EdTechTeam

Global Network of Educational Technologists

Remote Teaching

How to Create Meaningful and Accurate Formative Assessments with EduProtocols

Can you relate to this? – You teach a lesson. You give your students the quiz and there are varying levels of mastery. You create a new lesson that night to then reteach the next day. You check for understanding…the kids totally understand. You quiz again…and they didn’t totally understand. 

Can you relate to this? – Your grade level team identifies an area of need/standard based on old data. You design an assessment to measure this standard. You teach and test. You are hopeful that your students will master this one standard by the end of the year. 

So…let’s try something that may be more effective and inFORMative. Using the EduProtocols, informed instruction will allow for more agility, flexibility, and versatility, while maintaining a student centered focus. With repetition and timely feedback or even feed forward, students receive information and can adjust their learning.

Agility: The power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness

When routines are put into place, processes become more streamlined. Think of your morning routine. The night before, perhaps I pick out what I am going to wear to work and I pack up my lunch so the morning goes more smoothly. This allows the flow of my morning to go swiftly and I am out the door on time. 

The same thing happens with EduProtocols. Early in the school year, I used Thin Slides, 8 pARTS Grammar, and the Frayer model almost daily. Not only did I have a quick idea of what students THOUGHT they knew, I could easily send a new template or frame out for the next activity. Feedback was easier to provide in small, quick doses rather than waiting for the “big assignment”…which would likely be moved to the bottom of the grading pile. 

For example, if the 8 pARTS Grammar assignment indicated that there were groups of students struggling with adverbs and adjectives, I could use that information to create a Frayer for each part of speech. Students would receive the Frayer that correlated with his or her need. Brief, targeted lessons would be taught. The next 8 pARTS assignment would likely be completed properly. 

The agility with which the EduProtocols can be planned, prepped, and assigned is a win for the teacher. I am able to make moves “on the fly” and not have to wait to plan an activity. In a few clicks, I can likely be ready to better meet the needs of the learners in front of me. 

Lesson Idea: 8 pARTS

The 8 pARTS EduProtocol provides for grammar instruction to be authentic and meaningful. This is the ORIGINAL EduProtocol! 

  1. Find a fun picture or gif that will intrigue students. There are a ton on the internet and students will even start providing them!
  2. I engage my students in a Notice and Wonder protocol just to get them talking to each other about what they see in the picture. 
  3. Students fill in the 8 parts of speech noted on the form. This could be broken apart based on the age of your students. You will get an idea really quickly about what your mini lessons need to be. For the first time, we often brainstorm together.
  4. Students use the words they have brainstormed into a paragraph, practicing sentence writing.
  5. Students can swap papers/documents and even mark up the parts of speech with highlighting. 

The agility comes with the fact that this EduProtocol has morphed into Sentence Parts, MathReps, 8 Parts for Primary Sources. When paired with The Fast and the Curious (target specific grammar skills), Thin Slides, Frayer, etc., effective, informed lessons will help students’ skills grow in these areas. Templates can be found here. MathReps can be found here.

Flexibility: The quality of being easily adapted or of offering many different options

EduProtocols are super malleable. They can be twisted, turned, and iterated into something unexpected and amazing. Talk about Universal Design for Learning! Students will start to find ways to adapt to them as well. This is important when looking for a variety of ways students can “show what they know.” Depending on what I need to see for the level of learning, I may opt for a Thin Slide, a Sketch and Tell, or a Mini Report. Each of these would provide me with varying levels of understanding. 

Sketch and Tell can be leveraged across all content areas. The “show” portion can be a simple sketch using online tools or a picture of an actual paper/pencil drawing. Adam Moler has students use Legos, gummy bears, and playdough for this portion of the assignment. The “tell” side can include evidence, a response, a Frayer model, or a Flipgrid. 

