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I am not a fan of Microsoft, but this does look promising. OneNote Class Notebook: A Digital Binder That Will Change the Way You Teach | Cult of Pedagogy

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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Imagine you're about to start a unit that will include the following activities:

Some direct instruction. This will come in the form of brief lectures from you, some videos, and a few PDFs that introduce key concepts.

Student note-taking from the direct instruction.

Guided practice and application of the key concepts and skills that were taught in the direct instruction. Some of this work will be individual, and some will be done in small groups.

A cumulative project that will require groups of students to gather research and create a multimedia presentation.

Now imagine doing all of those things inside a single digital platform, where you could share and deliver materials, access student work, and allow students to work together seamlessly at school or at home.

OneNote Class Notebook is that platform. It's completely free for educators and it's available everywhere: Windows, Mac, Chromebooks, iOS and Android devices.

Let's look at how Class Notebook works and how it can change the way you teach.

What is Microsoft OneNote?

OneNote is like a digital binder, an online notebook where you can take notes on individual pages, then organize the pages within subject tabs. Because the binder is digital, you can also hyperlink text, embed video and audio, add drawings, insert images, and so much more.

Class Notebook starts with OneNote and adds a few extra features for educators, allowing you to create a whole notebook for yourself, set up individual notebooks for your students, and then tie them all together.

This video gives an overview of how Class Notebook works:

What You'll Find Inside

A OneNote Class Notebook has three main components:

1. A collaboration space accessible to both teachers and students, where teachers and students can create or edit content, individually or in groups. Teachers can subdivide this section and set permissions for specific students, allowing access to these sections for working on group projects.

2. A content library where important course documents can be stored for student use. Teachers can give parents read-only access to this section.

3. A class set of student notebooks. Each student maintains his or her own notebook that is viewable only by the student and the teacher. Teachers can also give parents read-only access, so they can view their child's notebook.

If you are co-teaching or working with a specialist, you can also opt to share a whole notebook with another teacher or teaching assistant.

Key Features

Flexible, Personalized Learning

Class Notebook allows teachers to set up and store lessons in one online space, accessible to all students, which creates more opportunities for blended, flipped, and customized learning. These lessons can be used to customize learning for students who need extra help, flip or blend your classroom to allow more time for hands-on work in class, or help students catch up from an absence.

With Class Notebook, teachers can distribute files to students in just a few clicks-to an entire class, to small groups, or to individual students. And because teachers always have access to student notebooks, they can review student work at any time.

Aligned with Note-taking Research

I recently published a summary of key research on note-taking, and the tools available in OneNote are ideal for implementing the best practices highlighted there:

The digital inking capabilities in OneNote allow teachers and students to add handwritten notes or sketches, which have been shown to make a big difference in the effectiveness of notes.

OneNote's collaboration tools allow students to compare notes with each other, which has been shown to significantly boost the power of notes for long-term learning.

Because teachers have access to individual student notebooks, they can provide students with different levels of guided notes, offering more scaffolding for the students who need it. Because this is done digitally, it can all be private.

Providing instructor notes has proven to be a powerful strategy for student learning; OneNote's sharing capabilities would make this quick and easy to do.

Multimodal

Class Notebook allows users to type, write or sketch; add audio or video; and attach files. These options allow for a wide range of expression and make Class Notebook a fantastic tool for all subjects, including music, math, and world languages.

These multi-modal options also give teachers more flexibility in how they give feedback: Instead of just writing feedback by hand, teachers can give audio feedback, add a sketch, embed an instructional video, or link to a resource that can help improve student understanding.

Accessible to All

Earlier this year, I wrote about the different tools Microsoft offers to make learning more accessible for all students. Many of these tools, like Immersive Reader and the Dictate add-in, are embedded right inside OneNote. This means all of your students can access course materials and construct their own learning in ways that work best for them.

Great for Collaboration

The collaboration space in Class Notebooks gives students one central location for collaborating in pairs or groups. This is ideal for group projects, project-based learning, and co-creation between teachers and students. And because all of this happens inside the larger Class Notebook, you can pop in and out of collaboration groups at any time, making it easy to offer support and keep students on task.

Because Class Notebook is just one part of an Office 365 account, all users will already have the ability to collaborate online on Microsoft Word files, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets, which can all be linked to from inside OneNote.

