Catlin Tucker

JULY 23, 2024

I encourage the educators I work with to reach out if they hit bumps, have questions, or need support as they implement new instructional models. Every year, I field hundreds of questions from the educators I work with and people who read my blog or listen to my podcast. Stay curious, and keep those questions coming!

Coaching 221

Coaching Questions Blended Learning Feedback 221

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

” I disagree, especially when it comes to assignments designed to provide students with opportunities to review concepts and practice specific skills. Second, asking students to do something meaningful with their work creates accountability and can motivate them to complete assignments. Each student completes the assignment.

Teachers 544

Teachers Motivation Assignments Students 544

Edsurge

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Then there’s the sudden temptation of ChatGPT and other new AI tools, which can make cheating on assignments easy and often undetectable. Instead, college instructors need to change how they assign and communicate their homework assignments. Some students don’t understand how important assignments are, Beckett says.

Instructors 193

Instructors Assignments Textbooks Essay 193

Edsurge

MARCH 15, 2024

This fall, after a restless night overthinking an assignment for my upcoming class and drinking three cups of not-strong-enough coffee, I added the final touch on my latest assignment for students in my World History II class. I like to think of this shift as a transition from content-based to issues-based curriculum.

Assignments 201

Assignments Essay History Social Studies 201

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Too often, a teacher’s questions in a video conferencing session are met with long silences. ” First, it is important to remember that participating in a real-time discussion is scary and feels like a risk for students who are shy, anxious, or need more time to process the questions. Facilitating Online Discussions.

Discussions 546

Discussions Participation Questions Assignments 546

Catlin Tucker

MAY 25, 2020

This exit ticket asks the following questions: How easy was it to find your assignments online? Which assignments, tasks, or projects did you enjoy most ? Which assignments, tasks, or projects did you enjoy least ? Did you feel the course materials clearly organized and easy to navigate?

Evaluation 546

Evaluation Online Learning Distance Learning Learning 546

eSchool News

MAY 27, 2025

Teachers can integrate SEL strategies directly into academic instruction, such as modeling emotional regulation during challenging tasks or building communication skills through collaborative assignments. These small modifications can significantly improve comprehension and reduce a students frustration.

Students 210

Students Learning Styles Assignments Communication 210

Catlin Tucker

MAY 11, 2020

Is there instruction or modeling students need to navigate a task or assignment? There may not be an “offline option” for every activity, but questioning whether or not students can complete a task offline is a habit worth cultivating in this time of distance learning. Do students need to engage with texts or podcasts?

Distance Learning 546

Distance Learning Assignments Coaching Activities 546

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 12, 2023

auditory processing, attention deficit, lack of background knowledge or vocabulary, absences), teachers record video instruction and assign those videos for homework. The benefit of assigning video instruction for homework is that students can control the time, place, and pace of the learning experience when they watch the video at home.

Blended Learning 465

Blended Learning Students Assignments Lecturing 465

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

This trend begs the question: How can we encourage our students to read both inside and outside the classroom? Booklist Assignment. The Booklist Assignment is designed to help students select a book they’ll enjoy. Reading and Response Assignment. Cultivating a culture of reading doesn’t happen overnight.

Culture 498

Culture Reading Assignments Blended Learning 498

Catlin Tucker

JULY 9, 2020

While one group engages in a discussion or attempts to solve a problem, the second group observes and captures their observations, questions, and comments. Once students know what group they are in, the teacher presents group A with a discussion question or a problem to solve and sets the timer (e.g., What questions do they have?

Active Learning 546

Active Learning Activities Learning Students 546

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 19, 2020

So, the question many teachers are asking is, “How should I spend my limited time with students in the classroom or in video conferencing sessions? Students work independently to complete assignments and tasks. Students have access to teacher and peer support while completing assignments and tasks.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Learning Assignments Activities 546

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

Teachers can combine reflective questions with academic content questions to understand where students are at in terms of their knowledge of a topic or concept. 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. Exit Ticket.

Learning 420

Learning Assignments Students Knowledge 420

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Rubrics identify specific criteria relevant to the assignment, along with corresponding levels of performance that allow for more precise grading. When teachers provide students with the rubric at the start of any assignment or task that will be assessed, the rubric serves as a roadmap. How does using rubrics benefit students?

Fairness 545

Fairness Assignments Feedback Evaluation 545

eSchool News

APRIL 25, 2025

Students also use Gemini for real-time academic help, such as asking follow-up questions and details about a particular topic. A recent Google blog post outlines how four different school districts are leveraging Google AI tools, like Gemini and NotebookLM, for innovative teaching and learning.

Education 233

Education Quizzes Coaching Special Education 233

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 13, 2021

Dedicating class time to asking a few simple questions can make a big difference in the way students show up in a class. Teaching online has made building community even more challenging, so I suggest starting each class with a check-in activity or a fun question. The questioner’s job is to listen ( really listen).

Beliefs 492

Beliefs Discussions Assignments Blended Learning 492

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 2, 2020

Either assign students a particular slide (by writing their names at the bottom of each slide) or allow students to select the slide they want to work on. Teachers can strategically assign slides to subtly differentiate learning or give students a degree of agency by allowing them to choose their slides. What questions do they have?

Students 546

Students Math Writing Discussions 546

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

instruction, scaffolds, practice, assignments). Record video directions for each station to reduce questions and confusion. Create a pathway for online students to ask questions as they work (e.g., Create a pathway for online students to ask questions as they work (e.g., Differentiate learning (e.g., copyplaylisttemplate.