Lesson Idea: Sketch and Tell

The flexibility of this EduProtocols is key to keeping things fresh in your classroom and formative assessment:

  • In Language Arts: vocabulary, figurative language, character traits, theme, literary devices.
  • In Science: vocabulary, processes, how-to’s.
  • In Social Studies: vocabulary, events, people, locations
  • In Math: problem solving, explain your thinking, notice and wonder

Sketch and Tell can be used in very sophisticated ways that will add meaning to content and let the teacher see what students know and what needs to be clarified. This provides a wonderful opportunity for students to share with one another or with peers. A Sketch and Tell plus Fligrid would pair nicely with the whiteboard option now in Flipgrid. For the Sketch and Tell Template, please click here. 

Versatility: The state or quality of being useful for or easily adapted to various tasks, styles, fields of endeavor

With all of the EduProtocols, I find the versatility of input, interaction, and output key to keeping me informed about my students and their progress in learning. When teachers use EduProtocols, students consume information, practice with the information, and then meet mastery over time. I spend September to December “training” students to use the EduProtocols. I make slight variations to keep the lessons fresh and engaging. The fact that I don’t have to teach and reteach HOW to use a graphic organizer allows my teaching to be faster as the year goes on. The students practically guide themselves even though the content increases in rigor. 

To keep the lessons unique, vary the input, interaction, and output. This often ends up looking like “choices” in learning, thereby creating buy-in as well. 

Input: Students don’t need to read articles or passages as a sole means of input. Video, commercials, music, poetry, primary sources, pictures, etc. can all serve as the input. Picture books, quotes, and art can even serve as inspiration.

Interaction: Learning should not be a “single rider” experience. Partners, trios and quads can work together collaboratively. Sometimes this can occur synchronously or asynchronously. Breakout rooms allow for real time interaction. Flipgrid can be used as well. Many teachers are making use of applications such as Nearpod, Seesaw, and Peardeck. EduProtocols naturally fold into these helpful tools.

Output: Students cannot just learn by consuming! Evidence of learning can take place in a variety of ways. Students can create using a variety of tools. Google Slides tend to dominate due to their convenience. Other creation tools to consider include: Book Creator, Adobe Spark, Google Drawing, Jamboard, My Maps, etc. 

By offering choice and exposure to new tools, students learn various ways to express their learning. I do think that the number of choices should be limited until students become familiar with the tools. 

Many teachers shy away from varied outputs due to grading. In my opinion, the success of students can be measured in many ways. I find the Single Point Rubric very helpful when evaluating the content of what a student has completed. The article linked previously demonstrates the power of the single point rubric and the impact on student learning. 

Keep your teaching INFORMed

I always thought I knew more about my students than any publisher test ever showed me. The EduProtocols have shown me even more! Thinking is made visible on a variety of levels. My students have become much more articulate in explaining themselves. I know I am making decisions minute by minute based on the information gleaned from INFORMed instruction. 

When I set forth to plan, I know that “there is an EduProtocol for that”! Solid lesson design modeled after Madelnine Hunter’s lesson design elements is simplified with EduProtocols. 

To help you get started, please consider checking out the SmartStart lessons ready to go. These are non-content, low cognitive load activities to get you started. Or, you may consider adopting an EduProtocol of the Week. Here is the Wakelet of EduProtocols!

Kim Voge

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

How to Maximize the 4 C’s in Your Classroom

For about a decade now, we have had the “new” state standards. One call to action in these standards was to prepare students for the“21st century” by ensuring students are college and career ready. This preparation included what has become known as the “4 C’s”: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. Evidence of the need for these 4 C’s is embedded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). To create truly student centered, personalized learning opportunities, teachers must design lessons with intention. By adding a “C” to a lesson, we ramp up rigor and engagement.

In the EduProtocols Field Guide, Book 1, the authors, Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern spend time engaging readers in a task to evaluate their own practices. Chapter 14, The Four C’s Throwdown, allows readers to consider the level of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking in their current practices. This activity definitely highlights the glows and areas for growth in lesson design.