Available Anywhere, on Any Device, Even Offline

Because OneNote is cloud-based, it can be accessed on any device, at school, at home, or on the go. That means you and your students can get things done at whatever time works for you. What's more, OneNote can even work when a user is offline, and the changes will sync the next time that user hooks up to the Internet. So even if students don't have consistent access to WiFi, they can still take advantage of OneNote's powerful features.

LMS/SIS Integration

Although the Class Notebook platform can function perfectly well on its own, it can also be integrated with dozens of established LMS and SIS systems, including Canvas, Edmodo, Google Classroom, Infinite Campus, and PowerSchool. Click here to view the full list of OneNote partners.

Free for Educators

Microsoft OneNote is free for educators and students who have an Office 365 Education subscription (which is also available for free).

How is a Class Notebook Different from Google Classroom?

So many schools are already using Google Classroom, I thought this question might come up. So let's address it head-on: What features are offered by OneNote that make it truly different from Google Classroom?

I think it comes down to these five features:

The micro/macro view: Because OneNote is visually set up like a real notebook, you can be working on one section, but still see all of the other sections and how they fit in with each other. That kind of hierarchical setup just isn't really available on Google-based platforms, because once you open a file, it opens in a new window and the big picture view goes away. In OneNote, you can simultaneously take notes and still view the whole structure. Something about that just feels better to me.

The blank canvas aspect: Taking notes in OneNote is physically very flexible: You can place items anywhere on a page and move them around, giving it the feel of a blank canvas. Being able to write, draw, and embed video and audio anywhere on the page (or add a ruled paper template in the background) make it feel as close to real paper as possible.

Accessibility tools: OneNote's built-in accessibility tools really give it an edge when it comes to meeting the needs of learners with different abilities. While Google probably has some parallel add-ins, I feel Microsoft has done a really thorough, thoughtful job of baking these features right in.

Parent access: Parents can get read-only access directly into their child's notebook and the Content Library. This gives parents a window into what's going on at school, allows families to do a better job of supporting students at home, and is especially helpful for parents of younger students and students with special needs.

Built into Microsoft Teams: Another robust, free tool from Microsoft is Teams, a platform built for group communication. If you are using Teams, you can have Class Notebook operate right inside of that. This will give you a seamless environment for note-taking, group communication, collaboration, and assignment management. Learn more about how Class Notebook operates inside Microsoft Teams here.

The good news is, you don't have to choose. If your school is already heavily into G-Suite tools and Google Classroom, you can still use OneNote for notetaking and collaboration, and you can actually link the two so that grades and assignments from OneNote can be imported into Classroom.

For more in-depth training on OneNote Class Notebooks, check out this free online course . And for a comprehensive list of OneNote resources, visit this page of helpful links .

Come back for more.
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OneNote Class Notebook: A Digital Binder That Will Change the Way You Teach

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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Imagine you're about to start a unit that will include the following activities: Some direct instruction. This will come in the form of brief lectures from you, some videos, and a few PDFs that introduce key concepts. Student note-taking from the direct instruction.

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Applying the Economic Way of Thinking to Classroom Teaching 6-12 - Work Less, Teach More - Pre-Attendance Survey

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I am asking you to complete this pre-attendance survey for a couple of reasons. First, I really do want to know you better going into this workshop. I don't want to waste your time (or mine). Second, I want to show you some of the tools that I use to help improve my effectiveness and efficiency.

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Four Ways Schools Can Support the Whole Child

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Four Ways Schools Can Support the Whole Child

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Currently, our education system often focuses on a narrow sliver of children's cognitive development with an emphasis on transmitting content knowledge, often to be memorized and repeated in the same form it was received. Lessons in math, science, and reading-and tests in those skills-dominate the curriculum.

While those subjects are fundamental, learning involves far more than merely acquiring inert knowledge in algebra or chemistry. Such a narrow focus gives short shrift to the ways that children need to grow and learn in their relationships, identity, emotional understanding, and overall well-being. After all, children are multi-dimensional "whole" beings whose development is complex and rich.

