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New Ideas for Any Classroom 1 Welcome to our EdTechTeacher Blog! Each week, our instructors share ideas that you can take into your classroom. To ensure that you don't miss anything, please sign up for our weekly updates newsletter. Latest Articles A ... Read more

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In today's digital learning environment, technology is a valuable tool to complement good instructional strategies. However, students still need to be taught how to use technology effectively and how to be good digital citizens. To better meet these goals, we made the switch two years ago from a 1:1 iPad program to a 1:1 Macbook Air program, a transition that required extensive training and support for our faculty and staff.

​In addition to supporting teachers with their new devices, I help identify their technology needs, suggest resources, and facilitate implementation. When we select technology resources, we're looking for tools that solve particular challenges we are facing. Specifically, we choose ones that support classroom learning, help manage time-consuming tasks, and promote collaboration and transparency. Continue reading on our Editorial Page.

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In today's digital learning environment, technology is a valuable tool to complement good instructional strategies. However, students still need to be taught how to use technology effectively and how to be good digital citizens.

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Click a link below to view Tammy's Technology Tips:

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...Chrome OS of course. Was there any doubt? The only reason I am writing this is because I realized that this blog was started 3 years ago to see if Chrome OS could replace Windows for me and it does. Heck I knew that 2 years and 10 months ago. Now this is a long post, but I felt it was a good time to sum it all up.

So before everyone starts telling me I hate Windows & Apple, let me clear some things up. First, I do hate Apple :-) note because they make junk. They make solid devices. I think they are over-priced, especially when they went to an Intel processor and still charged a ton. I also don't like the fact they lock down their devices so much. I like a little freedom and the ability to make it my own unique device.

As far as Windows goes, back in 2012 I was a total Windows nut. I read all about the Windows 8 preview builds and was excited for what they were offering. I even went as far as to partition my hard drive and install the preview build on my work laptop. In fact, in 2012 this blog would have been called Windows 8 Challenge. It was exciting to see a new Windows. Add onto the fact they were promising one log in across all devices that would sync apps & data was mind blowing at the time. I couldn't imagine logging into a Windows tablet and having all my work apps & data there right away. I was such a Windows fan I was considering dumping my Android phone for a Windows 8 phone.

At this time our work actually had a Chromebook on the campus, the Samsung Series 3. I remember looking at it thinking, it's just a browser. What can it do? It did boot fast, our laptops were taking minutes (5+ to boot), but web-based apps really weren't a thing in 2012. And all of the apps in the Chrome web store looked like links to websites. I was disappointed and kept my eyes on Windows 8.

I never made the switch though. I saw that while Windows 8 was great for touch devices, on my work desktop it was difficult to operate with a mouse and keyboard, not impossible, but a lot of unnecessary clicks. And plus let's face it Windows is always going to be Windows.

So when Windows 10 was getting hyped, I never looked into it. I installed it on my laptop, but that was at the beginning of my challenge and I couldn't deal with the long boot times, Cortana popping up randomly and Edge being a browser but not really cause it didn't work on some websites.

Chrome OS delivered on all the promises of Windows 8. I can log into any Android phone, Chrome OS device or even a Chrome browser on Windows or Mac OS and have access to all of my files and settings. Flash drives are a thing of the past for me. Worrying about whether or not my file saved is a thing of the past. Chrome OS just works and it does it well. It doesn't run everything, but with Chrome Remote desktop you have access to your regular computer. My wife had a to use a specific program for her doctorate program and needed it for class. She didn't have it installed on her laptop because the program was for one computer only. So what did she do? Install CRD and use her computer through her HP Chromebook at school.

Windows tried to downplay Chromebooks and Chrome OS, but now they see the gains, especially in the education market, and are trying to play catch up. Microsoft introduced One Drive, real-time collaborating on Word, Microsoft Quizzes, and Microsoft Classroom. Sound familiar? Google Drive, Docs, Google Form Quizzes, and Google Classroom. Microsoft is so busy playing catch up, that they aren't innovative. Google is still releasing new products to help out students & educators.

Computers are changing. The need for super powerful computers with tons of storage aren't necessary anymore and wen-based apps are improving daily. Chrome OS can do everything I need from a computer and I would be willing to bet it would work for you too.

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Chrome OS of course. Was there any doubt? The only reason I am writing this is because I realized that this blog was started 3 years ago to see if Chrome OS could replace Windows for me and it does. Heck I knew that 2 years and 10 months ago.

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In an ongoing effort to support Educators during the COVID-19 Pandemic Shaelynn Farnsworth and I continue to look for ways to use research-based instruction during remote, hybrid or face-to-face instruction. This week we look at Formative Assessment, how it works and why it can be a powerful tool no matter what your teaching and learning looks like.
One of the challenges many educators face during learning is understanding where students are on their path to understanding and how teaching can adjust. Traditionally, teaching has been a one-way enterprise with the teacher dispelling knowledge for a period of time and then assessing what the students know either through a quiz or test.

Formative assessment changes all that by providing small opportunities throughout a lesson to gauge where students are in their learning and make those subtle adjustments in the moment. There is no doubt this is easier to do when in the classroom face-to-face. Body language can tell you a lot. But also the ability to quickly and easily change instruction is just easier to do when we are are all together.

However, now we are in the midists of a global pandemic that sees many students learning remotely and the passionate educators who teach them trying to ensure they are doing just that: learning. Formative assessment can be an incredibly powerful tool to use during this time and can become a foundation to change teaching and learning far beyond these unusual times.

