Remarkable Reviews: Part 2 Check-Ups

In last weeks blog, we looked at how using feedback in Google Forms can change a

basic quiz into a self guided review. This can be a great feature because this directs

students to additional help even when you don’t have time. Sometimes, however, you

want to make sure that all students are learning the content that you are currently

presenting. If you find that students are struggling you can provide further instruction

so that later you will not have to spend as much time reviewing.  Using Google Forms

as a quick check-up is a great way to see how many of your students understood what

you just taught them.

Tips for Check-Ups

Automate when possible. Google Forms or similar programs that automatically
grade check-ups free up your time so that you can focus on instruction instead of
mundane grading. If you choose to do other types of check-ups, just keep in mind
how long it will take you to grade them. If it takes you a week to get results, you
have probably already moved on to the next standard.

Do them at the end of class. This will give you time to adjust your next lesson if

too many students do poorly. 

Use the 80/20 rule. As long as 80% of your class did well on the check-up, MOVE ON.

It will be rare for 100% of your students to master content especially if they have only

been exposed to it once. Work with the students that struggle during tutoring time or in

class while the other students move on to the next assignment. 

Teach based on results. When you are deciding if your class needs further instruction

on something use the 80/20 rule for each question. If there is a specific question that

more than 20% of your class missed, you probably want to do further instruction. 

Make your Check-Ups Short and Specific. Narrow your check-ups to the most

important elements (the things that the students will be tested on) and create 3 to

5 questions that will allow the students to show their understanding. This will make

it easier for you to pinpoint areas where further instruction is needed. 

Grading is optional. When you put grades from check-ups in the grade book it turns

them into pop quizzes. There are times that this might motivate students to do their

best and pay attention while you are going over new content, however it can also be

discouraging for students that might need more time to process. Remember you will

be giving check-ups right after new content is covered and you want to be fair to

students. Decide when and how you will grade before you start giving check-ups. 

If you are already using check-ups or something similar 

Share how they have helped guide your instruction.

Remarkable Reviews: Part 1 Self Guided Reviews

Even though it might not feel like it, the end of the year is quickly approaching.
That means standardized tests are just around the corner. Most teachers struggle
between finishing all their content and having time for adequate review. Below
is one way teachers can use technology to work in needed review with students.

Self Guided Reviews.

Google Forms is a useful program in G-Suites, and a lot of teachers use it for quizzes.

However by investing just a little more time, you can make quizzes you already have

into great self guided reviews. One of the options when you create a question in Google

Forms is to provide feedback. If you take the time to fill out the feedback section, you

can give students materials, assignments, or videos to review content they have missed.

Since this review is self guided, students can complete the review whenever it fits into

your class, such as when they finish other assignments, or it can even be done outside

of the class (assuming the student has internet access). 

Here are some examples of how to use feedback that will change a quiz into a self

guided review. (In the example I am using math, but similar feedback could be used

for any subject). 

If the question is 

Solve 

10 1−x = 104

Feedback Option 1:

Sorry that is incorrect. Here is how to work that equation

1 – x = 4

1 – 4 = x

–3 = x

And the solution is:

x = –3

Feedback Option 2:

Sorry that is incorrect. Watch this video to see how to work this kind of equation. 

Feedback Option 3:

Sorry that is incorrect. Review pages 34-38 in the textbook to review how to

work this kind of equation. 

Feedback Option 4: 

Sorry that is incorrect. Review the presentation from class to see how to work

this kind of equation. (Link Google Slides used in class). 

By giving students resources directly related to what they missed, you are giving

them the opportunity to learn where they went wrong and you are giving them a

personal sense of ownership for what they learn. 


Below is a video on how to add feedback into a Google Form

In the comments below share ideas for feedback

that will help students learn from their mistakes. 

More Tech Tips for Grading.

More Tech tips on grading.

A few weeks ago I gave some tips on how to get a grip on grading. In this blog I am
going to cover some of the new features in Google Classroom that could be a big
help when you are grading things like research papers and  projects. Even if you
don't do these kinds of assignments with your students I think these features can
still be a useful tool for you as well.

Originality Reports

Originality reports is similar to programs like Turn it in that schools and universities
have been using for years. Basically, it takes what students have written and then
searches the internet to see if there are any matches. If there is a match, the
student might want to make changes to their paper before they turn it in. When you
go  to grade the paper you can see the originality report and decide if further
investigation is needed.

This can be a real help in grading, because we have all received papers that are
obviously plagiarized, but then you have to take the time to find the source to
document the violation. With originality reports, the source is provided for you.

Perhaps the best benefit of this feature is that students can see where they need
to make changes before they submit the assignment. This gives them incentive
to submit their own work and frees you up to focus on grading their writing and
content.

