Assessment rubric with Quick Rubric

Hi everyone!

Now is time to evaluate the work done by our children. To do that, we have to design an assessment rubric.
I am going to include some important elements to take into account when designing rubrics.

What means assess?
To assess means to evaluate students knowledge about the subject matter. It determines if the aims have been acquired or not. The following characteristics are the one that I am going to take into account:
- Provides diagnostic feedback.
- Evaluate progress.
- Helps educators set standards.
- Motivates development.
- Allows self-evaluation.

What is assessment rubric?
It is a tool that indicates the marked aims or criteria. It can be used for class participation, acquired knowledge and so on, in any primary course.
I decided to create a rubric to evaluate my students. When creating a rubric it is important to consider the final result that the student are going to produce and also the progress that they make throughout the Project.

Rubric elements
To create a rubric we have to take into account some elements:
- Aspects of the learning process to be assessed.
- Criteria.
- Scale of ratings.
- Clear descriptors.

Creating a rubric
First you have to think what you want to evaluate with your rubric and start designing a prototype rubric. To make it, I have used Quick Rubric. This is an easy and brilliant tool to create rubrics on a faster way.
I have taken into account the following aims: content knowledge, class participation, progress during the Project, group work and self-evaluation (of each child, they have to complete it) and this is the final result.

Image retrieved from Quick Rubric

After assess them with the rubric, the teacher can ask them if they are agree or not, in order to make them self-assessment.

They can also write their opinions about the activities on a paper and give it to the teacher, this is so that the teacher can improve the activities, his/her assessment by the students.

Self-reflection and conclusion
Before this challenge, I knew that evaluation was important in the teaching-learning process. In addition, I created several rubrics for this, but I always used Word because I did not know about this tool. Now that I know Quick Rubric, I am going to continue using it since as I said earlier, it is easy to use and brilliant to create rubrics faster.
In addition, I recommend you to create a scheme before you start designing it, so you have everything well organised. This will be very useful when you start creating the rubric since it will only be copied with the tool.

In my opinion, I consider that the rubrics are crucial when evaluating a child all the work he/she has done during the lessons, although we do not always take enough time to design them. Therefore, I encourage you to spend more time creating a good rubric so that when you have to evaluate any child, it will be easier for you.

If you have any doubt or you have tried it, leave a comment. I hope you like this resource.

Analysing an Educational Project with Genially.

Hi everyone!

Today I am going to show you a new tool called "Genially". I have use this tool to analyse an Educational Project and to give some tips to improve it.
You can use it to explain a lesson in class or the whole unit if you like. Here is the final result.

The project that I have analysed is from http://reaaicleintef.blogspot.com.es/. You can take a look if you want. I have also use an Essential Project Design Elements Checklist to improve the Educational Project. Here is the Checklist.

Image retrieved from URJC's Aula Virtual

Now, I am going to do a deeper analysis of this project, that is for 3rd grade children, commenting each point of the checklist to know the strengths and weaknesses and to improve them.

- Key knowledge, understanding and success skills: this Project is focused on knowing the Earth and the Solar System so the children learn new vocabulary about this topic (the name of the planets and some celestial bodies). It also develops more vocabulary taking advantage of the topic such as the seasons, the name of the moon phases and the layers of the Earth, and some verb like give out, orbit, take, have got, and so on.

There are some activities that develop their critical thinking and self management and some others that develop the collaboration between them. For instance, by pairs, they have to make a puzzle online.

Image retrieved from http://reaaicleintef.blogspot.com.es/

- Challenging problem or question: the question that I could ask of this project is: What is the Solar System? The Project is guided by the answer of this question and it is developed through activities and songs. In addition, I can say that the level of the activities is adequate to children in third grade.

Image retrieved from http://reaaicleintef.blogspot.com.es/

- Sustaned inquiry: the Project use an active methodology, where the children can ask questions, think by themselves, talk and discuss between them to make the activities, and so on. In my opinion, the project is well focused to make the children be active learners and to involve them in the teaching process.

Image retrieved from http://reaaicleintef.blogspot.com.es/

- Authenticity: the Project is connected with the students' own concerns so they can give their own opinions, they can also explain their experiences and what they know about the topic. It uses real-world process and make a real impact in the children because they can learn how is the Solar System, how the day and night happen, how are the moon phases that they can see every night, and so on. - - Student voice and choice: in this Project there are some activities where the children can say their opinions but, from my point of view, it is necessary to make more of these activities because is very important to give them opportunities to express themselves, talk or let them choose what can they do or how can they do an activity. For example, when they have to play day and night with a flashlight and a ball, is better for them if they can choose how to make it. This can improve their autonomy.
- Reflection: this is the first unit of the Project, and there is an activity where they have to draw the Solar System in their notebooks so this can give them an opportunity to develop the learning they have acquire and their creativity. But, apart from this activity, there is no more activities where they can demonstrate what and how they have learnt. From my point of view and as I said before, this is crucial for them, so we can change some activities to give them that opportunity.
- Critique and revision: in this Project I cannot see any activity to give feedback to the children or by themselves. I consider it important to know the opinion of the children in order to improve the activities and the Project in general. So the teacher can ask them orally what they think about the Project or make a chart for them to answer.
- Public product: on the sixth session, the children have to make a performance, in the Project does not said anything about do it in front of other classes, but they can do it to show them how is a Solar System and how the planets move around the Sun. I think this is a good activity, because they can express themselves and show it to their classmates, but there is no more activities like this one as I said in the "Students voice and choice" point.

What have I learnt with this tool?
I have learnt a new way to explain the content of a lesson, or a unit that could be difficult form them. Genially is a great tool with lots of accesories to customize your own Educational Project or you lessons. You can also add different links to make digital activities or to show videos so I think this is so useful for us if we want to make our classes more dynamic and interesting.

Here is the end of my analysis, if you have any doubt or you have tried it, leave a comment. I hope you find it useful and you like it.