# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Growth Mindset For Kids: How Parents Can Encourage Growth Mindset In Children 

# data[].attributes.body
The attached PDF on the website gives great examples of things to say to students to develop a growth mindset.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Growth Mindset For Kids: How Parents Can Encourage Growth Mindset In Children - Kiddie Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we model a growth mindset for kids they learn to face challenges with confidence, try new things, and learn from their mistakes.

# data[].attributes.body
Could be very useful for noisy classes or low level classes as it is a practical activity.
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/623396773430386931/

# data[].attributes.body
As a scientist we rarely stray off the beaten track, and least of all into the creative arts space. The Comic Life software allows the user to create comic book strips in a variety of styles. Templates are available and customisable (similar to Canva). These templates could be printed out and provided to students if devices are not available as well. Drag and drop features allow for easy and intuitive use of the software. Images can be readily uploaded and inserted into the comic template. Scientific images could be created in BioRender first, and then used in Comic Life to further explain scientific concepts. These comics can be saved as PDF documents, which can be converted to JPEG images for upload to a website or blog. Comic Life is a fun and creative way for students to grasp concepts, link ideas and create their own work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
plasq.com | Home of Comic Life and Comic Draw

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Presenting Comic Life 3 for Chromebook, your favorite award winning photo-comic software is now available on Google Play. It’s a whole new way to make the fun photo-comics you love!

# data[].attributes.body
Excellent videos on science and mathematics that explain complex concepts. A complementary website also has modules with examples and related content grouped together for ease of use.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.

# data[].attributes.body
Similar to excel in functionality but more aimed at analysing and producing figures for scientific papers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The preferred analysis and graphing solution purpose-built for scientific research. Join the world's leading scientists and discover how you can use Prism to save time, make more appropriate analysis choices, and elegantly graph and present your scientific research.

Discover what's new

Discover What's New in Prism!

Introducing an even more powerful Prism featuring enhanced data visualization and graph customization, more intuitive navigation, and more sophisticated statistical analyses.

Discover the Breadth of Statistical Features Available in Prism

Statistical Comparisons

Paired or unpaired t tests. Reports P values and confidence intervals.

Automatically generate volcano plot (difference vs. P value) from multiple t test analysis.

Nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, including confidence interval of difference of medians.

Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to compare two groups.

Wilcoxon test with confidence interval of median.

Perform many t tests at once, using False Discovery Rate (or Bonferroni multiple comparisons) to choose which comparisons are discoveries to study further.

Ordinary or repeated measures ANOVA followed by the Tukey, Newman-Keuls, Dunnett, Bonferroni or Holm-Sidak multiple comparison tests, the post-test for trend, or Fisher's Least Significant tests.

One-way ANOVA without assuming populations with equal standard deviations using Brown-Forsythe and Welch ANOVA, followed by appropriate comparisons tests (Games-Howell, Tamhane T2, Dunnett T3)

Many multiple comparisons test are accompanied by confidence intervals and multiplicity adjusted P values.

Greenhouse-Geisser correction so repeated measures one-, two-, and three-way ANOVA do not have to assume sphericity. When this is chosen, multiple comparison tests also do not assume sphericity.

Kruskal-Wallis or Friedman nonparametric one-way ANOVA with Dunn's post test.

Fisher's exact test or the chi-square test. Calculate the relative risk and odds ratio with confidence intervals.

Two-way ANOVA, even with missing values with some post tests.

Two-way ANOVA, with repeated measures in one or both factors. Tukey, Newman-Keuls, Dunnett, Bonferroni, Holm-Sidak, or Fisher's LSD multiple comparisons testing main and simple effects.

Three-way ANOVA (limited to two levels in two of the factors, and any number of levels in the third).

Analysis of repeated measures data (one-, two-, and three-way) using a mixed effects model (similar to repeated measures ANOVA, but capable of handling missing data).

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Compare curves with the log-rank test (including test for trend).

Comparison of data from nested data tables using nested t test or nested one-way ANOVA (using mixed effects model).

Nonlinear Regression

Fit one of our 105 built-in equations, or enter your own. Now including family of growth equations: exponential growth, exponential plateau, Gompertz, logistic, and beta (growth and then decay).

Enter differential or implicit equations.

Enter different equations for different data sets.

Global nonlinear regression - share parameters between data sets.

Robust nonlinear regression.

Automatic outlier identification or elimination.

Compare models using extra sum-of-squares F test or AICc.

Compare parameters between data sets.

Apply constraints.

Differentially weight points by several methods and assess how well your weighting method worked.

Accept automatic initial estimated values or enter your own.

Automatically graph curve over specified range of X values.

Quantify precision of fits with SE or CI of parameters. Confidence intervals can be symmetrical (as is traditional) or asymmetrical (which is more accurate).

Quantify symmetry of imprecision with Hougaard's skewness.

Plot confidence or prediction bands.

Test normality of residuals.

Runs or replicates test of adequacy of model.

Report the covariance matrix or set of dependencies.

Easily interpolate points from the best fit curve.

Fit straight lines to two data sets and determine the intersection point and both slopes.

Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Component selection via Parallel Analysis (Monte Carlo simulation), Kaiser criterion (Eigenvalue threshold), Proportion of Variance threshold, and more.

Automatically generated Scree Plots, Loading Plots, Biplots, and more.

Use results in downstream applications like Principal Component Regression.

Multiple Variable Graphing

Specify variables defining axis coordinates, color, and size.

Create Bubble Plots.

Column Statistics

Calculate descriptive statistics: min, max, quartiles, mean, SD, SEM, CI, CV, skewness, kurtosis.

Mean or geometric mean with confidence intervals.

Frequency distributions (bin to histogram), including cumulative histograms.

Normality testing by four methods (new: Anderson-Darling).

Lognormality test and likelihood of sampling from normal (Gaussian) vs. lognormal distribution.

Create QQ Plot as part of normality testing.

One sample t test or Wilcoxon test to compare the column mean (or median) with a theoretical value.

Identify outliers using Grubbs or ROUT method.

Analyze a stack of P values, using Bonferroni multiple comparisons or the FDR approach to identify "significant" findings or discoveries.

Simple Linear Regression and Correlation

Calculate slope and intercept with confidence intervals.

Force the regression line through a specified point.

Fit to replicate Y values or mean Y.

Test for departure from linearity with a runs test.

Calculate and graph residuals in four different ways (including QQ plot).

Compare slopes and intercepts of two or more regression lines.

Interpolate new points along the standard curve.

Pearson or Spearman (nonparametric) correlation.

Generalized Linear Models (GLMs)

Generate models relating multiple independent variables to a single dependent variable using the new multiple variables data table.

Multiple linear regression (when Y is continuous).

Poisson regression (when Y is counts; 0, 1, 2, ...).

Logistic regression (when Y is binary; yes/no, pass/fail, etc.).

Clinical (Diagnostic) Lab Statistics

Bland-Altman plots.

Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves.

Deming regression (type ll linear regression).

Simulations

Simulate XY, Column or Contingency tables.

Repeat analyses of simulated data as a Monte-Carlo analysis.

Plot functions from equations you select or enter and parameter values you choose.

Other Calculations

Area under the curve, with confidence interval.

Transform data.

Normalize.

Identify outliers.

Normality tests.

Transpose tables.

Subtract baseline (and combine columns).

Compute each value as a fraction of its row, column or grand total.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The preferred analysis and graphing solution purpose-built for scientific research. Join the world's leading scientists and discover how you can use Prism to save time, make more appropriate analysis choices, and elegantly graph and present your scientific research. Discover what's new Introducing an even more powerful Prism featuring enhanced data visualization and graph customization, more intuitive navigation, and more sophisticated statistical analyses.

