Using Rubric Makers

Video Transcription

Creating rubrics from scratch can be quite a daunting task. So in this tutorial, I'll provide you with an overview of some rubric makers that you may wish to check out to see whether any of them might be a good fit for your particular classroom needs. We'll look at four different options, iRubric, RubiStar, Goobrics, and EssayTagger.com. Let's begin with just a basic overview of these rubric makers.

The idea is that we want a tool to create rubrics quickly and efficiently. We don't want to have to spend a great deal of our valuable time constructing rubrics from scratch. So instead of starting with a blank sheet of paper or a blank document on the computer, these rubric makers can generate the overall structure for the rubric for us. And in fact, some of them can actually produce generic rubrics with some of the information already filled in. And then you can just customize the rubric with your assessment specific information.

As you're completing these rubric templates, then, you want to keep in mind the same types of items that you would keep in mind if you were generating the rubric from scratch. What are the standards that you're addressing? What are the criteria you're looking for? What are the alignments of the key knowledge and skills to the standards that you're going to be incorporating? So with these ideas in mind, let's take a look at four different rubric makers.

The first is iRubric. This is a rubric maker that allows you not only to create rubrics, but also to share your creations with other teachers and actually to assess students using your rubrics right on the website. You can build the rubrics here from scratch, or you can customize existing rubrics. If you do opt to use the rubrics to assess students right in the iRubric platform, what happens is your students' grades are saved to a great book on the platform, and then a copy of the scored rubric can be provided to each individual student, along with any notes that you choose to include in your assessment as well.

Another option is RubiStar. This is another online rubric maker that generates generic rubrics that you can then print and use for common assignments or projects in your classroom. You can also customize these generic rubrics to fit the particular needs of your assessment or your classroom. In RubiStar, you actually select a category of a rubric, and then the quality ratings are automatically filled in for you. So then all you need to do is customize the rubric with your particular information.

The third option that we're going to look at in this tutorial is Goobrics. Goobrics are rubrics that are integrated into Google. More specifically, they're integrated into Google Sheets using an add on called Doctopus. The Goobrics interface allows you to both create and use rubrics within the context of various Google applications, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, formerly referred to as Google Presentations.

So this Doctopus plugin actually allows you to assign work to your students that is connected to the rubric, and then you can just click and score within the Goobrics interface using your created rubric. And one interesting feature is that you can also add in audio feed back for your students. And then finally, the scores can be emailed to the students. And the scores can also be uploaded into a spreadsheet, including some analytics.

And finally, let's talk about EssayTagger.com. This is another online tool that provides a unique interactive structure that you can use to build standards-based rubrics. This particular rubric maker is aligned with the Common Core State Standards. So if you are assessing student work that is aligned with these standards, this might be a logical choice for you. So the website guides you through the process of selecting your grade level standards, then the specific content area and strand, and finally the individual knowledge or skills that are supporting the chosen standards. These elements all pin point then what is going to be included in the rubric.

So once your rubric has been generated, you can drag and drop the components of the rubric right into your student writing in order to provide your students with the timely and specific feedback that is called for in CBE in a very efficient way. And this website actually also provides you with analytics that can help you to identify trends in your student writing. And you can use this information as you make your future instructional decisions.

So clearly each of these four online rubric makers has its own unique features. And one of them might be a better fit for your classroom than others. So here's a chance for you to stop and reflect. Out of the four options that we outlined, which rubric maker feels like it might be the best fit for you and your individual classroom needs?

To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the additional resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted toward helping you discover more ways to apply this course material. Thanks for joining me today. Have a great day.