What Is Formative Assessment- There are many ways to describe formative assessment. Simply put, Formative Assessment is taking a pause in learning to ensure students are where they need to be for a particular lesson. The best formative assessments are subtle, giving teachers an overall picture of how students are learning and adapting to their immediate needs. Think of it as a GPS for the teacher-knowing where students are in their learning and where you should head in your teaching.

Formative Assessment could also look like "check-in" questions at the end of a lesson or class, offering valuable information on which direction to head next. Formative Assessments should not be graded assessments. At the end of the day, the goal is to get a pulse on what students know and how effectively the teacher is teaching the material.

But Why Formative Assessment-From the ASCD Book Formative Assessment Strategies for Every Classroom: An ASCD Action Tool, 2nd Edition, Susan Brookhart explains that:
Formative Assessment refers to the ongoing process students and teachers engage in when they:

Focus on learning goals.

Take stock of where current work is in relation to the goal.

Take action to move closer to the goal.

Students and teachers who are engaged in the Formative Assessment process are constantly examining how teaching and learning work as one. If we look at Hattie's Effect Size, or practices that best move student learning forward, Providing Feedback, Providing Formative Evaluation, and Self-Questioning had anywhere from a 0.64 to 0.68 effect size. What do these results show us? These studies show us that students and teachers who engage in the Formative Assessment process learn and retain more information compared to take-home homework.

Low-Tech Formative Assessment, Remotely- Technology can make the collection of data related to Formative Assessment easier, but it's not necessary. Especially now that many students are learning from home, it may seem counterintuitive to not lean on technology but technology fatigue is a very real thing and we need to be aware of the low-fi ways to not only continue to engage students but also understand where they are in their learning.

We've seen a variety of different low-tech ways to gauge student understanding:

Individual Student Check Ins-These can be great not only for formative assessment but also for the social-emotional wellbeing of students as well.

Breakout Rooms-Formative assessment can tell us a lot about what students understand the learning and which do. Now with breakout rooms in Zoom, Teams and Google Hangouts you can not only identify what students are in need but also provide more direct instruction to a smaller group.

Entry/Exit Tickets-Having a simple form that you can have students describe what they learned that day or what learning they are still having trouble with can be a valuable tool in remote learning.

Entry Ticket Ideas

Identify 3 points you remember from yesterday's lesson

The thing that has interested me most about this topic so far is__

Right now I'm feeling __ about this lesson because I ___

Exit Ticket Ideas

What 3 points are you taking away from today's lesson?

What are 3 things you are still uncertain about?

What are you hoping to learn in our next lesson?

Our Favorite Apps and Tools For Formative Assessment- We've talked about how Formative Assessment can be done without tech. However, when we add that layer into our teaching and learning, we can do so much more. Now we can not only provide both synchronous and asynchronous types of formative assessment but we can look at mastery and data over time making it much easier to make those changes to instruction that may be needed.

Nearpod- Create lessons and sync them across devices in the classroom, with built in tools for questioning, drawing, audio and video responses.

Synth- One of our favorite tools built for Formative Assessment. Available on any device, students can record their thoughts and feelings on any given lesson. There's also a questions tool where feedback can be posted.

EdPuzzle- Add an interactive layer to YouTube videos. Teachers can build in short questions at various points in the video to ensure students are getting what they need out of it. This is also great for data collection and seeing how students' progress over time.

Flipgrid- A very cool way to post video questions and gather responses. Videos can be shared so students can see where their peers are in their learning as well.

Padlet-A virtual board for multimodal sticky notes. Great for tickets out the door or reflection activities.

There are many (free!) apps and tools out there that achieve this. These are just a few of our favorites:

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Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom

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Google

How to use COUNTA in Google Sheets. This helpful formula works differently than COUNT. I will explain how.

Recent Blogs

Finally! Schedule to Multiple Classes in Google Classroom. Set the time and date for each section to appear in your Google Classroom as you post assignments.

"Thank you for all of the help you have given me so far this year! The Google classrooms workshop has made my teaching more effective and my job more enjoyable. Kids are learning so much and are enjoying their learning! You rock!"

Lindsey Hagen

"These workshops really make me experiment new ways of teaching and especially new ways of thinking about teaching!!!"

SUZY PICHÉ

I went from only knowing how to use gmail to feeling like I can actually teach online effectively with all the tools in Google. I am loving slides. You have taught me more in 3 weeks than I have learned about technology in years, so a huge THANK YOU!!! You are funny, engaging, and practical. All the qualities a great teacher needs.

Paula Parker

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Google How to use COUNTA in Google Sheets. This helpful formula works differently than COUNT. I will explain how. Recent Blogs Finally! Schedule to Multiple Classes in Google Classroom. Set the time and date for each section to appear in your Google Classroom as you post assignments.

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digital writing for english language learners

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national association for media literacy education

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The official blog of Thomas C. Murray | Tom Murray

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The professional blog of Thomas C. Murray

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A blog about digital leadership, pedagogy, learning, and transformative change in education.

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Dr. Catlin Tucker - Find me on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker

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The best teachers are those who love to learn! My love of learning led me to a career in education and continues to drive my work today. I'm passionate about blending the best aspects of online and offline learning to actively engage students and shift them to the center of learning.

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A place to share news and sites related to educational technology

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I’m a new educator without formal pedagogy training. I am looking for books, academic or otherwise, that deal with the theory of pedagogy, so I can not just think about teaching in a practical sense, but have the language to communicate theory and frameworks with my fellow educators. I was referred…