Many of the EduProtocols combine multiple “C’s”. In the descriptions below, I describe how four EduProtocols really allow for student centered experiences in communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

Communication

Students need to share their thoughts, ideas, and research with an authentic audience. When students realize that their work is seen beyond the eyes of their teachers, they are more invested in the quality of their work. By practicing various forms of communication, students will relate to others on higher levels. 

Lesson Idea: CyberSandwich

  • The Gist: Students read and annotate a short passage. Pairs or trios share their notes with each other, noting the similarities and differences. Students independently compose a summary paragraph.
  • The Template
  • What kids say: 
    • I like that you read an article then take notes and talk about it to other people.
    • I like Cyber Sandwich because you and your partner read a passage and discuss what you thought were the main details.
    • I like Cyber Sandwich because it helps you get information in a fun way while being social with your partner.
  • What I noticed: With consistent use of CyberSandwich, my students became much more comfortable sharing their ideas, accepting feedback and suggestions. Summarizing became second nature. They engaged in meaningful conversation, learning social cues as well as listening skills. 

Collaboration

There is no denying that collaboration prepares one for the workplace and daily interactions. Students need opportunities to flex these muscles as they learn how to work with others. Structured activities like Iron Chef scaffold this skill set. 

Lesson Idea: Iron Chef

  • The Gist: Think Jigsaw. Break apart a larger reading into 4 sections. Each student reads their part and completes a slide that paraphrases, summarizes, illustrates, explains, etc. Students add a graphic and a “secret ingredient”.  Students have a time limit to complete. Then each group shares. Other groups listen, allowing the repetition of information.
  • The Template
  • What kids say:
    • I like breaking up the work.
    • I like that I don’t have to talk for a long time when we share.
    • The secret ingredient is always something fun!
  • What I noticed: Over time, my students started to put more effort into creating slides with more elaborate details or facts so they were unique compared to other groups. It was never a competition, but they found their intrinsic motivation to “out do” each other. They started suggesting “secret ingredients”.

Creativity

Creativity is not just being creative. Creativity can look like connecting ideas in new ways. Creativity can be about allowing choice in how students access information, engage in learning, or express their learning. Writing is a natural place for creativity. Too often the structure in writing confines the student. Writing is pursuing ideas and linking them together in a meaningful way. 

Lesson Idea: Random Emoji Power Paragraph

  • The Gist: Using the Random Emoji Generator, students type one sentence per emoji. Each emoji is revealed one at a time. Students must connect ideas as each subsequent emoji appears. Students type their sentences in an application like Socrative, which allows the teacher to show and share paragraphs back to the class. 
  • The Random Emoji Generator
  • What kids say:
    • I like how there is randomness in it and it’s not like you just saying, “Write about _____ and ____ when _____ goes to the _____.” I like it because you don’t know how the story is going to change.
    • Emoji Power Paragraph is one of my favorite because it gives you the freedom to write your own story.
    • Yes! Awesome the best thing in the class.
    • This is one of my favorite things to do in class. It is great basing your story off random emojis.
  • What I noticed: I have NEVER had kids ASK TO WRITE! Have you? I think we could do this daily and they would not complain. When students write for a larger audience, they take more care in word choice and sentence structure. The best part of this activity is the second part, “Nacho Paragraph.” Students take a fellow student’s paragraph and edit and revise. I have never seen a true revision like this before! Writing authentically and revising authentically yield much better writing than editing some pre-made paragraph.

Critical Thinking

Students need opportunities to explore and interact with problems and open ended activities. Analyzing data and research in meaningful ways will help students look for creative ways to solve problems.