# data[].attributes.body
Informative videos on a broad variety of topics. Also short brain teaser videos that can be used for starter activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
Excellent visual mind mapping tool that integrates with images and video as well as links to online resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Important — Popplet.com service is ending July 1, 2026. Please read the official announcement here,and visit our new site Superstructures.io.

# data[].attributes.headline
SAMR: A poweful model for understanding good tech integration (Edutopia)

# data[].attributes.subject
SAMR: A poweful model for understanding good tech integration (Edutopia)

# data[].attributes.body
Remember , it's not all about the tool... "Technology before pedagogy" (Cowling , M. 2019)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

The biggest obstacle to teaching online probably isn't the technology. Teachers seek out educational technology, in fact, because it "can have considerable positive impacts on student performance," according to a 2016 study -improving test scores and allowing teachers to assess student achievement more efficiently. The big problem is how to integrate it: Beyond the sheer number of tech tools available, the same researchers identified "inadequate professional development and training" as the primary obstacle to using technology productively in classrooms.

Understandably, the emergence of the coronavirus has dramatically accelerated the process of integrating edtech, as educators around the country race to get online as fast as they can. But as many of our teachers have noted, the current state of K-12 online learning is more like triage-a form of crisis management-and not at all like skillfully managed distance education.

What's missing from the conversation right now, which makes sense given the immediacy of the need, is a focus on the bigger question of what the highest quality technology integration actually looks like. That's an important conversation to have, because in a post-coronavirus world there's likely to be a greater emphasis on digital learning, even as we return to physical schools and take advantage of face-to-face opportunities.

A Hierarchy of Tech Uses

A powerful conceptual tool to think about technology integration-and edtech's best uses-is the SAMR model, developed in 2010 by education researcher Ruben Puentedura, who was the 1991 recipient of a Phi Beta Kappa teaching award.

The SAMR model lays out four tiers of online learning, presented roughly in order of their sophistication and transformative power: substitution, augmentation, modification, and r edefinition. When switching to an online format, teachers often focus on the first two levels, which involve replacing traditional materials with digital ones: converting lessons and worksheets into PDFs and posting them online, or recording lectures on video and making them available for asynchronous learning, for example.
Creative Commons
Those are important steps, especially when teaching online for the first time, but in classrooms where tech integration has moved to the mastery level, the last two levels of the SAMR model-modification and redefinition-should also be in the mix. Students in classes where this kind of mastery is embedded find more novel and immersive uses for technology. They are creators and publishers of their own work across multiple forms of media, for example, or they are inviting professionals to provide feedback on their work products, or participating in digital forums with other peers around the world.

It's tempting to think of SAMR as a mountain to be summited. But good technology integration isn't about living at the top of the SAMR model; it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

Here's a closer look at good classroom practices at each level in the model:

Substitution

"Substitution" means replacing traditional activities and materials-like in-class lectures or paper worksheets-with digital versions. There is no substantial change to the content, just the way that it is delivered.

The goal here is to keep things simple: there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Scan your lessons and worksheets, convert them into PDFs, and post them online using Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or a similar file-sharing service. Think about the information you have on your walls, such as the classroom norms, the daily schedule, or vocabulary lists, and convert them into digital formats that students can easily reference.

It may also help to provide synchronous as well as asynchronous versions of your lectures. If you're holding class meetings over a videoconferencing service like Zoom or Skype, provide a recording for students who can't attend. You can also create your own instructional videos for students to view at their own pace.

Augmentation

This level involves incorporating interactive digital enhancements and elements like comments, hyperlinks, or multimedia. The content remains unchanged, but students can now take advantage of digital features to enhance the lesson.

For example, students can create digital portfolios to create multimedia presentations, giving them more options to demonstrate their understanding of a topic. And instead of handing out paper quizzes, you can gamify your quizzes with tools like Socrative and Kahoot.

Teachers can also create virtual bulletin boards-using an app like Padlet -where students can post questions, links, and pictures.

Modification

At this level, teachers can think about using a learning management system like Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, or Canvas to handle the logistical aspects of running a classroom, like tracking grades, messaging students, creating a calendar, and posting assignments.

Teaching online opens up new channels of communication, many of which can help students who have traditionally been marginalized. Research shows that girls may be less likely to speak up in class, for example, so they may benefit from backchannels -alternative conversations that can run alongside instruction-that encourage participation.

Zoom's text chat feature, meanwhile, gives students an opportunity to write their questions out, which can feel less intrusive if there are dozens of students participating in the call. Also, students who prefer to collect their thoughts may benefit from slower-paced, asynchronous discussions in an online forum or email threads.

Redefinition

Learning is fundamentally transformed at the "redefinition" level, enabling activities that were previously impossible in the classroom.

For example, virtual pen pals can connect students to other parts of the world, whether it's with other students or experts in a field. Virtual field trips enable students to visit locations like the Amazon rainforest, the Louvre, or the Egyptian pyramids. After reading a book in class, you can invite the author to chat about their work and answer questions.

Technology also provides an opportunity to bring authentic audiences into your virtual classroom, and can make publishers out of your students. Kids can write their own wikis or blogs for public consumption and feedback-and platforms like Quadblogging can connect distant classrooms together so students both write and respond. Students can tackle local problems-like investigating the water quality of a nearby river-and invite members of the community to assess their digital proposals.

Going Beyond SAMR

Finally, consider how technology can be used not just as a way to deliver content, but also to strengthen relationships with your students. For elementary school teacher John Thomas, Seesaw and Flipgrid allow him to share a daily greeting, which his students then respond to-or to each other-with a typed or voiced comment. It's a good way to provide some stability while they're isolated.

How can my lesson be improved using technology?

How can I engage and empower students through technology?

How can online learning more closely resemble authentic, real-world learning?

Remember, again, that SAMR is sometimes thought of as a mountain to summit, but it's really more like a toolbox. The goal isn't to use the most sophisticated tool, but to find the right one for the job. More importantly, however, it's a way to reflect on your technology integration by thinking about a few key questions:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

# data[].attributes.headline
Technology and learning in the classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Technology and learning in the classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Six evidence-based tips on how to balance technology use in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Technology and learning in the classroom: six tips to get the balance right

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Technology has good potential to help students learn, but it must be used appropriately to keep students moving, learning and working together.

# data[].attributes.body
As someone who has struggled with anxiety I find this an exceptional method. I will definitely be trialing this in my classroom with those that need it.
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/623396773430552492/

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/623396773430552479/

# data[].attributes.body
Nothing worse than not being asked for the things you studied a lot for on an exam!
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/623396773430401379/

# data[].attributes.body
Great idea to incentivize students to be good humans.
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/623396773421960920/

# data[].attributes.body
Great reflection on addition of mandatory digital literacy development into the teaching profession. The main issue I foresee with this is that time is such a limited resource. If teachers were given the time to develop these skills they would be much more willing to try/learn new things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How Do We Stop Illiterate Educators?

September 1, 2015 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitby

We are now better than fifteen years into the 21 st Century and educators are still discussing what role technology plays in education. The fact of the matter is no matter what educators, who are mostly products of a 20 th Century education, think, our students today will need to be digitally literate in their world in order to survive and thrive. Digital Literacy is a 21 st Century skill, but therein lies the rub. Most of our educators have been educated with a twentieth Century mindset using 20 th Century methodology and pedagogy at best. I dare say there might be some 19 th Century holdovers as well.

Digital literacy is recognized by the developers of common core to be important enough to be included as a component of the curriculum. This will however vary and be dependent on what each individual teacher knows, or does not know in regard to his or her own digital literacy. In other words teachers without digital literacy in a 21 st Century education setting are illiterate educators for the purpose of this discussion. We can certainly wait for attrition to clean out the system, but that might take years at the expense of our kids. It also does not address a further infiltration of even more from entering the system.