Recent research in neuroscience, developmental and learning sciences, education, sociology, and many other fields confirms that a "whole child" approach is not only desirable but necessary to ensure that children learn well. According to two comprehensive reviews of the science on children's development and learning:

Brain development is shaped by consistent, supportive relationships; responsive communications; and modeling of productive behaviors. The brain's capacity develops most fully when children and youth feel emotionally and physically safe; and when they feel connected, engaged, and challenged.

Learning is social, emotional, and academic. Positive relationships, including trust in the teacher, and positive emotions, such as interest and excitement, open up the mind to learning. Negative emotions, such as fear of failure, anxiety, and self-doubt, reduce the capacity of the brain to process information and learn. Children can build skills and awareness to work with emotions in themselves and their relationships.

Adversity-poverty, housing and food insecurity, abuse, or neglect-produces toxic stress that affects learning and behavior, but how schools respond matters. Positive, stable relationships-when adults have the awareness, empathy, and cultural competence to understand and listen to children-can buffer the effects of even serious adversity.

At the Learning Policy Institute, as part of a new initiative on the Science of Learning and Development, we synthesized these scientific findings to identify how schools can best promote child development. We identified four main ingredients of school success that allow us to care for and nurture the potential in all children: a positive school climate, productive instructional strategies, social-emotional development, and individualized supports. Here's what we've learned so far about why these ingredients are meaningful and how to put them into action.

1. Foster a supportive environment that promotes strong relationships among staff, students, and families

In a recent national survey, only 30 percent of high school students rated their school culture positively. Many schools today are based on antiquated designs from the early 1900s that emulate the factory model, wherein students cycle through classrooms and teachers see hundreds of students a day. These structures depersonalize learning at a time when students need and would benefit from long-term relationships with teachers and peers.

Creating a positive school climate based on strong relationships provides a bedrock for learning. Students need to feel a sense of safety and belonging in order to thrive in school. Some elements that promote a sense of community and allow teachers to know their students well include:

Smaller school and class sizes.

Looping, where teachers stay with the same students for more than one year.

Advisory classes that provide students with a community and allow teachers to check in with students and parents on a consistent basis.

Staff who practice cultural competence, inviting students' experiences into the classroom and communicating that all students are valued.

Home visits and regular parent-teacher-student conferences to strengthen connections between school and home.

Opportunities for staff collaboration and leadership that strengthen trust among educators.

For example, one way to help students feel that they belong is to engage students in developing their own shared classroom norms that are posted and regularly referred to, and to assign classroom tasks so that each student is involved in supporting the community. Teachers can also aim to convey high expectations and provide adequate supports for all students, sending the message that they're capable. This is especially important for students who have received mixed or discouraging messages about their ability from adults in the past, whether due to explicit or implicit biases.

A variety of other practices can help build a sense of community. Community walks, in which students lead tours of the neighborhoods surrounding their school, can help build cultural competence among educators as they learn more about students' lives outside of school. Planning meetings that include educators across subjects and departments, and professional development to support educators' own social-emotional competencies and well-being, can help educators collaborate and develop trust.

Overall, a positive school climate aims to foster deeper relationships among adults and students to promote a sense of safety and belonging, which are conducive to learning.

2. Implement meaningful, engaging instructional practices that develop students' ability to manage their own learning

In focus groups and interviews with students who had dropped out of high school in 25 urban, suburban, and rural communities, nearly half (47 percent) said a major reason for dropping out was that classrooms were not interesting. These young people reported being bored and disengaged from high school. Even among those who stayed in school, 81 percent said that there should be more opportunities for real-world learning.

Students crave opportunities to learn things that matter and are relevant to their lives. Instruction helps students grow in their understanding when it builds on students' prior experience and scaffolds learning by meeting them where they're at. For example, teachers can connect lessons in mathematics to common tasks students are engaged in that use those skills, such as in cooking, artwork, sports, and other settings. Or they can connect a history unit on the Civil Rights movement to modern-day issues like the racially motivated attacks in Charlottesville and police brutality against people of color.

When skillfully combined with direct instruction, inquiry-based learning that is driven by students' interests boosts their motivation and develops real-world skills. In one middle school class in Oakland, for example, students decided to study how environmental pollution affects the ocean and then designed a campaign to reduce waste and litter and increase recycling at their school. These projects teach valuable skills of collaboration, problem solving, and organization, and have a tangible impact.