Lesson Idea: BookaKucha

  • The Gist: Students can be reading their own book. Choose a topic, like setting. Students create a slide describing the setting of their story, citing evidence or a passage from the book, and a picture. Students share slides in small groups or to the class, depending on the time factor.
  • The Template
  • What kids say:
    • You can read from a book, show your thinking and present it to other people.
    • It’s a quick way to write my thoughts and it’s not boring.
    • It is cool because you can see other people’s slides and see what they wrote.
  • What I noticed: Over time, students were much more adept at citing evidence! This skill is necessary for taking a critical look at topics in science and social studies. I did not assign BookaKucha thinking this would be an outcome. I was happily surprised at this unintended outcome!

Ramping up rigor doesn’t have to be time consuming when it comes to planning lessons. Adding at least one of the four “C’s” will likely be the missing piece when it comes to student engagement, access, or expression. Planning and lesson design is much more enjoyable for me. The quotes from my students validate their thoughts about learning with the EduProtocols. Never have I had kids CHEER for activities like they do with the EduProtocols.

Looking for more support on creating active learning experiences to develop the 4 C’s in your learners? Get access to proven protocols, customizable templates, and interactive support for FREE at Untamed Learning. Click here to get your free ticket!

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

What Are EduProtocols?

Teachers, have you ever attended professional development and walked away with a BIG BLUE BINDER that ends up filling up space on a bookshelf? I am pretty sure the answer is YES. Oftentimes, the professional development provided leaves us full of binders and information that will basically patch up a perceived problem. The most useful information and guidance in my instructional practices has come from EduProtocols. The EduProtocols Field Guide, Books 1 and 2, have given me tangible ways to create valuable learning experiences for my students. Best of all, the interaction with the authors, Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern, via Twitter provides mentoring and coaching. (No binder ever included that!)

I know you’re probably asking, “What is an EduProtocol?”  From the www.eduprotocols.com website, “EduProtocols are instructional lesson frames that are designed to engage students in learning through critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. EduProtocols can be used with any subject, any grade level.”

Benefit #1: Agile, Versatile, Flexible

EduProtocols are lesson frames a teacher can use in a variety of ways, across all content areas and grade levels. Once you start using them regularly, you will find yourself thinking about how you can “play” with them in your planning!

When I first started using the Thin Slide EduProtocol, I implemented it in my vocabulary lessons. For a Thin Slide, students are provided a word and each student completes a slide with the word, a definition, and a picture. A time constraint of 3 minutes is used to create a sense of urgency and productivity. Students are given about 5-10 seconds to share and “whip around” the classroom. With little to no prep, I found myself using Thin Slides daily…check for understanding, provide an example of  ____, notice and wonder. 

After a while, we started using them for study guides. The Thin Slide Study Guide replaced the need for flash cards created individually by students. Crowdsourcing the information created collaboration among students. 

Thin Slides literally have no teacher prep. Share a slide deck, students grab a slide, and 3 minutes later, you are sharing! Here’s a template to get you started!

Benefit #2: Learning Across All Domains

It is recommended that EduProtocols be introduced with non-content to lessen the cognitive load. Students need to learn the structure and the flow of the EduProtocols. Once they are familiar with how the learning is going to happen, we can change up the content. It’s very reassuring when students start requesting EduProtocols by name! As they come to understand how they are going to learn, we can ramp up the rigor! 

The Frayer Model is very useful for vocabulary and concepts. Instead of starting right off with content embedded vocabulary, we start with Frayer a Friend. Students pair up and interview each other about their likes and dislikes, their dream pet, etc. Pairs form quads and the introductions begin. With this one activity, we have established a learning routine, created conversation among students, and built relationships. 

And, look at all Marzano’s high yield strategies in one activity: similarities and differences, advanced organizers, and cooperative learning. 

The authors and I developed a whole set of lessons ready to help you start with EduProtocols. You can obtain a copy of Smart Start by clicking here. 

Benefit #3: The 4 C’s and UDL

EduProtocols provide teachers with a way to plan lessons with students’ needs in mind. Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are connected in the EduProtocols. The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are also evident. With the EduProtocols, students will be engaged in the learning process, be able to access information in a variety of ways, and express their understanding in creative ways. 

