Feedback

Adding to Theresa's post from last week...

Feedback is important.  Some one say it is a (the?) key to learning.  For students, timely and constructive feedback is everything.  Students appreciate receiving personalized comments and individualized responses.  High quality feedback directly correlates to high quality assessments.

"Feedback helps us learn from our mistakes.  It reveals new perspectives and options you might not have explored otherwise."  - Natalie, grade 10

This article from Edutopia quickly explains how, when, and why to give students feedback.  Its key points are:

1. Be constructive, kind, and specific.  Start with what's working, critique without scolding, and be relevant.
2. Reflect, then revise.  Try handing back assignments with JUST comments, which sort of forces students to read them instead of just glancing at the grade.
3. Be timely.  Provide feedback within 24-48 hours so it keeps its context.

Several of the educational technology pieces we use offer opportunities to give high quality feedback.  To name a few:

• Google Docs Revision History
• Noodle Tools teacher/student comments
• Google Classroom - grade/return assignments, give quizzes, hold discussions, and more!

Of course, traditional methods work well too!  Handwritten comments and individual conversations go a long way with all students.

Do you give high quality feedback in other ways?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Discover Databases

Every year, we ask students to complete several research papers and projects.  Every year, we remind them to use credible sources (and what credible sources are/are not).  It is our instinct to “google” stuff, which is great for quick facts and information.  

But how do we find credible, research-paper-worthy information quickly?  

And how do we help our students do that?  

The answer is databases.  

The libraries utilize several subscription and free databases, which are available for anyone to use on and off campus.  They are accessible through the school library websites:

High School Library Resources

Middle School Library Resources

This short video explains what databases are and why we need them.

Databases cover topics from history and science to literature and art to engineering and current events, plus everything in between.  Benefits of databases include:

• Better information faster
• Availability of current, historical, and primary source materials
• Access to information from anywhere, anytime (it’s online!)
• Pre-formatted MLA citations available

Please encourage your students to begin their research using databases.  From there, they can branch out to other internet sources.  And of course, we have plenty of books available!

If you would like to learn more about databases, or for your students to learn more, please contact your nearest librarian!

Use Your Noodle Tools

Noodle Tools, in their own words, “is a responsive, user-friendly research management platform with baked-in wisdom accumulated over years, and proven track record across thousands of schools and universities.  Since 2013, we have been teaching students to organize and manage their own research and resources.  This year, the Noodle Tools team rolled out a few updates, so it seemed like a perfect time to share with you.

Why pay for Noodle Tools?  Why not just use EasyBib?

When Google Docs added the EasyBib citation feature, I asked this very question.  Damon Abilock, one of the creators, clarified for me:

“EasyBib is simply an auto-cite mechanism, [which is] tempting in theory, but in reality does not work well… Resulting citations are completely dependent on how the author constructed the content.  EasyBib is wrong more often than it is right, and students assume that something generated for them is correct.  In addition, Noodle Tools prompts the student to think about what the content actually is.”

How can I access Noodle Tools?

In the high school, we use a paid subscription.  There are two ways to get there:

1. When you’re in Google Drive or Gmail, click the waffle menu at the top right.  Scroll to the bottom of the list, and choose the Noodle Tools app.

2. Go to the district website, click on Students > High School Students > Noodle Tools.

In the middle school, teachers and students use Noodle Tools Express.  The biggest difference here is that while students can still create citations, they cannot store their research and resources.  It is an excellent bridge between middle and high school research projects.

What are the benefits of Noodle Tools?

Besides critical thinking, communication, and collaboration...

• Their homepage explains why it is such an awesome tool.
• Their Help Desk is actually super helpful!
• They have great handouts and infographics to share with users.

Noodle Tools is for more than language arts and social studies.   Any project requiring research requires proper citations!  Please let us know if you would like more information about Noodle Tools, how it works, and/or how to use it with your students.