Category: EduDuctTape

16+ Formative Assessment Tools for #RemoteLearning!

Title Image for Post. Reads: 16+ Formative Assessment Tools for #RemoteLearning and includes the URL for the post.Wow. March 2020 has been quite a month. And buckle up, folks, because it looks like April is going to be more of the same.

For many educators, that means screencasts of lessons, assignments in learning management systems, and lots of time on Zoom or Google Meet.

But what about Formative Assessment? If we’re going to teach new content during these extended school closures caused by the coronavirus and COVID-19 (I’m not sure if we should, but that’s another post) then we need to know if students are comprehending that new content!

So, I put that question out to the Duct Tapers (listeners to my podcast, the Educational Duct Tape Podcast). I got a handful of answers, which I featured in Episode 39b of the podcast.

A week later, I reached out for even more ideas! On Wednesday 3.25.2020, I hosted a #EduDuctTape Twitter chat focused on this and 2 other #RemoteLearning concepts. So, based on the thoughts shared in the episode and the ideas shared in the Twitter chat, I’ve got a BUNCH to share with you! So let’s dig into it! Continue reading 16+ Formative Assessment Tools for #RemoteLearning!

Spice Up Remote Learning Formative Assessments with Customized Quizizz Memes!

If awesome features of Quizizz was a topic on Family Feud, I’m pretty confident that the memes would make it up onto the board.

But I’m definitely confident that your students would love it if they were working on a Quizizz set as part of their #RemoteLearning (or whatever you prefer to call it) and were surprised with the sight of their teacher in the memes. Their teacher! The same teacher that they’ve been missing for the last few weeks since they were last at school.  The very same teacher that they’re bummed to not get to see any time in April (and possibly longer). Whether they admit it or not, it’s a little extra touch that your students would really get a kick out of.

So, when Allison Curry suggested it in Episode 39B of the Educational Duct Tape Podcast, I fell in love with the idea. But the best part of this idea is how easy it is to pull this off! Check it out in the #EduGIF below (and the step-by-step instructions under the GIF).

This animated GIF shows the process for adding teacher-created memes in Quizizz.
A Pausable version of this #EduGIF is available at youtube.com/watch?v=DfJTiE4Zyec

 

Continue reading Spice Up Remote Learning Formative Assessments with Customized Quizizz Memes!

HyperPadlets & Padlet Timelines

On 1/29/20, in the #EduDuctTape Twitter Chat, 6th grade teacher Matt Meyer shared an idea that kind of blew my mind.

This is something that I like to refer to as the adjacent possible – by exposing myself to something new (adjacent) it opened up 3 new ideas (possible) for me.  Let’s explore them below.

Continue reading HyperPadlets & Padlet Timelines

Strategies for “Sticky” Vocab Learning!

Header Image for Post, contains post title and a picture of a dictionary

If you could be a fly on the wall of an average classroom, it’d be pretty likely that you’d hear something like “Don’t forget to study your vocab words tonight!” or “Remember to review your flashcards tonight!”

While there’s been a move away from the rote learning of yesteryear, most educators agree that having a firm grasp of content area vocabulary is still an important piece to the learning process.  I think that there are two important goals for learning vocabulary in content areas: (1) retention of the words (sticky learning) and (2) application of the words.

In Episode 34 of the Educational Duct Tape Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, author of Stop Talking, Start Influencing, about both of these goals.

A week after that episode came out, I was joined by dozens of “Duct Tapers” in the #EduDuctTape Twitter Chat to discuss the podcast episode, including these two goals.

Below are some strategies that you can use in your classrooms to increase your students’ ability retain and apply their vocabulary learning.  Some come from the chat and others come from the episode. Continue reading Strategies for “Sticky” Vocab Learning!

#EduDuctTape Mini Episode 003!

In the 3rd mini episode, I sit down to talk to . . . ugh . . . disaster.  A minor technology disaster strikes the Educational Duct Tape podcast studios and I take to the microphone to vent about it and reflect on it.