Sketch and Tell is an extremely malleable EduProtocol. Typically used for summary writing, students have some input (text, video, audio) and they SKETCH something they learned. They tell a partner, sharing what they learned. This is key to summary writing- if kids can’t talk about it, they can’t write about it! Lastly, they write about it. Adam Moler, an avid EduProtocol user, has changed up the SKETCH portion. His students have used Legos, gummy bears, and playdough to serve as their sketch medium.  Here’s the Sketch and Tell template.

Benefit #4: Teach Better, Work Less

This mantra from Jon Corippo always makes me think….yes, I am teaching better than I ever have. I don’t know that I am working “less”. I think I am working more efficiently and effectively using my time. My feedback to students is more specific. My prep time decreased using the templates and lesson frames. Learning is more efficient and meaningful for my students. They know how to access information readily. They understand the function of the structures and the intended outcome. We definitely went slowly at first. After January, we started learning at a pretty impressive pace. You don’t need a big blue binder…You need www.eduprotocols.com Trust me!

Looking for more lesson design support? Get access to proven protocols, customizable templates, and interactive support at Untamed Learning. Click here to learn more! 

 

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

How to Save Time Creating Lessons

As a teacher of 27 years, one problem, of many, facing teachers has been the amount of time it takes to create lessons. There is no magic wand to make this process painless, but there is a way to make lesson planning and creating more efficient. Our current Covid, pandemic reality has exacerbated this issue. Now is the time to find the routines that will allow for quicker planning, increased engagement, and stickier learning for students.

In the fall of 2019, I returned to the classroom after being a teacher on special assignment for eight years. I faced new standards, new textbook adoptions, at a new school site. I was creating everything new without an onsite support system. Then March 13th happened! Within a couple of hours, my students were packed up and out the door with their belongings. Little did we know that it would be our last day face to face.

Our transition to distance learning/crisis learning was rather smooth based on the fact that I had been implementing the EduProtocols from Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern. Not only were my students flexible in their use of technology and the EduProtocols, but planning and lesson creating began to follow a workable routine.

“Planning the perfect week” became an effective routine for my students’ academic success and my sanity in planning and creating content.

Step #1: Identify your routines

You may not even be aware of the routines you actually have when it comes to planning. Take a few minutes to reflect on your planning. I noticed a few commonalities in the planning of a concept/unit/week. I started to chunk the material into more manageable tasks. You will notice that I reference many EduProtocols. These will be explained in more detail through a series of blog posts. Here is a link to my first iteration of this process.


Students appreciated the routines established and the familiarity of the EduProtocols. Because they had their interactions with the EduProtocols scaffolded, they were able to apply the cognitive skills with higher level materials/content as the year progressed.

Step #2: Consider the “flow”

I found myself planning a week at a time by breaking apart Hyperdocs. Hyperdocs are powerful tools that allow a teacher to plan a whole cycle of learning by identifying the moving parts into a routine streamlined planning process. The 5 E model: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate work well when planning, pacing, and delivering content rich lessons that allow for student choice.

After modeling the 5 E model or other iterations, my students became content creators for each other! Towards the end of the year, students self-selected topics, with parameters, and moved from consumers to creators! They felt empowered and thoroughly enjoyed making lessons for each other. 

There are a variety of templates for Hyperdocs that can help ease the planning and creating time.

Step #3: Leverage Templates

Stop thinking that you need to change up the graphic organizer every time you use it. Stop “making it pretty.”  I am a self-proclaimed font snob and pretty preso maker! Let the kids make the slides eye-catching. Make use of the slide master in Google Slides to grab some fonts and layouts that always work. Please consider the visual needs of students when making font and color choices. That super cute font may not be readable by some of your students. Your color scheme may look appealing on your screen, but once on a display, it goes awry. There are many EduProtocol templates ready to implement…make a copy and go! Check them out at www.eduprotocols.com

Step #4: Get Organized

I don’t know about you, but my Google Drive is a hot mess. I created a spreadsheet with my EduProtocol templates so they were ready-to-access. Make a copy, rename, and you are up and running. 