Assessments that include feedback and opportunities to revise work help students learn how to learn and encourage an intrinsic desire to understand the material and challenge themselves, beyond just making the grade. This type of "mastery-oriented approach" is associated with more meaningful learning. For example, some schools cultivate student inquiry and revision skills through capstone projects -yearlong research projects-that give students an opportunity to learn deeply about an issue that matters to them and, often, work to create change in their own community. These projects are usually revised to meet a high standard of inquiry and presented to panels of educators and other adults from outside the school, like a dissertation defense.

Students' control over their own education is also supported by practices like student-led conferences, which allow students to regularly share their work with parents and teachers and reflect on their learning and goals.

Far from being boring, effective instructional strategies connect learning to students' lives, and empower them to use their knowledge for their own and others' benefit.

3. Develop habits, skills, and mindsets that build students' social, emotional, and academic competence

Students in the U.S. report feeling stressed at school 80 percent of the time. When students are overwhelmed, they are more likely to act out and have difficulty adjusting at school. Indeed, children in U.S. public schools lost more than 11 million instructional days due to suspensions in a single school year.

Developing students' social-emotional skills teaches them how to manage stress, while also boosting social skills like collaboration and empathy. In this way, social-emotional skills involve developing greater awareness of oneself and others. Many schools teach these skills explicitly through programs of social-emotional learning, which have been found to improve students' achievement, as well as their feelings of safety and belonging at school.

In addition, to reduce suspensions and other punitive discipline in schools, schools are using restorative practices-like " circles" and peer mediation-which teach students to take responsibility and repair harm done in their relationships. A restorative approach is grounded in students recognizing and valuing their role and responsibilities within the community. Ultimately, restorative practices serve to build individual skills and cultivate a stronger community while also boosting student achievement and graduation rates.

4. Create an integrated system of school supports that includes extended learning opportunities and community partnerships

Not all children have the material and social capital that affords access to high-quality learning environments and experiences. For example, high-income parents increased their spending on " enrichment activities " for their children, like tutoring and extracurricular activities, by 151 percent over the past several decades, compared to 57 percent for low-income parents. These differentials augment the achievement gap between affluent and low-income students.

Additional supports are also needed for the growing number of children who experience adversity in the form of poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, learning obstacles, or lack of health care. Schools need a flexible system of supports to address these needs.

The community schools model is one in which public schools partner with families and community organizations to provide well-rounded educational opportunities and supports for students' school success. It typically includes before- and after-school enrichment, such as mentoring and academic support, as well as summer learning opportunities, like workshops on film and art, sports camps, and long-distance trips to visit college campuses. Some schools partner with local organizations and university staff to offer immersion experiences where students learn from professionals through internships or workshops on topics of interest, like technology, film, and art.

In addition, through partnerships with community organizations, schools offer health, mental health, and social services to help students overcome barriers to learning. A social worker or community liaison typically coordinates these services. Some schools partner with university programs, as well as health and mental health providers, to bring trainees (like psychology students) into the school as support staff.

These kinds of support reflect a whole school approach to whole child development that maximizes opportunities for all children to succeed.

Combined, these four ingredients are essential parts of a comprehensive framework that, in practice, build on and reinforce each other. A wealth of research demonstrates that successful education cannot happen in a piecemeal fashion. Taking an integrated approach can help children, with all their complexity and humanity, to develop to their full potential.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Four Ways Schools Can Support the Whole Child

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Beyond just teaching academics, schools can foster students' development in their relationships, identity, emotional skills, and overall well-being.

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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. The simplicity of these rubrics - with just a single column of criteria, rather than a full menu of performance levels - offers a whole host of benefits:

Teachers find them easier and faster to create, because they no longer have to spend precious time thinking up all the different ways students could fail to meet expectations.

Students find them easier to read when preparing an assignment. With only the target expectations to focus on, they are more likely to read those expectations.

They allow for higher-quality feedback, because teachers must specify key problem areas and notable areas of excellence for that particular student, rather than choosing from a list of generic descriptions.

Want to Learn More?

I first talked about this type of rubric in an earlier post ( Know Your Terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics). If this is the first time you've encountered this type of rubric, reading this will give you some background knowledge on all the different types of rubrics and why the single-point deserves world domination.

