Paperless Tasks and Student Learning Via Showbie

First Quarter Benchmark Week
We have reached the end of the 1st Quarter in Math 8 and the students spent last week completing a Benchmark Assessment, a Writing Assessment and a Benchmark Performance Task.  The idea for our assessment week is to prepare the students for the SBAC test in the Spring.  During this test in the Spring the students will take a multiple choice test and complete a performance task.  Our Benchmark weeks are like practice tests, to help students learn to persevere through struggle and do the best that they can. :o)

The last couple of weeks in my 1:1 Math Support classes I have been helping my students review the Math 8 concepts from the 1st quarter and prepare for the 1st Quarter Benchmark.  The Benchmark Performance Task was based on a real world situation that represents a linear relationship and a proportional relationship.

Here is an example of the Benchmark Performance Task.

Using Showbie in a 1:1 Math Class
If you have read my blog before you know how much I love Showbie.  I honestly believe it is by far the best app for any 1:1 class or BYOD classrooms.  Showbie is the center of my 1:1 Math support class.  I use it to organize the weekly assignments for my Math Support classes.  I use it to give the students links to important resources I want them to use, and I use it as a way for my students to reflect and write after each assignment.  Check out Showbie's Blog featuring my student reflections. :o)

My students also love Showbie. They love Showbie because I create paperless performance tasks, and assessments for them to complete via Showbie.   The students love the annotation feature  in Showbie because it allows them to write directly on the iPad and they can easily erase and rewrite their answers. Showbie also has a "Comment" feature that allows the students to type a written response on my paperless tasks. To utilize this feature I have created a symbol for the students to know when I want them to type a written response.

This is an example of what the students would see when I want them to type a written response.

Here are pictures of my students using Showbie to complete my paperless performance tasks.

Here are some examples of the paperless performance tasks my students did to help prepare for the benchmark performance task.

My "Paperless Performance Tasks" are usually require multiple days to complete.   The best part about Showbie and my paperless performance tasks is the fact that I can give feedback to the students via Showbie.   I look at my students' work every night and leave feedback on their performance tasks so the next day they can see their mistakes and make the corrections that are needed.

Here are some examples of the my annotations on my students' paperless performance tasks.

One of my newest ideas for my Math Support class is my paperless assessments. I love these because they allow me to check for understanding and give the students feedback.  The students take the assessment in class.  That night I can look at each of the students' completed assessments on my iPad and correct them using Showbie's annotation feature and leave a typed response using Showbie's "Comment" feature.  The next day the students can go back to the assessment and make the corrections and then they leave a "Comment" in Showbie explaining their mistakes and what they now understand about the concept.

Here are some examples of a recent CFU  assessment I used to help my students review for the benchmark performance task.

                           

 

 

Here are the paperless assessments I made to use in Showbie if you would like to download them: Writing Equations from Situations Assessments

I did a poll in Edmodo on my students' favorite app in Math Support.  After the students did the poll, they left a "Comment" in Showbie explaining their reasoning.  It didn't surprise me that Showbie had the most votes in the poll.

Here are some of the reasons the students left for why Showbie is their favorite app to use in Math Support class.

I have always known how great Showbie is and everything that it has to offer.  I had my students do an end of the quarter reflection.  In their reflections some of my students explained how important Showbie is to them and how Showbie helps them in Math Support. These are awesome reflections. :o)

Here are some examples of the students reflections.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and reading my post about my favorite app Showbie.  :o)

My Worthwhile Wednesday Performance TASKS and the CCSS Mathematical Practices

I previously blogged about my Worthwhile Wednesday Performance Task idea to prepare my students for the Common Core way of thinking.  My acronym for T.A.S.K is: Thinking, Applying and Showing Knowledge.

To prepare for the Worthwhile Wednesday Performance Tasks we went over the Mathematical Practices as a class and I had my students discuss and write the MP's in their own words.  It was one of my goals this year for the students to understand and use the Mathematical Practices regularly.  I know that this is working when one of my students writes in a reflection that they learned how to have a viable argument today.  :o)

I decided to have the students make a book in which they will keep all of their Worthwhile Wednesday Performance Tasks after we correct them as a class.  At the beginning of the year, I had my students make a cover completing the acronym for the Worthwhile part of the title.

Here is a copy of my cover: Worthwhile Wednesday TASK Book Cover

My students have been completing my Worthwhile Wednesday Performance Tasks for the last 5 weeks. They really struggled the first few weeks.  Especially on the justifying and reasoning parts of the tasks. They have come a long way and 5 weeks later I have seen a huge difference, not only in there answers, but their confidence as well....

My students have bought into my Worthwhile Wednesdays Performance TASKs. I told them that these are practice tasks to prepare them for the SBAC in the Spring.  They take the practice tasks seriously.  I decided that I wanted my students to focus on the deeper concepts and the reasoning so I encourage them to use their notes for the practice tasks.

So far I love the growth that my students are making in their justifying and reasoning and I am excited to see how much more my students grow throughout the next quarter.  :o)

Here are some pictures of my students completing my Worthwhile Wednesday Performance TASKS.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog... :o)