These educators are not bad people. Many may be willing to change and learn to be digitally literate if it is prioritized and supported by administrators. The problem there is that digitally illiterate administrators fail to recognize the need, or understand how to support the new skills required using a new 21 st Century mindset. That is not to say all administrators fall into this category, but certainly too many for any needed change to happen in a timely fashion do.

There certainly is enough blame to go around for what places the education system in this predicament and much of that lies in education programs from our institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately, too often student tech skills and digital literacy are assumed and not formally taught in schools of higher education. If students are getting by with email and desktop publishing it is assumed that they are "digital natives", a term that has cut short education for digital skills in America.

The biggest problem we have with any digital education is the rapidity at which things change.This will only get worse as technology evolves. People learn something; they buy into it; they get comfortable with it; and then it evolves to something else. That comfort level is hard to shake, so change is slow, if it takes place at all. The system also generally fails to recognize the need to prioritize and support change in a way to keep all staff relevant. It is also failing to prioritize digital literacy for incoming teachers.

If we were to prioritize Digital Literacy as a job requirement it might speed up needed changes. Once colleges realized that placing their students in teaching positions required a knowledge of digital literacy they would need to revamp their curricula accordingly. An influx of digitally educated teachers would go a long way in changing the culture of elementary and secondary schools in regard to their acceptance and priorities concerning new tools for learning and the integration of technology and education.

We have always required new teachers to have specific skills in order to secure a job teaching. We also required that they demonstrate those skills before a job could be offered. I can't think of one hiring committee, of the hundreds I participated in, that did not require a writing sample. How many teaching candidates are offered jobs without someone seeing them teach a class with a sample lesson? It would not be a stretch to require candidates to exhibit their technology skills for consideration.

Prioritizing digital skills will also signal a need for existing staff to get comfortable with change rather than retaining the status quo. It will shake up comfort zones to enable forward movement. It will also force administrators to get some game of their own. They will need digital awareness in order to objectively observe teachers using technology for learning.

Digitally illiterate educators will soon be irrelevant educators and that hurts all educators. As a community we need to support change and digital literacy or we may become as relevant as a typewriter, or film photography. If we are to better educate our kids, we must first better educate their educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are now better than fifteen years into the 21st Century and educators are still discussing what role technology plays in education. The fact of the matter is no matter what educators, who are mostly products of a 20th Century education, think, our students today will need to be digitally literate in their world in...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These days, students often expect us to pour information and understanding into them, without them having to do the tough stuff-like studying and learning. I expect my students to actively participate, but it isn't always easy.

Being a 21st-century educator is a tall order. In my 15 years in the classroom, my most important "helpers" are technology, movement, and networking. Here's why.

1. Use technology to get students interested and involved.

I believe in the importance of face-to-face conversations, but for our students, technology is a major part of the way they communicate and learn. Why not use the mini-computers they carry with them?
Here are my technology must-haves:
I was taught early to make sure I call on all students daily. They like being recognized. Technology helps. Technology allows all students to have a voice and a chance to show what they know.

Google Docs: Our school uses Google Docs, making it easy to share and collaborate with other teachers and students.

YouTube

TES teach with blendspace for lessons

Quizlet and Kahoot to engage students in learning vocabulary.

The Remind app to remind students of homework assignments. My students are turning in homework more than ever before! And having a class website makes it easy for my students to find important documents, rubrics, lessons, sites and projects.

Additionally, while using technology is a part of what we do, it shouldn't be everything. I like using non-technology games from my teacher toolbox for vocabulary and sentence-building, and my students always enjoy it when I bring these games out from time to time. In fact, they're always asking when we can play them again. It is important to have routines, but also to change things up now and again and have fun doing so with students. If we are excited about the lesson, students will be, too.

2. Movement: Know when to shake things up-literally.

Aside from being a language teacher, I am also a Zumba instructor. And since I teach music as part of the Spanish culture, I do " brain breaks " with simple dance moves for salsa, merengue, cumbia and more to get students out of a slump and get oxygen flowing to their brains.
You are the company that you keep, so reach out to other like-minded professionals who are always learning and trying to stay positive.
3. Connect with others in our profession to stay encouraged.

Connecting with other educators to share and collaborate helps ensure our success. We can of course do this face to face or in curriculum groups, but we can also stay in touch via Twitter (you can reach me at Project Spotlight @edspotlightdiv or @MountainsTeresa) and other social networks.

I found that being involved in the Teacher Leadership Initiative this past year helped me connect with excellent teachers across my state and our nation. I also stepped up to take on more leadership in the Billings Education Association (I am a director at large), went to Jump Start training to start the process for National Board Certification and attended AP training for Spanish.

The first couple of years for the 21st-century educator can be stressful, but also rewarding. Each year, you will get closer to becoming a master teacher. Always believe that each of your students can and will succeed. Best wishes in your teaching journey, for it truly is a calling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These days, students often expect us to pour information and understanding into them, without them having to do the tough stuff-like studying and learning. I expect my students to actively participate, but it isn't always easy. Being a 21st-century educator is a tall order.

# data[].attributes.body
Excellent quiz resource for students. Can monitor in real time the answers of students as well as receive data after the quiz.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The step from using a static website or emails as a mean to share announcements or calendar items to sharing the same type of items on a blogging platform is not far nor a steep step. My ultimate goal for using a classroom blog or student blogfolios though, is that of creating transformative teaching and learning opportunities, not to have a platform that substitutes a composition book or paper journal. To make the difference visible and clearer, I am looking through the lens of the SAMR model.

First, a Classroom Blog seen through the lens of SAMR
What about Student Blogs?
Substitution - technology acts as a direct substitute for the task

A student uses the blog as a tool to substitute a handwritten/typed and printed assignment. The student copies and pastes a Google Doc or other file from a word processing program into a blog post. The comments on the blog are closed or not being utilized. Students might upload a scanned image of an analog test score, worksheet or other analog artifact. Students might answer a prompt or question posed by teacher to the entire class. There is no added value to the learning process versus the analog task.

Augmentation - technology acts as a direct tool substitution with functional improvement

Students use their blog as a platform to publish assignments (research papers, essays, responses) for their teacher to see. The blog is a place to push out information, possibly for Student Led Conferences or a showcase/process portfolio. They insert or embed images, videos, presentations or audio to support their written text. They possibly insert hyperlinks to additional resources. Students tag and categorize their posts with searchable labels. The blog platform becomes a digital organization of students' online learning records, which is centralized, archived and searchable. Teachers use the comment section to give feedback to their students about their performance. Classmates read each other's papers and leave comments.

Modification - technology allows for significant task redesign

Students use hyperlinked writing as part of digital writing process to show and connect their thinking to topics, influences, relationships and process between previously published content and external resources. Students communicate beyond the written word, in multimedia and transmedia ways. It is evident in their work that they are writing with a global audience in mind and their work encourages conversation, invites multiple perspectives to add and influence their work. Students receive constructive feedback from peers as part of the writing process. Comments inform students' writing and original task of "paper" extends and "spills over" into the comment section, altering form of writing piece as well notion of "completion" of paper.Students are demonstrating writing skills for digital spaces, by observing digital citizenship, hyperlinked, networked, peer- connected and non- linear writing.