Blended Learning 545

Blended Learning Teaching Learning Students 545

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 95

Instructors Assignments Participation Students 95

eSchool News

APRIL 24, 2025

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. How could or should the math teachers role change as a result of student AI use?

Math 261

Math Participation Feedback High School 261

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

As I’ve said in previous blog posts, teaching in a concurrent classroom is the most challenging teaching assignment I can imagine. What questions or suggestions do they have? Teachers can create a simple Google Form to collect quick formative assessment data and create an avenue for students to ask questions or request help.

Evaluation 546

Evaluation Feedback Writing Assignments 546

eSchool News

MAY 7, 2025

When students own the device in question, the situation gets a little trickier. Our ultimate assignment is to create cyber-secure classrooms for future learners. With personal devices, finding the right balance between protecting a students privacy and securing data is crucial.

Local Government 276

Local Government Counselling Intelligence History 276

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 18, 2023

However, I often hear the question, “Can I use the flipped classroom if I don’t assign homework?” Some teachers do not assign homework. Despite these potential pitfalls, flipped instruction retains its value even when videos are not assigned for homework. This encourages brainstorming and prediction.

Lecturing 431

Lecturing Knowledge Assignments Writing 431

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 14, 2019

.” This reasoning leaves teachers with piles of work to grade, but I wonder how much of that time spent assigning points to student work results in improved student performance. By the end of the semester, I had over a hundred assignments in my grade book. I fell into this trap at the start of my teaching career.

Grades 420

Grades Feedback Assignments Motivation 420

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Give students a straightforward task with step-by-step directions to minimize confusion and questions when kids are in the breakout rooms. Ask students to produce something, even if they merely capture their ideas or questions on a Jamboard or Padlet Wall. for a unit or text.

Learning Spaces 545

Learning Spaces Student Engagement Learning Students 545

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 31, 2020

Do they feel the work assigned is interesting, engaging, and relevant? Teachers can learn so much from their students if they ask the right questions. They are navigating the experiences, assignments, routines, and workflows that we are assigning and using. What has been your favorite activity, assignment, or routine?

Learning 544

Learning Blended Learning Assignments Feedback 544

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

Many teachers already are rethinking assessments and assignments to shift the question from how students will use AI to cheat, to how students can learn to use AI responsibly. Assignments that ask students to produce answers using AI can encourage students to critically consider the information provided.

Plagiarism 331

Plagiarism Education Assignments Essay 331

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 12, 2019

A simple approach is to think about the what, how, and why of a lesson, assignment, or project and give students the opportunity to answer one of those questions. Can you allow students to decide what aspect of a subject or topic they want to focus on for a lesson, assignment, or project?

Assignments 420

Assignments Students Blended Learning Motivation 420

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 28, 2021

I could not answer a single question about the content of what I read. Their approach contrasts with classic reading comprehension questions, which students typically respond to after completing a reading assignment. It is also an opportunity to identify any areas of confusion or questions that still exist.

Reading 546

Reading Activities Learning Discussions 546

eSchool News

JUNE 28, 2024

It takes only seconds to plug a writing prompt into a generative AI tool and receive a completed assignment. The bottom line: When students are confident in their writing skills, they will be less tempted to run directly to AI to generate a writing assignment.

Writing 328

Writing Essay Plagiarism Assignments 328

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 14, 2020

The third slide presents questions for students to consider and asks them to select a strategy to think about and process what they learned. They can use Google Classroom to create an assignment and “make a copy” for each student. The fourth slide presents opportunities for students to practice.

Learning 546

Learning Assignments Universal Design Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 16, 2024

Wiggins says the best feedback is: Goal-oriented or referenced: Feedback should clarify the goals of the assignment or task, guiding students toward a clear desired result or outcome. Teachers still play a central role, inputting assignments, selecting or creating rubrics, and determining how many attempts a student has to submit an answer.

Feedback 344

Feedback Coaching Assignments Motivation 344

eSchool News

JANUARY 6, 2021

Providing daily or weekly to-do lists can answer common questions and help online learning work more smoothly. How to access activities and assignments. Instructions for assignments and grading criteria. • How or where to get questions answered. • How or where to get questions answered. •

Distance Learning 334

Distance Learning Assignments Feedback Online Learning 334

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. Explain what happened here.

Blended Learning 396

Blended Learning Multiple Choice Questions Learning Discussions 396

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

Self-assessing Practice and Review Too often, when teachers assign review and practice in class or for homework, the responsibility for checking the accuracy of that work falls on the teacher. As a result, students miss out on the opportunity to recognize their strengths, identify their limitations, and target areas for growth.

Evaluation 426

Evaluation Assignments Failure Discussions 426

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 25, 2019

You can use their explanations to drive a debrief in which you highlight strong strategies and answer questions. If teachers are assigning homework, it would be more powerful to use that practice to encourage students to reflect on their progress and identify the gaps in their understanding of concepts and skills.

Teachers 420

Teachers Essay Feedback Quizzes 420

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

It’s a place where interpersonal risks feel doable, interpersonal risks, like speaking up with questions and concerns and half-baked ideas and even mistakes.” Students may lose points on homework assignments or practice activities because they answered questions incorrectly. What did you learn? 2 Driving Creativity.

Blended Learning 506

Blended Learning Feedback Coaching Achievement 506