Using Flubaroo to Give Students Meaningful Feedback

Flubaroo is a google add-on tool for google sheets that will automatically grade submissions based on the criteria that are set by the teacher. It's an extremely popular add-on. In its first iteration, it was a tool that worked best just with multiple choice or single word text/number questions. Recently it has undergone improvements that make it much more student-centered and teacher-friendly.

Formative Assessment Made Easy with Superquiz

Super Quiz is a great new formative assessment tool that has just been released.  Super Quiz is an Add-On for Google Sheets that quickly creates data and statistical displays of any student responses. Flubaroo has been another popular grading tool for Google Forms & Sheets for a long time and now there's another option that teachers can choose from. With Super Quiz, you don't need to wait for data on your students, you can instantly get breakdowns that will allow you to make quick instructional decisions and support struggling students.

"Scaffold-Blasting" - Differentiate on the Fly in Google Classroom

Being able to differentiate assignments in Google Classroom is an oft-requested feature. We know that differentiation done well is one path to creating an equitable learning environment for all of our students.

Currently, there are work-arounds such as attaching multiple versions of a google doc and directing students on which assignment to choose or using a google sheet add-on such as Doctopus to manage the differentiation. But like most work-arounds, those choices come with an added layer of complexity for the teacher and/or the student.

How about a solution that's quick, easy, and most importantly, instantly responsive to the student's needs in the moment?

Erich Ball, Social Studies teacher at Aurora Hills Middle School, came up with a method he has termed "Scaffold-Blasting."

Engage Students in Digital Learning with NHL Hockey

In partnership with the Colorado Avalanche, Everfi has released a powerful new tool to engage students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning.  This new tool is entirely free and web-based so it can be used on any device.  It involves incredible interactions with the game of hockey from the engineering of skates to the area of the ice to finding angles of puck passes.  It's also perfect for second language learners as it has great audio directions to accompany the text.  If you are interested in using the great new tool to enhance student learning, check out the additional information below.

Logistics and agency- an important model of classroom organization

When a classroom teacher first gains access to a cart of Chromebooks (or laptops, or iPads...) she also gains a number of untold logistical challenges. Even before a teacher thinks about how to support students in working and collaborating efficiently and effectively online, she has to think about how to establish routines in the classroom so that students can take out and put away the devices without a creating a learner logjam at the beginning and end of class. Strong logistical systems can help establish a culture of responsibility and translate to on-task behavior. When students play a part in strong systems, they develop agency.

Chromebooks: An Educator's Perspective on Set-Up and Procedures

Our guest blogger is +Ellen Lewis, an 8th Grade Literacy teacher who has been with APS for a little over 10 years and teaching for 7 at East Middle School.  She enjoys engaging students and staff in personalized, blended learning opportunities.  Click here to connect with her on our district's G+.

Just received your first set of classroom Chromebooks?  Do you want to know how to make sure this is a terrific experience rather than a disaster?  The difference between the two experiences comes down to; 1) how you set up of the Chromebooks, and 2) classroom procedures implemented. 

Overcoming Writer's Block

Ever struggle with students saying that they don’t know what to write? They know they have the story in their head, but they are struggling to get it down on their google doc. We can debate whether or not "writer's block" is real, but that debate won't change the fact that some of your students are struggling to get started and you really, really want/need them to start writing.

Or maybe they know what they want to write, but the typing process is so painfully slow that they get frustrated and quit? While typing skills are important and should be worked on in context, sometimes you just want all of your students to have their writing to work on so that they can start the real learning of revision, receiving feedback, and more revision.