Redefinition - technology allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable

The student blog becomes an embedded part of the process and a natural extension of communication and learning cycle by documenting evidence of learning, reflecting, sharing and receiving feedback in order to consider revision. Teachers and students actively and strategically disseminate and connect the blogs to a learning network for feedback and resources. The blog archives artifacts, reflections and connects learning over time. The blog becomes a natural extension beyond assigned academic work and is being used as a hub to document students' learning, demonstrating self-directed and self-motivated lifelong learning habits as they are organizing, building and maintaining their own online learning records, a growing academic digital footprint and develop their personal brand as well as personal learning networks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The step from using a static website or emails as a mean to share announcements or calendar items to sharing the same type of items on a blogging platform is not far nor a steep step.

# data[].attributes.body
Great detail explaining SAMR with examples.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

The biggest obstacle to teaching online probably isn't the technology. Teachers seek out educational technology, in fact, because it "can have considerable positive impacts on student performance," according to a 2016 study -improving test scores and allowing teachers to assess student achievement more efficiently. The big problem is how to integrate it: Beyond the sheer number of tech tools available, the same researchers identified "inadequate professional development and training" as the primary obstacle to using technology productively in classrooms.

Understandably, the emergence of the coronavirus has dramatically accelerated the process of integrating edtech, as educators around the country race to get online as fast as they can. But as many of our teachers have noted, the current state of K-12 online learning is more like triage-a form of crisis management-and not at all like skillfully managed distance education.

What's missing from the conversation right now, which makes sense given the immediacy of the need, is a focus on the bigger question of what the highest quality technology integration actually looks like. That's an important conversation to have, because in a post-coronavirus world there's likely to be a greater emphasis on digital learning, even as we return to physical schools and take advantage of face-to-face opportunities.

A Hierarchy of Tech Uses

A powerful conceptual tool to think about technology integration-and edtech's best uses-is the SAMR model, developed in 2010 by education researcher Ruben Puentedura, who was the 1991 recipient of a Phi Beta Kappa teaching award.

The SAMR model lays out four tiers of online learning, presented roughly in order of their sophistication and transformative power: substitution, augmentation, modification, and r edefinition. When switching to an online format, teachers often focus on the first two levels, which involve replacing traditional materials with digital ones: converting lessons and worksheets into PDFs and posting them online, or recording lectures on video and making them available for asynchronous learning, for example.
Creative Commons
Those are important steps, especially when teaching online for the first time, but in classrooms where tech integration has moved to the mastery level, the last two levels of the SAMR model-modification and redefinition-should also be in the mix. Students in classes where this kind of mastery is embedded find more novel and immersive uses for technology. They are creators and publishers of their own work across multiple forms of media, for example, or they are inviting professionals to provide feedback on their work products, or participating in digital forums with other peers around the world.

It's tempting to think of SAMR as a mountain to be summited. But good technology integration isn't about living at the top of the SAMR model; it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

Here's a closer look at good classroom practices at each level in the model:

Substitution

"Substitution" means replacing traditional activities and materials-like in-class lectures or paper worksheets-with digital versions. There is no substantial change to the content, just the way that it is delivered.

The goal here is to keep things simple: there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Scan your lessons and worksheets, convert them into PDFs, and post them online using Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or a similar file-sharing service. Think about the information you have on your walls, such as the classroom norms, the daily schedule, or vocabulary lists, and convert them into digital formats that students can easily reference.

It may also help to provide synchronous as well as asynchronous versions of your lectures. If you're holding class meetings over a videoconferencing service like Zoom or Skype, provide a recording for students who can't attend. You can also create your own instructional videos for students to view at their own pace.

Augmentation

This level involves incorporating interactive digital enhancements and elements like comments, hyperlinks, or multimedia. The content remains unchanged, but students can now take advantage of digital features to enhance the lesson.

For example, students can create digital portfolios to create multimedia presentations, giving them more options to demonstrate their understanding of a topic. And instead of handing out paper quizzes, you can gamify your quizzes with tools like Socrative and Kahoot.

Teachers can also create virtual bulletin boards-using an app like Padlet -where students can post questions, links, and pictures.

Modification

At this level, teachers can think about using a learning management system like Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, or Canvas to handle the logistical aspects of running a classroom, like tracking grades, messaging students, creating a calendar, and posting assignments.

Teaching online opens up new channels of communication, many of which can help students who have traditionally been marginalized. Research shows that girls may be less likely to speak up in class, for example, so they may benefit from backchannels -alternative conversations that can run alongside instruction-that encourage participation.

Zoom's text chat feature, meanwhile, gives students an opportunity to write their questions out, which can feel less intrusive if there are dozens of students participating in the call. Also, students who prefer to collect their thoughts may benefit from slower-paced, asynchronous discussions in an online forum or email threads.

Redefinition

Learning is fundamentally transformed at the "redefinition" level, enabling activities that were previously impossible in the classroom.

For example, virtual pen pals can connect students to other parts of the world, whether it's with other students or experts in a field. Virtual field trips enable students to visit locations like the Amazon rainforest, the Louvre, or the Egyptian pyramids. After reading a book in class, you can invite the author to chat about their work and answer questions.

Technology also provides an opportunity to bring authentic audiences into your virtual classroom, and can make publishers out of your students. Kids can write their own wikis or blogs for public consumption and feedback-and platforms like Quadblogging can connect distant classrooms together so students both write and respond. Students can tackle local problems-like investigating the water quality of a nearby river-and invite members of the community to assess their digital proposals.

Going Beyond SAMR

Finally, consider how technology can be used not just as a way to deliver content, but also to strengthen relationships with your students. For elementary school teacher John Thomas, Seesaw and Flipgrid allow him to share a daily greeting, which his students then respond to-or to each other-with a typed or voiced comment. It's a good way to provide some stability while they're isolated.

How can my lesson be improved using technology?

How can I engage and empower students through technology?

How can online learning more closely resemble authentic, real-world learning?

Remember, again, that SAMR is sometimes thought of as a mountain to summit, but it's really more like a toolbox. The goal isn't to use the most sophisticated tool, but to find the right one for the job. More importantly, however, it's a way to reflect on your technology integration by thinking about a few key questions:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

# data[].attributes.headline
Students Learn Better Through Creative Problem Solving

# data[].attributes.subject
Students Learn Better Through Creative Problem Solving

# data[].attributes.body
Creativity is important in education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In some instances, research illuminates a topic and changes our existing beliefs. For example, here's a post that challenges the myth of preferred learning styles . Other times, you might hear about a study and say, "Well, of course that's true!" This might be one of those moments.

Last year, Dr. Karlsson Wirebring and fellow researchers published a study that supports what many educators and parents have already suspected: students learn better when they figure things out on their own, as compared to being told what to do.

The Study: Algorithmic vs. Creative Reasoning

The researchers compared two different methods of solving math problems to see which method "most efficiently promotes mathematical learning." They brought in 73 young-adult participants and split them into two groups-the Algorithmic Reasoning group and the Creative Mathematically Founded Reasoning group, which we'll just call the Creative group.

In the first session of the study, both groups were presented with the same math problem, but the Algorithmic group received suggested methods for solving the problem-in other words a formula, explanation or steps to follow. The participants in the Creative group, however, were asked to find their own solution. Both groups then worked on other similar problems in the same manner, with the Algorithmic group still receiving guidance on every problem.

Six days later, participants were brought back in for a test session in which they were asked to solve structurally identical math problems to those they had solved earlier. The goal of this second session was to test whether Algorithmic or Creative Reasoning results in more efficient mathematical learning. During this session, researchers also recorded participants' brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

The Results: More Correct Answers (with Less Effort)

Despite not receiving explicit instructions or solution methods, the Creative group had 10% more correct solutions in the second session. Both groups spent an equal amount of time on the problems; and both groups were comparable in key areas such as mathematics grades and a measure of intelligence, suggesting that the advantage of the Creative group is likely the result of the particular style in which they solved the similar math problems six days earlier.