 

#EduDuctTape Episode 33!

In the 10th episode of Season 2, I talk with Dr. Sheldon Eakins of the Leading Equity Center & Leading Equity Podcast. Together, Sheldon and I discuss techquity, bringing culture, community and disruptive discourse into the classroom. Tech tools covered include Skype-a-Scientist, Flipgrid, Synth, Voicethread, BackChannelChat.com, Yo! Teach, Google Classroom, Padlet, Schoology, and Parlay.

8+ Tools for Developing Learner Profiles

Mike Mohammad joined me in episode 28 of the Educational Duct Tape Podcast to discuss 2 questions that an educator might have.  One of the topics that we discussed was learner profiles.  Mike posed the question, “How can students create a profile of themselves as a learner to share with an audience beyond the classroom?”

Tools for Learner Profiles Title Image

While Mike and I did not discuss the it during the show, I want to quickly compare and contrast the terms learner profile and digital portfolio.  While there are similarities (both are typically curated by the student, both showcase the students work in school and both are often done digitally) there are also some differences (typically, digital portfolios are a showcase of academic work and growth while learner profiles also often focus on the students’ capabilities, characteristics and aptitudes as a learner).

Regardless of which end result you’re looking to cultivate in your school (learner profile, digital portfolio or a blend of both), there are plenty of tools that you can leverage.

A week after the episode in which Mike and I discusssed this aired, I hosted a Twitter chat about the questions from our talk.

Here are some of the participants’ responses to the question about learner profiles:

Continue reading 8+ Tools for Developing Learner Profiles

#EduDuctTape Episode 32!

In the 9th episode of Season 2, I talk with Sethi De Clercq of eduflip.net about effectively sharing new technology information with teachers, using video in the classroom and tools for students to create video with.  We talk about EdPuzzle, screencasting tools (Nimbus & Loom), Flipgrid, Explain Everything, Backchannel Chats and more!

Sethi De Clercq Episode Promo

 

15+ Tools for Student Voice

In episode 28 of the Educational Duct Tape Podcast, Mike Mohammad joined me for a chit-chat.  One of the topics that we discussed was student voice.  I posed the question, “How can educators provide opportunities for student voice?”

Mike promptly made the distinction between student voice and student choice.  While both are powerful things to leverage in the classroom, they are very different (though we often lump them together, as Mike pointed out).

I think that educators’ definitions for the term student voice are inconsistent – some seem to believe that it simply means
– hearing each student’s answer or thinking
– while others believe that it means empowering the students to have a voice in some (or all!) aspects of their education.

Mike made it clear in his response that he subscribes to the 2nd “definition” of student voice.  His response fits with the description that Edutopia uses: student voice involves letting “students’ input and expertise … help shape their classroom, their school, and ultimately their own learning and growth.”

I definitely believe that that is the type of student voice that we want to strive for.  In a recent #EduDuctTape chat, educators shared their favorite tool for empowering student voice.  It’s important to note that simply using the tool doesn’t provide opportunity for or empowerment of student voice.  It’s all about how you use it.

Here are some of their responses:

Continue reading 15+ Tools for Student Voice

#EduDuctTape Twitter Chat 9.25.19

In episode 27 of the Educational Duct Tape Podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with Marcia Kish.  In the Soapbox Moment, I shared about the “Verbs > Nouns” perspective of looking at educational technology integration.edu

A week after the episode went live, I was joined on Twitter by dozens of “Duct Tapers” who were eager to talk about the content from this episode!  Below are some of the best tweets from the chat, curated by me and some of the #EduDuctTape “Mighty Ducts” volunteers.

Below, you’ll find those selected responses in this order Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5 and then Q1.  Since Q1 was silly & fun, I’ve chosen to end with that one.  Check it all out below!

Continue reading #EduDuctTape Twitter Chat 9.25.19