To activate originality reports for an assignment simply click the box that says,
"Originality Reports."  For more details watch this video. 

Rubrics

Whenever you are grading assignments that have many components you should
always give students a rubric of some kind. Some teachers will provide checklists,
but a good rubric is better than a checklist because it gives students a clear
understanding of what constitutes acceptable work as well as work that is
above or below expectations.

Rubrics in themselves aren't that difficult or time consuming to make. There are
many rubric generators online that have content areas and descriptors
already created. This content can be copied into the Google Classroom rubric.
Rubrics in Google Classroom can  also be reused for multiple assignments across
classes. So once you have a set of rubrics that you like, you can keep using them
which will save a decent amount of time.

Grading with the rubric is very easy. Once students have submitted work, simple
click on the descriptor for each area of content. Rubrics can be based on point
value or they just be a guide for students. No matter how you choose to use them,
students have a clear understanding how they earned the grade you assign them.

To learn how to set up rubrics in Google Classroom and to find out more, watch
this video. 

If you have already started using these features, 

tell us how they have worked for you in the comments. 

Collaborative Teaching

One of the most enjoyable things about being a teacher is that when you close the door you are completely in charge of what goes on in your class. I think the fear of losing this sense of independence is one of the biggest reasons that teachers are often hesitant to collaborate with other teachers. However, by maintaining independence, teachers hinder students from seeing the relevancy between subjects, and keep them from gaining a deeper understanding of the content. In reality collaborative teaching doesn't mean giving up control of your content, in fact collaborative teaching can give teachers more time and freedom to focus on the content that is most important to their students.

If you are a teacher that is interested in collaborative teaching, or you are skeptical about working with other teachers, this blog post has some tips that can help you start expanding your teaching beyond your classroom.


      1. Stay organized with technology. 

              This is a technology blog so I would be remiss if I didn't start by saying
              technology is at the heart of good collaboration. Of course you can
              collaborate with other teachers without technology, however it will require
              a lot more planning and after hours meetings. Technology makes the process
              much easier to plan, and it also makes it very flexible when changes need to
              be made (and you will need to make changes). Here are some examples of
              how technology can be used to help in collaborative teaching:

• Create a Google Classroom and make all collaborators teachers in the class. This will allow every teacher to check on where students are in other subjects, and it will give the teachers access to reference specific assignments that students are doing in other classes. 
• Split grading responsibilities. If an assignment covers more than one subject, come up with a rubric so that one teacher can their content and you can grade yours. (Ex. Research Paper on the American Revolution. English teacher grades writing, History teacher grades historical content). 
• Create a shared folder in Google Drive that all collaborating teachers can access. Share things like vocabulary lists, rubrics, handouts, etc. 
• Create a shared Google Calendar. Make sure that all teachers know when specific content will be covered so that you can adjust as needed. 
• When you email questions or ideas CC all collaborating teachers so that no one is left of the discussion. (Emails can also keep you from having to hold so many after school meetings). 

     2. Start with the obvious.  

               I love ideas that teachers share online. I am constantly checking twitter, 

               pinterest, podcasts, and blogs. The problem I have with them is that they 

               can make teachers feel like they aren't doing enough. You do not have 

               start with a grandiose interdisciplinary project to be successful at collaborative 

               teaching. So instead of trying to copy what you find online simply sit down 

               with the teacher(s) you will be working with and look over each others 

               standards. If you find things that obviously go together, start with that. For 

               example if you teach English and you are working with a history teacher you 

               might see that your students are reading a book that covers one of the history 

               standards. From there you can try to schedule the book and the history 

               lessons accordingly, or you  might create a shared vocabulary list that would 

               help students in both classes. This is a great way to try out collaborative 

               teaching because content is reinforced, but you as the teacher still maintain a 

               substantial amount of control over your class. 

               Once you start looking you will see that there is a lot that over laps in between 

               Math and Science, as well as English and Social Studies. What might 

               surprise you is when you start working with electives as well. You can come 

               up with some really engaging lessons when you tie your content with Art, 

               Computer Science, Culinary Arts, and PE. 

     3. Respect the teachers with whom you Collaborate. 

                We should always respect our colleagues, but this is exceptionally true when

                are working closely together. You may have a great idea about a collaborative

                lesson, but that doesn't mean the other teacher(s) will be as excited about it 

                as you are. This could be that they are not completely comfortable with 

                collaborative assignments or they may feel that the activity doesn't focus 

                enough on their content. You can state your case to try to change their 

                mind, but let them know they are completely free to say no and you will 

                not hold it against them. 

                On the other side of this is if they come to you with an idea try to find 

                ways to make it work instead of reasons why their idea won't work. You 

                might find out that assignments that you thought would be pointless can 

                be the most successful. 

In the comments below share ways you have to 

successfully collaborate with other teachers.