To give credit where it's due, I did not come up with the name single point rubric. Although the idea for a simplified rubric with a single set of criteria came to me independently, when I went looking for academic support for its use, I found that the type of rubric I had in mind was given the name "Single Point Rubric" in 2000 during a conference presentation by someone named Mary Dietz. Attending that conference was a researcher named Jarene Fluckiger, who published a study on its effectiveness in 2010. (The reference to Dietz is in Fluckiger's paper, but no one named Dietz has published anything on the topic.)

Show Us Your Rubrics!

I urge you to take one of your most convoluted rubrics and make a single-point version of it. Then show it to the world, so other teachers can learn: Take a screenshot of it and post the picture on Twitter with the hashtag #singlepointrubric. If you aren't on Twitter or don't feel like doing this, just put a link to your rubric in the comments below. Help us start a movement to rid the world of ineffective rubrics!

Another Variation (Added in 2017)

After considering some of the limitations of this format, I played around with the rubric a bit more and came up with this variation:

The original version of the single point rubric allowed no space for actually pointing out when the student hit the standard, apart from maybe circling or highlighting the middle column. With this format, teachers can pinpoint where the student is on each descriptor, then offer feedback, either constructive, positive, or both.

To grab a copy of this for your own modification, click here.

Need Ready-Made Rubrics?

My Rubric Pack gives you four different designs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs formats. It also comes with video tutorials to show you how to customize them for any need, plus a Teacher's Manual to help you understand the pros and cons of each style. Check it out here:

Stick around.
Join my mailing list and never miss another post. You'll get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration - in quick, bite-sized packages - all geared toward making your teaching more effective and joyful. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my new e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half. I look forward to getting to know you better!

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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. Try one for yourself and let us see it!

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Easy cloud file sharing for Mac, Windows, and iOS.

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Jennifer Gonzalez on the Aerodynamics of Exceptional Schools | SXSW EDU

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ObserveMe Stacey McCarthy @smccarthy3rd Julie Powell @jpowellteach goo.gl/HYzZNH

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How do I ask my colleagues to give me feedback on my teaching? How can I set up my classroom to welcome observers? What do I do if no one comes to observe my lessons? If you're thinking about jumping into the #ObserveMe movement - putting that #ObserveMe sign on your door and inviting colleagues inside to watch and share feedback - you may have asked yourself the above questions already.

Inviting observers into your classroom can be intimidating. But the #ObserveMe movement began because despite the challenges, embracing fresh perspectives and constructive feedback has helped teachers across the country grow their practice.
These educators have great tips for getting started and setting yourself up for #ObserveMe success:
Educators Windy Hodge and William Wietman created signs with QR codes to make it simple for busy colleagues to give them quick feedback:

This is what I use! I don't want to ask anything of my Ts that I wouldn't do myself. Being uncomfortable can equal growth! #alwayslearning😊 pic.twitter.com/0s9D5CrP9U

- Windy Hodge (@Windy_Hodge) October 17, 2017

Here is what is on my door. I have a Google spreadsheet as well. I had more fb last year than I have this year. I need to be more intentional about this as the year continues. pic.twitter.com/xCZuC8aFRJ

- William Wietman (@WWietman) October 17, 2017

Check out how educators LaVondia Menephee and Tamica Lewis communicate with their students about observers:

Leave an empty chair in the back of the room for observers, and let Ss know from Day 1 that it's for ppl who are observing you, not them.

- LaVondia Menephee (@LaMenephee) August 12, 2017

Tell Ss that observers are there to see how brilliant they are because you've been spreading good news about them. They'll want to prove it.

- Tamica Lewis (@tamicalewis) August 12, 2017

English teacher Michele Granger encourages fellow teachers not to limit their #ObserveMe circle to one subject area:

#observeme should also be cross-curricular. Not only does it provide feedback but allows for opportunities to see where teachers can collaborate outside of their subject area. #oklaed

- Michele Granger (@Mrs_M_Granger) January 29, 2018

Educator Tasha Young has great advice for building a feedback form for your observers:

Be sure the questions you use for feedback are specific so that your observers have a guide what you're actually looking for.