For distance learning, I plan and post the whole week. I created a simple template in Google Slides. I adapt the colors and bitmojis for the season/holiday. Every week looks the same: slide with links, FYI, weekly tasks, ELA, Math, Science or Social Studies. Links on the Weekly Planner go directly to the assignment in Google Classroom. It takes a few weeks to get kids trained, but then the rest of the year will go smoothly! 

I honestly don’t know how I would be surviving our current situation without leveraging the power in the EduProtocols. Not only have they saved me hours, they have made me a more effective teacher. My students are more effective and engaged learners. They are learning how to learn…acquiring knowledge through routines, practice, and feedback.

Looking for more lesson design support? Get access to proven protocols, customizable templates, and interactive support at Untamed Learning. Click here to learn more! 

 

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

Teacher Organization Hacks: Declutter your Digital Workspace

Raise your hand if your digital workspace could use a good declutter! You find yourself spending 25 minutes searching for that one Doc you need or you can’t even open your inbox because that unread number causes your stress and anxiety to shoot through the roof.

We’re here to help with some tips for managing multiple Google accounts, organizing bookmarks, and taking control of your inbox. Are you ready to go Marie Kondo on your digital workspace? Let’s dive right in!

All of the tips below include G Suite tools and demonstrated inside Google Chrome.

Tip #1: How to Manage Multiple Google Accounts

If you’re like us, then you have multiple Google accounts. You’re constantly signing in and out of your personal or work account, but things get messy this way. Something always gets created under the wrong account making it even harder to find what you’re searching for. Our solution…separate your digital houses. There are two ways to access your Google account: log into your account inside your preferred browser or create a separate Chrome profile for each account. Spoiler alert – option two is the one you want! In the video below, Amanda Taylor is showing you exactly what we mean by “separate your digital houses” and how to switch between your accounts with the click of a button to keep everything separated so you can always find what you’re looking for inside your account.

Tip #2: How to Organize Your Bookmarks

This might seem like a simple tip, but trust us when we say that it’s a game-changer! Go and look at your bookmarks. How many do you have? How often do you actually use what you have saved to your bookmarks? Now, what are those top 6-10 websites you visit every day? Are they bookmarked or do you find yourself typing out the websites in your search box again and again because somehow it just feels easier?

If you’re like the majority of people (even us!) you’re bookmarks are a little out of control. The thing about bookmarks is they can save us so much time if they are used correctly. We’re talking about saving icons to your bookmark bar to take up less space, utilizing folders, and organizing your bookmarks so you can quickly and easily access what you need and use the most. In the video below, Amanda is showing you how to do all of this step-by-step.

Tip #3: How to Take Control of Your Inbox

We’ve saved the best for last…taking control of your inbox. If we had a dime for every time someone said they were excited to open their inbox we would have about 2 dimes. Shocking we know, but most people dread opening their inbox. We want to change that! We want to help you manage your inbox and get you to the point where you maybe aren’t excited to open your inbox, but you don’t feel that overwhelming stress when you see that unread number.

We’re showing you how to remove old emails from your inbox (quickly!), create filters & labels so you can easily search and find what you’re looking for, and how to set up your inbox so it best works for you. Dive into Amanda’s top tips in the video below.

We’ll be tackling Google Drive, Calendar, and Chrome extensions in another post, but for now, we hope you found all of these tips helpful and you can start to declutter your digital workspace. Let us know in the comments below if you’ll be incorporating any of these tips into your daily workflow.

Looking for ways to tried and true techniques, customizable templates, proven protocols, and interactive support to create high-impact learning experiences in your classroom?

Check out our virtual conference – Untamed Learning and get access to 32 sessions to help you ignite your teaching practice in 2021!