Summer Reading

Summer has officially begun for this tired teacher, which means that I can now tackle some books on my TBR list :)

What books will you be reading this summer?!

Using Tech to Assess Student Learning

As teachers we have tons of papers to correct and tests to grade (my correcting pile reaches mountainous heights each week!) So, I was pretty excited when I discovered that I can create fun, engaging assessments that automatically grade themselves. 

KAHOOT has totally transformed my classroom! I've been able to cut my correcting time in half and provide students with immediate feedback.

As an addd bonus, Kahoot is so dynamic that students actually ASK to take quizzes! I know it is important to assess student learning to check for understanding and mastery of a topic, however kids are assessed so much these days! In my district students take the STAR assessment, are assessed for fluency every quarter, take benchmark literacy assessments, math performance tasks, progress monitoring assessments, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment in the spring. WHEW, that's a LOT of testing.

So, what is Kahoot?

Kahoot is a FREE online, interactive quiz program that lets teachers create quizzes, surveys, and discussions that students play on their mobile device.

I created a quiz for the end of a 4th grade social studies unit on the 50 US states and capitals. My class was excited, engaged, and laughing... while taking a quiz!!

Head on over to Kahoot to try out a sample quiz and start creating one of your own! Click here to try my 50 US States and Capitals Kahoot.