- Tasha Young (@TFY77) August 22, 2017

Once your #ObserveMe sign goes up, how can you encourage your colleagues to sit in on classes and give feedback? These educators offer some great suggestions:
Librarian Jodi Malick thinks reaching out to your personal learning community can make all the difference:

Do you have PLC's in your school? Send individual emails or face to face contact that you would like feedback. I got our admin in on it also

- Ms. Malick (@heyyojo4) November 3, 2017

Teacher Danielle Ganley points to one simple but impactful action that encourages observers:

Here's a small & important tip. Try to leave your door open as much as possible. It really encourages people to feel comfortable coming in! pic.twitter.com/qOee1nRn4b

- Danielle Ganley (@MrsGanley) August 24, 2017

Teacher Michael Tetzloff explains that introducing #ObserveMe into your school community can take time, but you shouldn't give up:

#observeme. Put flyer in mailboxes week 1. Nothing. Put it in mailboxes again week 7. 4 takers. Keep it up. It takes time to create change.

- Michael Tetzloff (@tetzloffski) September 24, 2016

One of the keys to building a culture of collaboration in your school is creating a two-way street for feedback. How can you be a thoughtful observer of your colleagues? These educators have some advice:
Here's teacher Lisabeth Leist's tip for making sure your feedback is constructive:

Start by providing a positive THEN ask what the teacher thought of the situation (that's inspiring the constructive criticism). This allows you to gain insight into the Ts thought process and can guide you in what ways they might be open to feedback. #observeMe #hcpsteach

- Mrs. Leist (@lleist77) December 9, 2017

Asking questions is educator Teresa Palma's first step to being a great observer:

Begin by asking questions: What went well? How do you know if students gained understanding? What would you change/improve/ what were strengths? Questions create ownership & opportunity vs feelings of inadequacy. and Model expected behaviors, highlight strategies #ObserveMe

- TERESA PALMA (@PalmaTeresa13) December 9, 2017

Educator John Hayward's advice for observing your colleagues? Keep it simple!

No notes or device in hand, just eyes.
Be approachable, curious, present.
Get to know what's happening at students' level.
Leave inspired!

- John Hayward (@Jhaywardtwit) October 12, 2017

If you'd like to learn more about the #ObserveMe movement, you can click here to visit founder Robert Kaplinsky's website for information, tips and advice! And if you have advice to add, share your suggestions and tips in the comments below!

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12 #ObserveMe Tips for Getting Feedback from Your Colleagues

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How do I ask my colleagues to give me feedback on my teaching? How can I set up my classroom to welcome observers? What do I do if no one comes to observe my lessons?

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Economics for Teachers Research and Education Civic Leadership Workforce Development TRBF Supported Programs Overview Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Making Action Possible (MAP) Dashboard Overview UA Endowed Chairs and Professors UA Scholarship Programs Grants Program Brown Family Schools TRBF Supported Activities Upcoming Programs Teacher Resources UA Office of Economic Education AZ Council on Economic Education

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Posters are no cost; look for the order form on the website. This is a place to order copies of the posters that I have up in my room.

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economic systems: how do countries organize economic activity? infographic

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preparing for financial disasters infographic

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why good credit is important infographic

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Our series of rich and detailed infographics for use in the classroom. You can request print copies using our online order form.

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This document outlines my ideas about retakes and may give you ideas for your own syllabi.

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Exam wrappers, post-test surveys, and error analysis exercises are useful tools to help your students to learn from returned exams and to perform better on future tests.

"All too often when students receive back a graded exam, they focus on a single feature - the score they earned. Although this focus on 'the grade' is understandable, it can lead students to miss out on several learning opportunities that such an assessment can provide." (Ambrose, et al, 2010)

The next time you return a test or exam, consider assigning your students an exercise to help them learn from the test.

What can students learn from an Exam Wrapper, Post-Test Survey or Error Analysis Exercise?

In the Error Analysis Exercise outlined by Du Bois and Staley (1997), students analyze their wrong answers to find three dimensions:

1. Students "identify the informational source(s) of the questions" that they missed. Did the information come from the text, lecture, other source, or a combination of sources?

2. Students then "identify the strategies they should have employed to make information more meaningful and memorable." Did the students have the information marked in their text? Were their notes about the topic sufficient for review?