Interestingly, even though the Creative group solved problems at a higher rate, the brain imaging data revealed that this group showed less brain activity in an area called the . Why would they show less and not more brain activity? The researchers tentatively assume that this finding emerged because participants in the Creative group could angular gyrus access their memory of a solution with more ease than those in the Algorithmic group.

Researchers found another area in the brain that was again less active in the Creative group compared to the Algorithmic group: an area located in the frontal cortex that is often involved in tasks requiring working memory (the ability to hold information in our mind for a limited period of time and manipulate it). Again, the authors tentatively suggest that the participants in the Creative group needed to engage less working memory during the second session as compared to the Algorithmic group.

What could be the reasons for this difference between the two groups' brain activity and performance in solving problems? At the moment there is no clear answer, but there are several ideas that future research will have to investigage in more detail. For example, it is possible that self-generating a solution method is more effortful, which could lead to a deeper memory trace that is then easier to recall in the long term.

Takeaway: Productive Struggle Makes Learning Stick

This study showed a significant advantage of figuring out the solution of a math problem by oneself compared to learning from a provided formula. What can math educators take away from this? One critical aspect of the experiment involved participants having to struggle with math in a productive way. Solving math problems like the Creative group may result in a stronger emphasis on learning concepts, in contrast to approaches that are procedurally guided.

In fact, it has been argued that "struggle" is necessary for the development of conceptual understanding. However, educators now have the challenge to craft learning experiences that allow students to struggle productively and self-generate solutions, while not posing obstacles so unsurmountable that students lose motivation or interest.

For more on productive struggle:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Research Shows Students Learn Better Through Creative Problem Solving

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In some instances, research illuminates a topic and changes our existing beliefs. For example, here's a post that challenges the myth of preferred learning styles . Other times, you might hear about a study and say, "Well, of course that's true!" This might be one of those moments.

# data[].attributes.body
Excellent resources provided for educators to use in the classroom. These can be adapted for best use.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2018

# data[].attributes.body
A very aesthetically pleasing animation to accompany Sir Ken Robinson's mind-opening talk on changing education paradigms. This should push us teachers further towards creating a digitally bound classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms

# data[].attributes.body
Free resource to create excellent visuals such as posters, pamphlets or other media.

# data[].attributes.headline
Online Groups - Cooperative or Collaborative?

# data[].attributes.subject
Online Groups - Cooperative or Collaborative?

# data[].attributes.body
There is much debate regarding the efficacy of online tools to support effective collaboration (Morrison, 2012). In this article, Morrison explores the differences between cooperation and collaboration, highlighting the fact that “creating virtual teams, and placing students into groups within the online learning platform, and providing assignment guidelines does not make cooperation or collaboration happen,” (Morrison, 2012).

Kialo has its limitations, and simply instructing students to use it as a discussion platform will not immediately yield higher order thinking. Effective collaboration is possible with online tools, but, as Paulus (2005) indicates, group tasks need to be purposely structured to ensure collaboration, and higher order thinking skills, are supported.

Morrison, D. (2012, April 27). Online Groups - Cooperative or Collaborative? Online Learning Insights. https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/online-groups-cooperative-or-collaborative/

Paulus, T. M. (2005). Collaborative and cooperative approaches to online group work: The impact of task type. Distance Education, 26(1), 111-125. doi:10.1080/01587910500081343

# data[].attributes.body
A fantastic YouTube channel on all things Science in simple to understand multimodal format

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
history biology literature learning education science humanities school "world history" ap tests smart fun chemistry psychology apush whap study "crash cours...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At Crash Course, we believe that high-quality educational videos should be available to everyone for free! Subscribe for weekly videos from our current courses! The Crash Course team has produced more than 45 courses on a wide variety of subjects, including organic chemistry, literature, world history, biology, philosophy, theater, ecology, and many more!

# data[].attributes.body
A graphic organiser is used to help students organise and store knowledge. They can be used to draw attention to processes regarding any topic as it is adaptable. It is important that these sheets are used to promote deeper thinking rather than just sheets students mindlessly complete. Graphic organisers in the PE classroom can be used to compare different sports and rules between touch football, NRL, rugby union etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Teaching Resources - Graphic Organizers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Icons, small graphics and clip art of school related things.

# data[].attributes.body
A random name picker that can be used to answer questions, in activities, or for volunteers.

# data[].attributes.body
When looking to achieve higher order pedagogy, teachers need to consider whether learning tasks sit within their students' zone of proximal development.

McLeod (2019) describes Vygotsky Zone of Proximal Development as "the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner."

Naturally, technology can be employed to differentiate learning tasks according to students' needs. For example, Newsela offers non-fiction and news stories that have been rewritten to suit a range of reading competencies.

This enables students to select articles for research that suit their reading ability, thereby promoting learning with their capacity for success.

The Zone of Proximal Development is an important consideration for any teacher looking to integrate technology effectively in the classroom.

McCleod, S. (2019). Development and Scaffolding. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.

It represents tasks beyond the learner's current abilities but are attainable with the help and guidance of the more knowledgeable other (MKO)). The ZPD is the range of tasks a person can't complete independently but can accomplish with support.

Thus, the term "proximal" refers to skills the learner is "close" to mastering. The ZPD ensures challenge is not too hard or too easy.

ZPD is the zone where instruction is the most beneficial, as it is when the task is just beyond the individual's capabilities.

To learn, we must be presented with tasks just out of our ability range. Challenging tasks promote maximum cognitive growth.

ZPD Theory

The zone of proximal development was developed by Soviet psychologist and social constructivist Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934).

Vygotsky introduced the ZPD concept to criticize psychometric testing which only measured current abilities, not potential for development. He argued assessment should be collaborative to reveal emerging skills.

The zone of proximal development (ZPD) has been defined as:

"the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).

For teachers, the ZPD is the space between current teaching knowledge and potential new level with assistance. Willingness to learn enables ZPD progression.

Vygotsky believed that when a student is in the zone of proximal development for a particular task, providing the appropriate assistance will give the student enough of a "boost" to achieve the task.

To assist a person to move through the zone of proximal development, educators are encouraged to focus on three important components which aid the learning process:

The presence of someone with knowledge and skills beyond that of the learner (a more knowledgeable other).

Social interactions with a skillful tutor that allow the learner to observe and practice their skills.

Scaffolding, or supportive activities provided by the educator, or more competent peer, to support the student as he or she is led through the ZPD.

Scaffolding Theory

The ZPD has become synonymous in the literature with the term scaffolding. However, it is important to note that Vygotsky never used this term in his writing, and it was introduced by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976).

Scaffolding consists of the activities provided by the educator, or more competent peer, to support the student as he or she is led through the zone of proximal development.

Support is tapered off (i.e., withdrawn) as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building during construction. The student will then be able to complete the task again independently.

Wood et al. (1976, p. 90) define scaffolding as a process "that enables a child or novice to solve a task or achieve a goal that would be beyond his unassisted efforts."

As they note, scaffolds require the adult's "controlling those elements of the task that are initially beyond the learner's capability, thus permitting him to concentrate upon and complete only those elements that are within his range of competence" (p. 90).

It is important to note that the terms cooperative learning, scaffolding and guided learning all have the same meaning within the literature.

The following study provides empirical support both the concept of scaffolding and the ZPD.

Wood and Middleton (1975)

Procedure: 4-year-old children had to use a set of blocks and pegs to build a 3D model shown in a picture. Building the model was too difficult a task for a 4-year-old child to complete alone.

Wood and Middleton (1975) observed how mothers interacted with their children to build the 3D model. The type of support included:

* General encouragement e.g., 'now you have a go.'

* Specific instructions e.g., 'get four big blocks.'

