Mindomo

Google Forms for Formative Assessment

The Language of Targets

 

Having just read James Theobald’s highly engaging article on targets and limits, I was reminded of Dweck’s point about performance goals versus learning goals. If we set students performance goals, we set up hoops to be jumped through and tell them the hoop is the point – be that the A grade or the number of hotdogs they need to eat. Surely the learning is the point and the hoop only comes at the end of the course?

The language of targets is all important if we want students to focus on their own learning and progress.

The ‘To…’ ‘By…’ method is all important because it provides a focus and a mechanism:

 

 

New Handbook

http://blur.by/1xOinJc

 

Metacognitive approach for Maths/Science

Two sentences can start a dialogue about learning/provide revision focus before a test/set targets.

Extreme Marking: QR Codes

http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com

Paste the link of the url you want the student to use (maybe an Evernote page with your audio feedback or a Videoscribe you have made) into this website and then print the QR code and stick into the student’s excercise book.

The student scans the code with their phone/ipad to directly access the resource.

A tech too far? Maybe…

 

 

 

Quia and IXL Maths

I have been a fan of http://www.quia.com for years. It is a brilliant site that allows teachers to set work to be graded automatically. The ‘gradebook’ then produces reports for students, whole classes and analyses the data for troublespots. You can acquire activities already made from teachers accross the globe.

Students can use it themselves to create activities to enable them to revise material.

The sibling company IXL Maths is something I have just started trialling with my own children. It already has activities made for every aspect of the UK Maths curriculum up to Yr11 and selected aspects of Yr12.

It has all the gradebook features of quia and surpasses MyMaths in many respects. Again, there is a free 30 day trial available and you could use the final weeks of term to trial it with up to 90 students.

http://www.ixl.com

Video Scribe

 

Death by powerpoint? So over prezi? This presentation creator is very cool and easy to use. It enables you to illustrate a concept rather than simply presenting it as text. The programme draws text and pictures in real time and you can add music and narration over the top. This is great for flipped lessons or for creating resources you want to keep and use again. Record micro lesson and put them on your VLE. How many time have you taught the apostrophe? Don’t repeat yourself, create a videoscribe and get the students to watch it and do their own follow up tasks.

The company does a 30 day free trial. http://www.sparkol.com

Memrise

This is a brilliant website that enables students to take control of their learning. It uses techniques grounded in neuroscience and asks students to creates ‘mems’ or memory tricks to enable information to be retained.

It is perfect for learning languages, retaining key facts or quotations. Sixth formers could easily tailor it to their own needs or you could create a scheme for your younger students to follow.

It’s free!

http://www.memrise.com

 

Growth Mindsets

This presentation on Fostering independence will form part of a T&L INSET.