3. "Once students identify error patterns on our test, they generate a study plan to repair the deficiencies encountered in the analysis."

What are some examples of Exam Wrappers or Post-Test Surveys?

Sample Exam Wrapper for a physics course might include the following:

1. Approximately how much time did you spend preparing for this exam? ______

2 What percentage of your test-preparation was spent in each of these activities?

a. Reading textbook section(s) for the first time ______

b. Rereading textbook section(s) ______

c. Reviewing homework ______

d. Solving problems for practice ______

e. Reviewing your own notes ______

f. Reviewing materials from course website ______

g. Other _______

(Please specify) _______________________________

3. Now that you have looked over your graded exam, estimate the percentage of points you lost due to each of the following.

a. Trouble with vectors and vector notation ___________

b. Algebra or arithmetic errors __________

c. Lack of understanding of the concept __________

d. Not knowing how to approach the problem ________

e. Careless mistakes _______

f. Other ________

(Please specify) ___________

4. Based on your responses to the questions above, name at least three things you plan to do differently in preparing for the next exam. For instance, will you spend more time studying, change a specific study habit or try a new one (if so, name it), make math more automatic so it does not get in the way of physics, try to sharpen some other skill (if so, name it), solve more practice problems, or something else?

5. What can we do to help support your learning and your preparation for the next exam?

(From Ambrose, et al, 2010)

A General Post-Test Survey might include the following items:
(This survey is from http://luc.edu/advising/academic_success_tools.shtml#time)

Part I -- How did you Study for the Exam

1. Which part of the exam was easiest for you? Why?

2. Which part of the exam was most difficult? Why?

3. Activities completed prior to exam (answer 'yes' or 'no'):

a. All required reading assignments

b. Review of lecture notes

c. Make study sheets from reading and lecture notes

d. Self-testing/reciting of material

e. Prediction of possible questions

f. Study with friends

g. Other:____________________________

4. Which of the above did you find most helpful in preparing for this exam?

5. How many hours did you spend preparing for the exam? On how many different days
did you study?

6. Did you feel prepared when you walked into the exam? Why or why not?

7. How might you study for the next exam in this course differently than you studied for
this exam

Part II -- Identify the Problems You Had with the Exam

1. Write the number of each item you missed in the top row of the chart.
2. Check each sentence that fits the missed question.
3. Total the checks in each row.
4. Look at the sentences with the highest totals and decide what you can do to get a better test score next time.

Resources:

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C. & Noman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Du Bois, N. F., & Staley, R. K. (1997): "A Self-Regulated Learning Approach to Teaching Educational Psychology. Educational Psychology Review 9 (2): 171-197.

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Help Students to Learn from Returned Tests

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Exam wrappers, post-test surveys, and error analysis exercises are useful tools to help your students to learn from returned exams and to perform better on future tests. "All too often when students receive back a graded exam, they focus on a single feature - the score they earned.

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Math assessment talk time.  Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath

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Math assessment talk time.  Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath https://t.co/nScJecyOGE

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Math assessment talk time. Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath pic.twitter.com/nScJecyOGE
— Frank McGowan (@frankmcgowa) April 18, 2019

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Math assessment talk time.  Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath https://t.co/nScJecyOGE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Math assessment talk time.  Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath https://t.co/nScJecyOGE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Math assessment talk time.  Anyone else experimenting with this? #learnISB #MTBoS #iTeachmath

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Amy Cuddy: Your body language may shape who you are

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(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read "Criticisms & updates" below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy's response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves.

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12 Ways to Upgrade Your Classroom Design | Cult of Pedagogy

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Money and space are not prerequisites for learning-friendly design. Try any one of these ideas to make your classroom a better place for students to learn.

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A Repair Kit for Grading: Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades with DVD (2nd Edition) (Assessment Training Institute, Inc.)

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Communicating about student achievement requires accurate, consistent and meaningful grades. Educators interested in examining and improving grading practices should ask the following questions: * Am I confident that students in my classroom receive consistent, accurate and me...

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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I regularly hear colleagues complaining that they never have time to discuss teaching, and I know this is true in my liberal arts and sciences campus at this large research university. We devote so much of our time to teaching students, preparing classes, grading student work, and doing research that there's little time left to compare notes with our colleagues, even those next door. On those rare occasions when we do, it's often a pleasant surprise. Interesting teaching strategies are being implemented all around us. When this happens to me I often think, "I wish I could come see how you do that!"

