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Understanding the Data Driven Classroom

Author: Paula Dillon

ALMOST DONE!

You've reached the fourth and final tutorial in Sophia's free professional development, Virtual Classroom Certificate! You’ll want to finish this lesson and complete the quiz at the right of the page. Once you receive the "green check", you have all the information you need to start preparing a lesson for your class as a demonstration of mastery.

Here are the steps to receive your certification:

  1. Determine what lesson you would like to use as an online tutorial. What is a tutorial exactly?
  2. Create the tutorial you’ll use with your students, colleagues or anyone you think would like to learn what you have to teach. For more information about tutorials and what you can include, check out our playlist, All About Content.
  3. Submit the link on the Flipped Classroom Certificate page in Section 3,  Demonstrate Mastery. This will send your work to the submission team at Sophia Learning where they can review and approve your work.
  4. Wait for a return email (it won't be long now) asking for your contact information so we can send you verification.
  5. Don’t forget to check out our full Teacher Help Page and see all the amazing things you can do to engage your class.

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We sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this free program. Feel free to leave comments or questions in our Teacher Forum. Lastly, don't forget to share the fun with your friends and colleagues - the more the merrier!

 

Now get busy and let the creating begin! 

- The Sophia Team

Types of Metrices to Inform Instruction

Summative Assessment - data that is the end result of learning

Formative Assessment - data that helps inform or guide instruction

Formative assessment data can come from many sources and can occur with or without the use of technology.  The most important thing about this data is that it must be used to inform instruction.  Some no tech examples of formative assessment are thumbs up and down, consensus-grams, exit slips, quizzes, and teacher checklists. There is an ever-increasing pool of technology based formative assessment resources, some of which I have reviewed below including Google Forms and Flubaroo, SocrativeTenMarksQuizlet, Sophia, and Learnzillion.  The data from these resources includes not only content assessment data, but data that includes student engagement and time on tasks.  These sources of data can be as useful in informing instruction and should not be overlooked.

Time Engaged

When using a tech tool, determine if you are able to see how long a student spent on a task.  Too little time and a low score could reveal that a student did not find the lesson engaging or that they rushed through the work. Conversely an extended time engaged with a task and a low score could mean that the lesson was too challenging and that a student needs more opportunities to work on building skills leading to that content.  Where possible, also review data to determine if students are revisiting tutorials and re-watching.  Is this working to help student master material, or do they require direct intervention, coaching and feedback to reach mastery?

Class Trends

It is as important to look at class trends when analyzing data, as individual data.  Where is the class in terms of mastery?  If multiple students are showing weak assessment data, it may be essential to create a flexible group to support them through a challenging concept.  If the entire class is not getting it, it may be time to shift gears altogether.  Class data can also support partnering.  At times it may be beneficial to partner students who have mastered content with students who are on their way to mastery.  

 

Paula Dillon 1.1.2014

Basic Information on Sophia Analyitics

This video summarizes the group data feature. No extra adjustments needed in the settings.

More Analytics Available

For more information on data, check out the playlist  Mastering Analytics .

Google URL Shortener and QR Code

This video will illustrate using Google forms combined with the URL shortener and a QR code as a possible means of student assessment, both formative and summative.

A summary of the basic steps to follow:
1) create the form
2) place link in Google URL shortener (this creates a QR code)
3) post code for students (desks, doors, worksheets, anywhere)
4) have students scan code - desired form will appear in device window

As an added bonus, if you want the formative assessment to be graded by Google, add the script flubaroo on the spreadsheet connected to the form!

Source: Paula Dillon via Google

Using Flubaroo for Analytics in Google Forms

Source: Paula Dillon via Google and Flubaroo

Google Drive and Assessments

This document maps the different features that can be linked with class assessments within Google Drive.

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Source: Paula Dillon 2014

Let's Build a Virtual Classroom

In this video you will learn how to
1. Create a Group
2. Add a Lesson to a Group
3. Invite Students to a Group with the Invite Code

You will need to do this as your performance assessment to receive credit for this program.

Source: Paula Dillon 2014

Show What You Know

Congratulations, you have completed this series of tutorials and are close to being a Tech Pro!  

Now it is time to showcase what you have learned.  Your assignment is to create a tutorial in Sophia and place it in a group. Copy and paste your tutorial link in the third step on the Virtual Classroom page. You'll hear from a member of the team soon after on how to get your t-shirt and certificate. 

If you need a refresher or are curious about what else you can do, check out the playlist Scoop on Groups.

Nice job!

Recommended Playlists to Dive Deeper

Digital Formative Assessment and Analytics

  • Flubaroo - Script in Google Spreadsheet - Create a quiz using forms, add script to spreadsheet, and you will have self-grading assessments!!!
  • Doctopus - Doctopus and Goobrics are Scripts used together to create rubrics that can be embedded and scored in your students' projects on Google Drive.  Goobrics is the script added to the rubric and project spreadsheet and Doctopus is the Script that allows the rubric to be attached to the actual student work.
  • Goobrics - see above
  • MyMetryx - Teacher learning management tool that tracks student performance
  • Quizlet - build quizzes and flashcards to track student performance 
  • Learnzillion - lessons aligned to Common Core Standards that allow a teacher to assign playlists and to track student performance
  • Tenmarks - Common Core Math lessons, practice, and interventions that can be added to a playlist and the teacher can track student performance
  • Linoit - use to create a digital data wall
  • Chartdog - chart student performance toward their goal and monitor their trend line using any curriculum based measurement.  Works well with the tools found on Intervention Central
  • Google Forms - turn forms and surveys into digital formative assessments.  When used with the script Flubaroo is the linked spreadsheet, assessments are automatically graded.
  • QR Codes - Use these codes to allow students to access quizzes built using Google forms through their devices scanner.
  • Socrative - build assessments that include videos and images that are automatically graded and saved to a spreadsheet.  Socrative also has a wide array of question types including multiple choice, constructed response, and true/false.  Students can access through any type of mobile device or computer.

Source: Paula Dillon

Resources and References from Above Presentations

Learnzillion - videos and activities aligned to the Common Core in ELA and math.  Teachers can create classrooms, monitor student progress, and provide differentiated assignments and playlists for their students.  There is no fee for a teacher account.  This site is great for grades 3 through high school.

​TenMarks - video tutorials and Common Core online math assignments that adjusts to the students' skill level.  The program includes interventions call amplifiers when the students' struggle with the concept.  There is a free version with limited playlists and a paid version with a wider array.  With the paid version, teachers and schools can run data analysis reports.

Socrative - replaces the need for a clicker system.  Socrative will work with a computer or any personal device. Students respond to teacher created questions using any device and a code and the teacher receive immediate feedback that can also be exported into a spreadsheet for analysis and review. Video and images can be included in the questions.  Questions can be true/false, multiple choice, and short answer.

​Quizlet - Allows both students and teachers to create flashcards and play games and test their memory.  Teachers can set up class accounts and monitor the data.  For many world languages, there are Quizlets already created according the the text.  

MyMetryx - a tool that allows teachers to track their own formative assessment in the classroom using a device with the program downloaded.

Flubaroo - a script that works with Google forms and is added to the accompanying spreadsheet that allows automation of grading and the ability to quickly review and sort student formative data.

How to Create Self-Correcting Quizzes in Google Docs by Richard Byrne via Free Technology for Teachers

Why Formative Assessments Matter by Rebecca Alber via Edutopia

​Using Doctopus Script in Google Sheets to Provide Feedback by Richard Byrne via Free Tech for Teachers

Using Goobrics Extension in Chrome

Source: Compiled by Paula Dillon