* Direct demonstration, e.g., showing the child how to place one block on another.

The results of the study showed that no single strategy was best for helping the child to progress. Mothers whose assistance was most effective were those who varied their strategy according to how the child was doing.

When the child was doing well, they became less specific with their help. When the child started to struggle, they gave increasingly specific instructions until the child started to make progress again.

The study illustrates scaffolding and Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD. Scaffolding (i.e., assistance) is most effective when the support is matched to the needs of the learner. This puts them in a position to achieve success in an activity that they would previously not have been able to do alone.

Wood et al. (1976) named certain processes that aid effective scaffolding:

Gaining and maintaining the learner's interest in the task.

Making the task simple.

Emphasizing certain aspects that will help with the solution.

Control the child's level of frustration.

Demonstrate the task.

Intersubjectivity

Intersubjectivity is when two people (i.e., the child and helper) start a task together with a different level of skill and understanding, and both end up with a shared understanding.

As each member of the dyad adjusts to the perspective of the other, the helper has to translate their own insights in a ways that is within the grasp of the child, and the child develops a more complete understanding of the task.

It is essential that they work towards the same goal, otherwise there won't be any collaboration. It is important that they negotiate, or compromise by always working for a shared view.

If you try to force someone to change their mind, then you"ll just get conflict. You need to stay within the boundaries of the other person's zone of proximal development.

Example of Scaffolding

Vygotsky emphasized scaffolding, or providing support to learners to help them reach higher levels of understanding. This can be mapped to progressing through Bloom's taxonomy, where educators scaffold tasks from basic understanding to more complex analysis and creation.

For example, a teacher might start by providing information (Remembering) and then ask questions that require understanding.

As students become more proficient, tasks can be scaffolded to require application, analysis, evaluation, and creation.

Example: In teaching a concept like photosynthesis:

1. Remembering: The teacher provides the basic definition.

2. Understanding: Students explain the process in their own words.

3. Application: They might conduct an experiment on plants.

4. Analysis: Dive deeper into how different variables affect the process.

5. Evaluation: Debate the most critical components of photosynthesis.

6. Creation: Design an optimal environment for plant growth.

Each step can be scaffolded, starting with substantial teacher support and gradually releasing responsibility to the students as they climb Bloom's taxonomy, guiding students from foundational knowledge to higher-order thinking skills.

Scaffolding vs. Discovery Learning

Freund (1990) wanted to investigate if children learn more effectively via Piaget's concept of discovery learning or guided learning via the ZPD.

She asked a group of children between the ages of three and five years to help a puppet decide which furniture should be placed in the various rooms of a doll's house. First, Freund assessed what each child already understood about the placement of furniture (as a baseline measure).

Next, each child worked on a similar task, either alone (re: discovery-based learning) or with their mother (re: scaffolding / guided learning). To assess what each child had learned, they were each given a more complex, furniture sorting task.

The study's results showed that children assisted by their mothers performed better at furniture sorting than the children who worked independently.

More Knowledgeable Other

The more knowledgeable other (MKO) refers to anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level in a particular task, process, or concept than the learner.

It's essential to note that the MKO isn't necessarily an adult or a teacher. It could be a peer, a younger person, or even technology or media, as long as they provide the learner with the knowledge or scaffolding needed to perform a task.

Often, a child's peers or an adult's children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience.

The relationship between the MKO and the ZPD is vital to Vygotsky's theory. The MKO assists or scaffolds the learning experience to help the learner function within their ZPD.

Through this guidance, the learner can tackle and master tasks they couldn't accomplish independently.

Over time, as the learner internalizes this support and becomes more capable, the scaffolding can be reduced, and the learner can perform the task without assistance. The ZPD moves as learners acquire new skills and knowledge with the help of the MKO.

In educational settings, the concepts of MKO and ZPD have inspired practices like cooperative learning, differentiated instruction, and scaffolded learning experiences.

Teachers aim to identify each student's ZPD and then act as the MKO, or facilitate interactions with other MKOs, to provide the right level of support, allowing students to achieve and learn effectively.

Educational Applications

Vygotsky believes the role of education is to provide children with experiences which are in their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning. (Berk, & Winsler, (1995).

"From a Vygotskian perspective, the teacher's role is mediating the child's learning activity as they share knowledge through social interaction" (Dixon-Krauss, 1996, p. 18).

Cooperative Learning

According to Vygotsky (1978), much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skillful tutor. The tutor may model behaviors and/or provide verbal instructions for the child.

Vygotsky refers to this as cooperative or collaborative dialogue.

The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor (often the parent or teacher) and then internalizes the information, using it to guide or regulate their own performance.

Lev Vygotsky views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with help from more skillful peers - within the zone of proximal development.

Scaffolding is a key feature of effective teaching, where the adult continually adjusts the level of his or her help in response to the learner's level of performance.

In the classroom, scaffolding can include modeling a skill, providing hints or cues, and adapting material or activity (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).

Consider these guidelines for scaffolding instruction (Silver, 2011).

Assess the learner's current knowledge and experience with the academic content.

Relate content to what students already understand or can do.

Break a task into small, more manageable tasks with opportunities for intermittent feedback.

Use verbal cues and prompts to assist students.

Scaffolding not only produces immediate results, but also instills the skills necessary for independent problem-solving in the future.

A contemporary application of Vygotsky's theories is "reciprocal teaching," used to improve students" ability to learn from text.

In this method, teachers and students collaborate in learning and practicing four key skills: summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting. The teacher's role in the process is reduced over time.

Vygotsky's theories also feed into current interest in collaborative learning, suggesting that group members should have different levels of ability so more advanced peers can help less advanced members operate within their zone of proximal development.

Examples of ZPD

Example 1

Maria just entered college this semester and decided to take an introductory tennis course. Her class spends each week learning and practicing a different shot. Weeks go by, and they learn how to properly serve and hit a backhand.

During the week of learning the forehand, the instructor noticed that Maria was very frustrated because she kept hitting her forehand shots either into the net or far past the baseline.

He examines her preparation and swing. He notices that her stance is perfect, she prepares early, she turns her torso appropriately, and she hits the ball at precisely the right height.

However, he notices that she is still gripping her racquet the same way she hits her backhand, so he goes over to her and shows her how to reposition her hand to hit a proper forehand, stressing that she should keep her index finger parallel to the racquet.

He models a good forehand for her, and then assists her in changing her grip. With a little practice, Maria's forehand turns into a formidable weapon for her!

In this case, Maria was in the zone of proximal development for successfully hitting a forehand shot. She was doing everything else correctly, but just needed a little coaching and scaffolding from a "More Knowledgeable Other" to help her succeed in this task.

When that assistance was given, she was able to achieve her goal. Provided with appropriate support at the right moments, students in classrooms will be able to achieve tasks that would otherwise be too difficult for them.

Example 2

Clinical psychology trainees at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University are trained using approaches aligned with Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (Hong & del Busto, 2020).

Trainees are paired with more senior trainees (e.g., a first-year student with a second or third-year student) for co-therapy sessions. The senior trainee scaffolds the junior trainee's learning by initially taking the lead and modeling skills, then gradually encouraging the junior trainee to become more independent in leading sessions as they demonstrate competence.

This allows trainees to be involved in clinical care early in their training, with support and coaching from a more experienced peer. It meets them in their zone of proximal development - what they can do with guidance vs what they cannot yet do independently.

Supervisors assign trainees different roles based on experience level. More senior trainees are given opportunities to develop supervisory skills by training junior peers. Junior trainees are supported in gaining clinical skills.

The zone of proximal development concept is applied not just for patients in case conceptualization but also for trainees' own professional development. Supervisors provide individualized support and scaffolding to help each trainee progress.