What we don't seem to have are structures that facilitate these conversations and observations. Technology now makes possible international asynchronous conversations such as those on the Teaching Professor Blog. But we also need something that facilitates local, face-to-face conversations with others at our institution. At the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta, I think we have found a solution: teaching squares.

Teaching squares build the instructional abilities of teaching faculty. They were first developed by Anne Wesley at St. Louis Community College and have been used by many North American universities and colleges. We introduced them here at the Augustana Campus in 2009, and they've been running during most terms since.

A teaching square consists of four faculty from different disciplines who visit each other's classes within a two-to-three-week period. After the classroom visits, the four gather around coffee or a meal to discuss the teaching observed. The intention of the square is not to criticize each other's teaching. Rather, it's to gather ideas on different teaching approaches that might be used in one's own classes. It's an opportunity for faculty to reflect on their own teaching in light of colleagues' teaching examples. Could I do something like that? Would that approach work with the content I teach? I might be able to use that, but what would I need to change so that it better fits with my teaching style? Are my students ready for a strategy like that? It's a constructive way to confront current teaching practices in light of some potential alternatives.

While I was associate dean of teaching from 2010 to 2013, the feedback I received from faculty who participated in the activity was positive. What they said was most helpful was simply having a structure that included time for discussion of teaching-related issues. Their exchanges usually started off with what they'd observed in each other's classes but often segued into analysis of the issues being faced by all of them in their courses.

I also think teaching squares are effective because they involve cross-disciplinary collaboration. The views and perspective of those who teach different kinds of content can be very helpful in providing new perspectives on the content being taught. In 2011, the University of Alberta's Festival of Teaching included a program where faculty could sign up and then visit different classes that had been opened for the festival. We had positive feedback about the opportunity to observe different teaching styles and strategies, but we also got constructive criticism that a valuable component was missing-the reflective conversation that typically follows in a formal teaching squares program. It's not always easy to schedule the four faculty needed for a square, but it's definitely worth the effort, given the value of these follow-up discussions.

Some participants have told us that they'd like to get evaluative feedback on their teaching. In the spirit of a teaching square, however, this cannot be one of its goals. The discussion of teaching needs to be free of evaluation and judgment. When exchanges become critical and personal, they can produce defensiveness and suspicion, and that would inhibit the open exchange of ideas and the free sharing of teaching strategies.

We continue to use teaching squares as part of our faculty development program at Augustana. I recommend the structure. If you can round up four colleagues, you can do a square on your own, or it might be something you could recommend to your teaching center or faculty development program.
Dr. Neil Haave is an associate professor of biology at the University of Alberta.
Reprinted from Teaching Squares: A Teaching Development Tool, The Teaching Professor, 28.10 (2014): 1. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

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Teaching Squares: A Teaching Development Tool

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I regularly hear colleagues complaining that they never have time to discuss teaching, and I know this is true in my liberal arts and sciences campus at this large research university. We devote so much of our time to teaching students, preparing classes, grading student work, and doing research that there's little time left to compare notes with our colleagues, even those next door.

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This graphic will help get students' attention and possibly motivate them.

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This graphic will help get students' attention and possibly motivate them.

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Education still pays : Career Outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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New BLS data show that workers with more education have higher earnings and lower unemployment.

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Introducing long-term memory and working memory: o Key features and limitations o How do they interact during learning to build (and then use) the knowledge base. o Guidelines to aligning teaching and learning strategies with the learning stages.

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Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers. 

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers. 

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠 https://t.co/GvnZZqlVj0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers.

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠 pic.twitter.com/GvnZZqlVj0
— Kate Jones 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@KateJones_teach) June 12, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers. 

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠 https://t.co/GvnZZqlVj0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers. 

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠 https://t.co/GvnZZqlVj0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Retrieval Practice placemat, a prompt for students to use at the start of a lesson ... through verbal or written answers. 

I learn so much from @olicav about layout & inspired by the blogs @effortfuleduktr writes too! #TeachUAEchat #UKEdChat #SLTchat #CogSci ✏️ 📖 🧠