Teach Now Blog

Tower Garden Experiment: http://pblu.org/projects/the-tower-garden-challenge Rubric 1 2 3 4 Critical Thinking The analysis contains serious mistakes, or is barely attempted.   The analysis contains some minor errors or is not quite complete.   Students made reasonable conclusions from the experiment, but did not go into much depth or get beyond surface level analysis. Analysis shows that students made serious effort to gain a personal understanding of the experiment and made sound conclusions. Collaboration Students did not work together on the project. Students barely cooperated, or cooperated poorly.   Students worked on the project, but the workload was somewhat unbalanced between team mates. Students included team mates in the project and made significant contributions. (division of labor) Communication Stu

In my previous experience teaching, I have already made frequent use of comprehension checks.   I learned in the most recent Teach Now activity how to make them more rigorous.   Here are the formative assessments I produced on which this commentary is based: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YQLpt6BCqGdLYkxEZ-VY_3C968s77jVN/edit# https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rQRQntd0nz64cYRZsFrQo9d_1wWUsJuT-MpyHpmTNEo/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ruS8LzdV_kq0Ed2ERoxB4ZMv646gxaDTvH--09V5_XI/edit In my science classes, I had never tested for literacy, since I figured science was not a language-oriented subject.   I see now, however, that students can express even potentially nonverbal subjects in writing, and this gives them another way of showing that they understand.   I can incorporate questions that require written responses more often in my formative assessments in the future. I also learned that it is good to go into any assignment with a framework for how t

Brendan Golledge Here is the original project description:  http://teachnow2019cohort4.pbworks.com/w/page/134174877/Project%20Based%20Learning Ruberic: 1, 2, and 3 are compared to 4, which is basically perfect. 1 (Not Good) 2 (Can be Improved) 3 (Good) 4 (Excellent, nothing more could be expected) Critical Thinking The student puts forth minimal effort to do this part of the assignment.   The career plan and career analysis are superficial and only 1 or 2 sentences long. The student does one part very well but does another not well, OR the argument or plan is vague, or has some serious problems. Like 4, but with only a few details, or with minor problems in their career plan. The student makes a reasonable and detailed argument for why the studied profession would or would not make a good fit for them.   The student provides a reasonable and detailed career plan.   Creativity The student