Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

Based on the reading data I’ve collected from my students, the percentage of students reading well below grade level is rising. Just four years ago, approximately 10% of my students were reading below grade level. Today, an alarming 30% are below grade level, with 25% scoring well below grade level. Booklist Assignment.

Culture 499

Culture Reading Assignments Blended Learning 499

eSchool News

JULY 26, 2023

According to ISTE, “Gamification is about transforming the classroom environment and regular activities into a game” (Haiken, 2021). Many students want more than just good grades from school–they want something physical or immediate. Here are three examples of gamification I use in my fourth grade classroom: 1.

Gamification 246

Gamification Grades Assignments Questions 246

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 5, 2021

Design a mix of 4-6 online and offline activities that correlate with what you usually cover in the first few weeks of the school year. Note : This station rotation series pictured above is designed for a 6th grade English Language Arts class. Create an overview of the rotations with links to resources and documents.

Blended Learning 521

Blended Learning Teachers Assignments Language 521

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Grading is the most time-consuming task teachers are responsible for beyond the classroom. Most of the teachers I know spend hours of their evenings and weekends grading student work. I have yet to meet a teacher who enjoys grading. Too often, teachers take practice and review home to grade for accuracy.

Blended Learning 535

Blended Learning Teachers Learning Grades 535

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 16, 2024

Application activities also enhance retention and mastery of information, making it more likely that students will retain and effectively use what they have learned in the future. Can you suggest engaging activities for my grade class focusing on ? Please provide some project-based learning ideas for grade students to explore.

History 382

History Art Essay Physical Education 382

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 24, 2020

As I support teachers struggling to navigate the demands of the concurrent classroom, I find myself continually returning to the station rotation model as a strategy to design and facilitate learning for this challenging teaching assignment. This where I see the station rotation model being particularly useful for all grade levels.

Attention 546

Attention Blended Learning Activities Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 2, 2018

A first-grade class may have students who are struggling to decode while other students are reading at a third-grade level. This presents significant challenges as teachers attempt to support students below grade-level while challenging those readers who are above grade level. ElemBookClubDirections.

Coaching 403

Coaching English Participation Assignments 403

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

Who decided that grading and assessment should be the exclusive responsibility of teachers? Self-assessment shifts the focus from a grade-centric perspective to a learning-centric one. It promotes ownership of learning, motivating students to be more engaged, active participants in their education.

Evaluation 428

Evaluation Assignments Failure Discussions 428

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

When a public school system in the San Francisco Bay Area explored replacing traditional grading practices with a form of “standards-based grading system” meant to eliminate bias, it sparked widespread opposition from parents. This school system is hardly alone in drawing controversy over changes to grading systems.

Grades 215

Grades Assignments Schools Testing 215

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 14, 2020

Students must select at least one activity from each column. They can use Google Classroom to create an assignment and “make a copy” for each student. For example, an elementary teacher may want to focus on a specific season or weather pattern while a secondary teacher might focus on cell division or energy sustainability.

Learning 546

Learning Assignments Universal Design Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 10, 2018

For the last two years, I have published several blogs detailing my journey away from traditional grading and assessment practices. I do not believe grades should happen to students. Ultimately, I want students to take an active role not only in their learning but also in the assessment of their progress as a learner.

Students 420

Students Grades Achievement Evaluation 420

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 7, 2020

In a previous post, I described how blended learning models could make this challenging teaching assignment more manageable ; however, that post assumes that teachers are familiar with blended learning. Begin class with a review activity, writing prompt, feedback form, quick quiz, or formative assessment. Present-Pause-Discuss.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Coaching Feedback Discussions 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Students who generally struggle to read at grade level could engage with this assignment in ways equal to their classmates who read at or above grade level. Each time I return to an assignment, I add strategies, like polling, discussion boards, and partner work to make the experience more engaging.