Example 3

Social interaction, aided by cultural tools, supports teachers in developing new aspects of their practice and identity. The interpersonal activity facilitates the transformation of their teaching expertise.

This demonstrates the value of mediation through the ZPD (Shabani et al., 2010).

Collaborative peers and mentors: Observing and discussing teaching practices with experienced colleagues helps teachers learn new instructional approaches and strategies. This social exchange facilitates development within their ZPD.

Action research: By studying their own teaching through classroom inquiry, teachers can gain insights into improving their methods. The self-reflection shifts their ZPD forward.

Diaries: Writing reflectively about teaching experiences enables teachers to analyze their development and assumptions. This metacognition expands their ZPD.

Technology: Using digital tools and platforms introduces teachers to innovative teaching techniques. The technology mediates new pedagogical capabilities.

TESOL discourse: Engaging with academic research and theory opens teachers to alternative perspectives on teaching and learning. This discourse stretches their ZPD.

Coursework: Formal professional development courses scaffold teachers' learning of new knowledge and competencies. The instruction targets their ZPD.

Student data: Responses and achievement metrics provide feedback to teachers on areas needing growth. This evidence shifts teachers' self-perception.

References

Berk, L., & Winsler, A. (1995). Scaffolding children's learning: Vygotsky and early childhood learning. Washington, DC: National Association for Education of Young Children.

Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dixon-Krauss, L. (1996). Vygotsky in the classroom. Mediated literacy instruction and assessment. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishers.

Freund, L. S. (1990). Maternal Regulation of Children's Problem-solving behavior and Its Impact on Children's Performance. Child Development, 61, 113-126.

Hong, N., & del Busto, C. T. (2020). Collaboration, scaffolding, and successive approximations: A developmental science approach to training in clinical psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(3), 228.

Shabani, K., Khatib, M., & Ebadi, S. (2010). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development: Instructional implications and teachers' professional development. English Language Teaching, 3(4), 237-248.

Silver, D. (2011). Using the 'Zone'Help Reach Every Learner. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(sup1), 28-31.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wass, R., & Golding, C. (2014). Sharpening a tool for teaching: the zone of proximal development. Teaching in Higher Education, 19(6), 671-684.

Wood, D., Bruner, J., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, 17, 89−100.

Wood, D., & Middleton, D. (1975). A study of assisted problem-solving. British Journal of Psychology, 66(2), 181−191.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development & Scaffolding Theory In Psychology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.

# data[].attributes.body
Sick of the usual paper-based exit tickets? Try out one of these digital options.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Class is done. We've learned a lot. We've tried some new things. We've had some great discussions.

So ... now what?

How can we make the most of the end of class? How can we tie a bow on a day of class to wrap everything up?

An exit ticket gives us that opportunity - much like bell-ringer activities help us kick class off effectively.

The name "exit ticket" makes it sound like you need a ticket to exit the room, but exit tickets are final quick check-ins with students before class wraps up.

What can we do with exit tickets?

In an article in the publication Educational Leadership by ASCD, Robert Marzano explains that there are four kinds of prompts teachers often use with exit slips - prompts that ...

Provide formative assessment data (How would you rate your current level of understanding of what we did today?)

Stimulate student analysis (How hard did you work today? What could you have done to help yourself learn better?)

Focus on instructional strategies (How did the group work today help you understand the content?)

Are open communications to the teacher (What could I do differently to help you understand better?)

Exit tickets are also a research-based best practice for several reasons ...

Exit tickets are a pretty versatile tool. We can use exit tickets one day as formative assessment and on another day to check in on students' feelings to learning.

Armed with this data, it can inform your instruction instantly - as soon as the next day or even later on in that same day!

So ... what does this look like in a classroom? What digital tools can help us with exit tickets? I have 10 ideas for both!

BONUS: The Exit Ticket Builder for Google Slides and PowerPoint

Having some ideas for exit ticket prompts can save you time AND help you remix them to meet the needs of your students.

Here I'll share 10 exit ticket prompts ... but let's take it a step further!

These prompts are part of my FREE Exit Ticket Builder template for Google Slides and PowerPoint! With this template, you can quickly add any of the 20 pre-made exit ticket prompts to your slide deck -- then assign it to students.

Flip through the slides below to see all the exit ticket ideas in the Exit Ticket Builder.

Then, make a copy in Google Slides or PowerPoint to assign to your students!

10 ideas for exit ticket prompts

Here are 10 exit ticket prompt ideas that you can use to wrap up your class ...

1. Do you agree or disagree with the topic today? Describe why. If you're studying a topic that has two or more sides, this lets the student decide where he/she stands and why.

2. How are you doing? Just a simple social-emotional check-in can give the teacher valuable information and help the student to feel seen and heard.

10 digital tools for exit tickets

The traditional way of doing exit tickets is with slips of paper. That's totally fine. But we do have plenty of digital options that give us variety.

The great thing about many of these is that you can re-use them. For many, you can create them once and use the same (or similar) questions and templates without having to reinvent the wheel.

Here are some digital tools and ideas for using them for using digital exit tickets in the classroom.

1. Socrative

Use Socrative ( socrative.com) for to ask a quick question or do a quick poll at the end of class. The quick question option lets you ask a super-fast open-ended or multiple choice question. Plus, Socrative has a built-in exit ticket option, asking students ...

how well they understood the day's lesson (multiple choice)

what they learned (open-ended)

to answer an additional question from the teacher, maybe one you ask verbally (open-ended)

Benefits: It's fast and summarizes your info quickly on one screen.

2. Google Forms

Creating a quick Google Form ( forms.google.com) can let you customize your exit ticket experience. Building your exit ticket with Forms, Google's survey tool, lets you add a variety of question types. Plus, you can also display videos, images and text. The drag and drop interface of Google Forms makes it pretty easy to pull together an exit ticket. When you're done, use the "Send" button to give your students a link. View results in the "Responses" tab and even export them to a spreadsheet.

Benefits: You get more question types and multimedia. You can view graphs of responses quickly.

3. Pear Deck

Pear Deck ( peardeck.com) works with slide presentation tools (easiest, in my opinion: Google Slides, with the Pear Deck add-on) to make slides interactive. Have a quick slide deck pre-created for the end of class. Design slides visually - or use the pre-created slides in Pear Deck's slide library in the Google Slides add-on. Students interact on their screen, drawing, dragging and typing. Pear Deck has a paid premium version, but there's a lot you can do with its free version.

Benefits: Questions are visual, hands-on and interactive.

4. Flipgrid

Using Flipgrid ( flipgrid.com) as an exit ticket means you get to see and hear your students via video. Create a simple prompt. Give your students a link to it - or assign it in Google Classroom - or provide students the QR code to answer it. Students respond in their browser (or with the mobile app). It's one thing to see text on a screen. It's another to be able to read your students' body language and vocal intonation.

Benefits: You can learn more from watching how your students answer via video sometimes.

5. Synth

Like the idea of video responses but prefer to respond with audio? Synth ( gosynth.com) makes responding with your voice digitally feel like a conversation. Students can leave short audio responses to a question - perfect for exit tickets. But they can also respond to each other's recordings, making it feel more like an asynchronous conversation over time.

Benefits: This lets you hear your students' voices - and lets them practice answering with their voices.

6. Kahoot!

You're likely familiar with this classroom staple by now. We often use Kahoot! ( kahoot.com) for reviewing. However, we can also use it for exit tickets. Create a new survey Kahoot! instead of the traditional quiz game. Surveys still have multiple choices, but they aren't scored. It takes the competitive edge off and lets students be more thoughtful with their answers.

