.
Here’s a rundown of some great options out there, and what it’s “Killer Feature” is:
| Platform: | Killer Feature: |
| Socrative | Great overall features, has Teacher and Student apps, but not required |
| Mentimeter | Unlimited responses – great for school wide surveys |
| Poll Everywhere | SMS/Text voting from student cell phones, free teacher accounts |
| Nearpod | Presentation and assessment in one tool, app or web based presentations, same app for teachers and students |
| Pear Deck | Similar to Nearpod in functionality, it’s a free add-on that allows you to add assessment and interactivity to ANY existing presentation you have, as long as it’s in Google Slides. |
| Kahoot | “Gamified” assessment, great for review, colorful and fun |
| Quizizz | Gamified review, without the time pressure of Kahoot |
| Plickers | No student device needed – uses paper cards and a teacher cell phone or iPad camera |
| Google Forms Quizzes | Easy to build, no additional logins for teachers or students needed |
Here’s a few more new tools to investigate. More details to come!
- Actively Learn
- EdPuzzle
- Thinglink
- GoFormative
- Quizlet – team collaborative question answering. View the demo to get to this feature. Quizlet LIve. Learn more.
Jan 022019
Permalink: bit.ly/2CrCXJs
Oct 052016
Permalink: https://goo.gl/2xtXG5
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has released some new options for Utah Core-subject teachers for formative assessment to give them better data and to help prepare students for the SAGE Summative Assessments.
SAGE Benchmark exams are shorter than the Full- or Class-Period Interim assessments, consisting of approximately 20 questions. They are available for 3-11th grade Language Arts, Math and Science courses, focused on the individual standards/strands of the core. They are not adaptive, as the Summative and Interim assessments are, but 2-4 different versions or forms are available to enable the benchmarks to be used for pre- and post-assessments. Another great approach is to use your early Interim results as a baseline, and then assess students with the benchmark assessments as teachers complete instruction on each standard/strand.
Below are some additional documents with more information about the new SAGE Benchmark Assessments:
- Accessing Benchmark Modules (PDF) – A quick guide to access the benchmark modules
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Summary of Science Benchmark Module Assessments (PDF) – Tables that provide information about the content of each modular assessment for Science
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Summary of ELA Benchmark Module Assessments (PDF) – Tables that provide information about the content of each modular assessment for ELA
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Summary of Math Benchmark Module Assessments (PDF) – Tables that provide information about the content of each modular assessment for Math
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AIR Ways Benchmarks District Guide (PDF) – Provides help on using the new AIR Ways reporting system for accessing Benchmark results
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AIR Ways Benchmarks School Guide (PDF) – Provides help on using the new AIR Ways reporting system for accessing Benchmark results
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AIR Ways Benchmarks Teacher Guide (PDF) – Provides help on using the new AIR Ways reporting system for accessing Benchmark results
- Template for Uploading Test Windows (PDF) – This is a sample excel file that can be used to upload Test Windows for an LEA or School. There is a tab with a full list of test names for each instrument showing the correct format for the upload process. Best practice, if you are electing to use test windows, is to upload a window for each instrument with the dates they will be delivered. To control the dates tests will be available in the TA interface, they must be in a window or their access will default to the full state window.
Jul 012016
At the ISTE 2016 Conference in Denver this week, Google announced a few new tools for teachers using Google Classroom and Chromebooks that will make life much easier and better.
First, Google has added a new Chrome app for teachers called Google Cast for Education, which allows students to broadcast their Chromebook screens to the teacher’s computer, WITHOUT the need for any extra hardware or stuff to buy. No more trying in vein to get a Chromecast or Apple TV to work in your classroom! If your computer is hooked up to your projector/interactive white board, then any student’s screen can be shared with you and the rest of the class! Alternatively, you can “cast” your screen to an individual student for some one-on-one help (if the student is running the Google Cast for Education app).
- To get started, teachers need the Google Cast for Education Chrome app. GAFE Admins can pre-install this for all of the teachers in their domain.
- Your students need the Google Cast extension. GAFE Admins can do the same for this student extension.
- If you are trying this out before school starts in August/September, make sure to get the Google Cast (Beta) extension.
Second, a feature that I have been telling teachers was coming for a while (my bets have paid off!). Google has added the ability to create quizzes with grading and feedback features in Google Forms. No more messing with add-ons to do quick quizzes! It’s completely supported in Classroom, so you can now build your quizzes in Forms and assign them in Classroom. When students submit the form, it’s automatically graded and turned in. Learn how to make quizzes now (YouTube).
If you’d like to keep up with what Google is doing for Education, make sure to follow the Google for Education blog.
Let me know @sedcclint on Twitter, or leave a comment below, if you have tried either of these new tools and how they are (or will be) helping you in your Google-ified classroom. I’ve been using both of these tools today, and they are terrific!
Sep 252015
I love this! Reposted from Brian Aspinall (@mraspinall) on Twitter:
Aug 172015
Jul 072015
Thank you so much for joining me for one (or more) of my sessions at the 2015 URSA Conference. All of the presentation information, links and resources for my sessions are linked from this page (and from the URSA tab above). If you have any questions or comments during or after the conference, you can connect with me @sedcclint on Twitter or on my Facebook Page. Use the #ursa15 hashtag on Twitter to join the Conference conversation.
Wednesday, July 8
- 10:10 am: Getting Started with Google Classroom (repeats), Ed Building, Room 202
- 11:20 pm: Project Based Learning Activities on the iPad, Ed Building, Room 202
- 1:30 pm: Bringing the Fun to Formative Assessment, Facilitating with Derek Larsen, Ed Building, Room 104
Thursday, July 9
- 10:10 am: Commence The Flip! (repeats), Business Building, Room 102
- 11:20 am: Commence The Flip! (repeat), Ed Building, Room 104
- 2:40 pm: Getting Started with Google Classroom (repeat), Ed Building, Room 104
Friday, July 10
- 9:00 – 11:10 am (2-hour session): Creating on the iPad – In Depth, Ed Building, Room 203
Dec 112014
With Utah’s new SAGE Assessments and the SAGE Formative system, formative assessment has been on my mind quite a bit this year. Since it’s not always easy (or even possible some days) to get your students into a computer lab, you can’t always use these online tools to gauge your student’s learning and comprehension.
Thanks to Kim Rathke for sharing this great checklist/document (PDF) for formative assessment, you now have a wealth of ideas for getting that feedback in the classroom. This goes hand in hand with my presentation on Classroom Assessment Techniques that I’ve shared earlier.
Yea low-tech solutions!