Blended Learning 397

Blended Learning Multiple Choice Questions Learning Discussions 397

Ask a Tech Teacher

JUNE 10, 2022

Earlier this week , we posted activities for a summer school student program. Often, it revolves around repetitive schedules, assigned grades, and/or being forced to take subjects they don’t enjoy. Now, we’ll focus on you–what do you want to accomplish with your summer?

Activities 183

Activities Reading Assignments Curriculum 183

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 25, 2019

Many teachers collect homework and take piles of student work home to grade. Homework is designed to be practice, so I’ve never understood why it is graded and often becomes punitive. I’d suggest using a quizzing tool that automatically grades the students’ answers (e.g., 3 Homework Check & Review.

Teachers 420

Teachers Essay Feedback Quizzes 420

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 30, 2020

For teachers using StudySync in combination with Google Classroom, I’ve described three strategies that educators can use to capitalize on the activities in the StudySync First Read lesson plans to engage students in online discussions, collaborative research projects, and online vocabulary review. #1 StudySyncVocab.

Collaborative Research 370

Collaborative Research Students Knowledge Assignments 370

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

Blended learning is the combination of active, engaged learning online and offline. Blended learning prioritizes student agency, striving to give them a high degree of control over the learning activities and environment. Yet, in many classrooms, mistakes are penalized instead of normalized. 3 Valuing Inclusion.

Blended Learning 506

Blended Learning Feedback Coaching Achievement 506

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

There are few activities more calming than drawing. A learning log or ongoing learning blog is a strategy you can use to encourage your students to spend time thinking about a particular assignment. What did they learn as a result of working on this assignment? Sketchnotes. What skills did they employ?

Learning 420

Learning Assignments Students Knowledge 420

eSchool News

JANUARY 6, 2021

How to access activities and assignments. Instructions for assignments and grading criteria. • These lists may include items such as: • What students are learning that day or week. What tasks they must complete. What content or materials are needed. • How to get help if they don’t understand something. •

Distance Learning 334

Distance Learning Assignments Feedback Online Learning 334

Faculty Focus

MAY 20, 2025

In a course that requires out-of-class reading, that conversation is highly reliant on students doing their part and completing the assigned reading.However, in recent semesters, students engaging in focused reading in which they annotate text is dwindling. It seems as if a quick scan of one of the assigned pages is the best effort.

Instructors 89

Instructors Assignments Participation Students 89

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 18, 2016

If we could describe our perfect teaching assignment, what would it be? This year as I stared at the form and asked myself, what is your perfect teaching assignment? I’ve been teaching 9th and 10th grade English at Windsor High School for the last 13 years. Who would we enjoy working with?

Teaching 414

Teaching English Blended Learning Assignments 414

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

In my work with gifted students, I’ve had the opportunity to develop strategies and purposeful activities for exploring and strengthening social emotional learning. Realizing there is no single strategy or activity that will address every need was monumental. Related content: 6 strategies for teaching SEL remotely.

STEM 347

STEM Assignments Testing Discussions 347

eSchool News

MARCH 18, 2021

In my work with gifted students, I’ve had the opportunity to develop strategies and purposeful activities for exploring and strengthening SEL. Realizing there is no single strategy or activity that will address every need was monumental. This is not a time for discussions of missing assignments, test grades, or behavior issues.

Teaching 342

Teaching STEM Assignments Testing 342

Edsurge

JULY 27, 2023

That has sparked a burst of activity by teachers at schools and colleges to change their assignments to make them harder to game with this new tech — and hopefully more human in the process. For instance, on a recent assignment, some of the homework that came in didn’t sound like typical student work he was used to.

Assignments 148

Assignments Instructors Writing History 148

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 28, 2023

The number of learning activities and complexity of the playlist will also affect the time needed to complete it. This allows students to work at their own pace and provides them with a range of activities to choose from. The “must-do” activities are critical to mastering grade-level content and skills.

Blended Learning 436

Blended Learning Feedback Universal Design Art 436

Ask a Tech Teacher

JULY 3, 2024

14 Essential Digital Tools for Educators to Streamline Daily Activities In 2024’s fast-paced educational environment, teachers and all those in the academe face the daily challenge of managing their school or course’s efficiency. How about you? can help transform traditional quizzes or tests into more engaging, game-like experiences.