Benefits: It uses a familiar interface that students likely connect to having fun. Plus, students can answer quickly and easily.

7. Google Slides

Google Slides is for way more than oral presentations in front of class! Create a new slide presentation and share it with students, making it "everyone can edit". ( Instructions in this blog post.) Each student gets a slide on the slide deck for responding. Give students a question or prompt to respond to at the end of class. Note that everyone can see everyone's slides, so this wouldn't be ideal for fact recall or for sensitive personal questions. Because of the design freedom in Google Slides, it opens up what students can create for you quickly!

Benefits: The design tools mean students can quickly make something visual with text, images, lines, shapes, etc.

8. Formative

Formative ( goformative.com) is like using Google Forms in some ways. But it offers even more flexibility. There are TONS of question types. One of my favorites is the "Show Your Work" question where students draw their answers. If you ask multiple-choice questions, it will autograde the responses.

Benefits: Have students draw their answers using the "Show Your Work" question type.

9. Poll Everywhere

Using Poll Everywhere ( polleverywhere.com) lets you create a quick poll with lots of options. You can add images to your polls and even rank items instead of just choosing one.

Benefits: Ask students to rank multiple items.

10. Seesaw

Teachers love Seesaw ( seesaw.me) because it creates a digital learning community. It's a bit like social media (think Facebook) for the classroom. For exit tickets, students can post to their Seesaw classroom and snap a picture of what they've been working on. They can even annotate it by drawing and labeling.

Benefits: Marking up images can help students show what they know.

Exit tickets that DON'T use technology

Technology opens up lots of opportunities to assess, create and gather data in unique ways.

That doesn't mean we HAVE to use technology, though. Sometimes, the data we want to gather can be done faster - or more meaningfully - without technology.

Here are some ideas:

The sticky note mosaic: Grab a few pads of sticky notes of different colors. Tell students what each color stands for: something that know for sure, something they're still unclear on, something they need to tell the teacher, etc. Stick the sticky notes on the board randomly or in groups as they leave. The colors will help you sort them quickly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 ideas for exit tickets in the classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Class is done. How can we end it effectively? Using digital exit tickets can bring closure to your day. Here are 10 you can use tomorrow.

# data[].attributes.body
Want to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content into your classes but don't know where to start? Creative Spirits' video collection is a good starting point

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Creative Spirits acknowledges Country, the mother and nurturer, and the First Nations peoples who own, love and care for it since the beginning. We also acknowledge and pay respect to the Cammeraygal People of the Eora Nation, their continuing line of Elders, and all First Nations peoples, their wisdom, resilience and survival.

# data[].attributes.body
Teachers pay Teachers allows for Teachers who create great lesson plans and materials to share and upload their work for a cost. It is a great incentive for teachers to produce quality work to be implemented across schools. Ethical and Copyright concerns are needed to be considered and before using another teachers materials.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
World's most popular online marketplace for original educational resources with more than four million resources available for use today.

# data[].attributes.body
Science can be a difficult subject to grasp as concepts are frequently abstract and require significant imagination to understand. Digital media is invaluable in visualising scientific concepts aiding in its understanding. Biorender is an exceptional tool for producing workflows and other scientific diagrams. It is an easy to use, intuitive program similar to Canva in layout, however has all the scientific features that are lacking in Canva. Scientific diagrams can be drawn in vivid detail with many drag and drop options for all the frequently used scientific features (organelles, cells, plants and animals, receptors, etc).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scientific Image and Illustration Software | BioRender

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Browse 1000s of icons & templates from many fields of life sciences. Create science figures in minutes with BioRender scientific illustration software!

# data[].attributes.body
Interactive resource to enhance student understanding of dominance and recessive.
As recommended by Chris Hoffensetz, instructions for use need to be explicitly taught as it can be confusing if students do not know how to control the user interface.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enter the virtual world of Geniverse where students explore heredity and genetics by breeding and studying virtual dragons. In this activity, control the process of meiosis and fertilization in dragons. Win challenges by examining the genes on dragon chromosomes, recombining alleles, and selecting the right gametes.

# data[].attributes.body
Phet Interactive simulations by the University of Colorado are an excellent resource for science teachers. There is a simulation available for most STEM topics covering biology, physics, chemistry and some mathematics. Students can use the simulation on their own devices and play around with different parameters. This tool was invaluable during Covid when students could not attend school to complete experiments, or were not allowed to due to distancing requirements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over 1.1 billion simulations delivered

160interactive simulations

97language translations

3001teacher-submitted lessons

Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

# data[].attributes.body
Need to visualise a molecule? Look no further!

Students and teachers can use this tool to see the arrangement of atoms and the associated bonds in 2D and 3D.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By closing this banner and using MolView, you agree with the Terms of Use!

read the Terms of Use

We need your support to create more cool stuff! Donate

Allow MolView to collect annonymous usage data ( details)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By closing this banner and using MolView, you agree with the Terms of Use! read the Terms of Use We need your support to create more cool stuff! Donate Allow MolView to collect annonymous usage data ( details)

# data[].attributes.body
Although Year 7's do not cover the Periodic Table, it may still be useful to have this interactive table handy if explaining any concepts that may relate to the elements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interactive periodic table showing names, electrons, and oxidation states. Visualize trends, 3D orbitals, isotopes, and mix compounds. Fully descriptive writeups.

# data[].attributes.body
An addictive gamified environment that provides users with a clear sense of a range of protein characteristics from hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions and bonding (hydrogen, disulfide) and amino acid side chains and levels of structure (primary, secondary & tertiary).  Learning in Foldit is potentially unlimited with users now designing proteins for a range of real-world applications.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Latest News

November 13, 2023

Office Hour 11/15/23

November 09, 2023

New Release (2023-11-09)

November 07, 2023

Developer Preview Release (2023-11-07)

October 23, 2023

Developer Preview Release (2023-10-23)

October 02, 2023

New Release (2023-10-02)

August 18, 2023

SARS-CoV-2 helicase CACHE Challenge preliminary results

August 11, 2023

[Drug Design Minute] CCHFV

August 04, 2023

CCHFV Protease

July 20, 2023

Office Hour 7/25/23

June 15, 2023

Compound Library Update (2023-06-15)

See all news
See Who's Leading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
November 13, 2023 Office Hour 11/15/23 November 09, 2023 New Release (2023-11-09) November 07, 2023 Developer Preview Release (2023-11-07) October 23, 2023 Developer Preview Release (2023-10-23) October 02, 2023 New Release (2023-10-02) August 18, 2023 SARS-CoV-2 helicase CACHE Challenge preliminary results August 11, 2023 [Drug Design Minute] CCHFV August 04, 2023 CCHFV Protease July 20, 2023 Office Hour 7/25/23 June 15, 2023 Compound Library Update (2023-06-15) See all news See Who's Leading

# data[].attributes.body
Good for year 10 biology unit as students can visualise change in genetic traits over time which would not be feasible in a physical practical.

# data[].attributes.body
Great resource which I have effectively used with year 10 biology students. Allowed students to work through punnet squares and how recessive and dominant alleles are expressed through multiple generations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You will begin by identifying your own traits. As you go, you will begin to see exactly what you looked like as a baby.

Answer each question as best you can. If you can't figure out an answer, ask someone nearby to help you decide!

Enter your name:

Let's get started! Start with a random baby

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You will begin by identifying your own traits. As you go, you will begin to see exactly what you looked like as a baby. Answer each question as best you can. If you can't figure out an answer, ask someone nearby to help you decide! Enter your name: Let's get started!

# data[].attributes.body
Simple mitosis interactive resource. Not enough content for a whole virtual lab, but can be used to support student understanding as it is interactive and helps to visualise a process that cannot be seen by the human eye.