Activities 158

Activities Quizzes Education Feedback 158

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 18, 2015

This year as I was preparing for my own first day, I realized…my 9th and 10th grade students are perfectly capable of reading, so why would I spent 20 minutes of this precious first day reading to them? They move right from the 10 questions activity to an online quiz titled “What’s Your Learning Style?”

Syllabus 420

Syllabus Learning Styles Schools Quizzes 420

eSchool News

MARCH 19, 2025

Established in 2005, Agora Cyber Charter School is an online public school for Pennsylvania students in kindergarten through 12th grade that is accredited by the Middle States Association. This is especially felt in the 5 th grade science and math classes I teach. Gizmo is an interactive STEM learning experience for grades 3-12.

Teachers 307

Teachers Learning Science STEM 307

eSchool News

APRIL 24, 2025

The survey polled 1,500 11th and 12th grade students from across the U.S. Almost a third of both groups said that teachers should put more weight on tests–where AI cant be used–as opposed to homework and class assignments, to ensure student understanding of materials. What are you using AI for in your school/classroom?

Math 225

Math Participation Feedback High School 225

Faculty Focus

JUNE 13, 2024

It has been sobering to see, through their eyes, how unclear our assignments can sometimes be. Maybe the student skipped class or doesn’t have all the material handed out with the assignment. The assignment becomes a one-dimensional chore underpinned by a constant anxiety of “I don’t know if this is what my teacher wants.”

Assignments 119

Assignments Essay Writing Questions 119

Ask a Tech Teacher

JUNE 9, 2022

If you’ve been tasked (or voluntold) to run this activity, here are six activities that will tech-infuse participants: Debate. This is an exercise as much for presenters as audience, and is graded on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Then, they assign tasks to group members that include: learn the tool.

Activities 202

Activities Schools Writing Knowledge 202

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 28, 2020

I want students to understand that their grades are a reflection of their skills, and they are capable of improving those skills at any time. I want students to complete assignments because they are meaningful, interesting, and rewarding, not because they are worth points. First, I was not going to take grading home anymore.

Blended Learning 343

Blended Learning Feedback Learning Communication 343

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 12, 2019

Second, icebreakers and community building activities are critical to helping students develop their social presence in the classroom and online. It also sends a clear signal to students that they must be actively engaged in the learning happening in the classroom. What are you assigning and why? What are you grading and why ?

Metacognitive Skills 367

Metacognitive Skills Schools Blended Learning Evaluation 367

Ask a Tech Teacher

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

The lower the grade level, the less panels you should expect. A great option also is to program one of the widgets for an Hour of Code activity. classes This is a fun team activity to assess student knowledge on a topic. For example, they may decide to assign experts on each category or make everyone a generalist.

Activities 172

Activities Learning Art Attention 172

Faculty Focus

JUNE 13, 2024

It has been sobering to see, through their eyes, how unclear our assignments can sometimes be. Maybe the student skipped class or doesn’t have all the material handed out with the assignment. The assignment becomes a one-dimensional chore underpinned by a constant anxiety of “I don’t know if this is what my teacher wants.”

Assignments 110

Assignments Essay Writing Questions 110

eSchool News

JULY 16, 2024

Assignments that engage students in creative practices motivate hard-to reach students and provide an opportunity for all students to be successful. Classrooms that include creative activities are those with students who are resilient and confident. Creativity pushes students to overcome challenges through productive struggle.

Technology 316

Technology Critical Thinking Assignments Motivation 316

eSchool News

APRIL 2, 2025

Gaps in foundational knowledge, especially in early grades and exacerbated by continued pandemic-related learning loss, can make advanced topics more difficult to grasp later on. Because Edia has the same lessons and activities built into its system, learning concepts are reinforced for students.

Coaching 264

Coaching Math Students Assignments 264