Last week one of our English teachers contacted me with an idea, actually a challenge. He wanted to create a working rubric that he could use to evaluate his acting students and then email them with their results/feedback. The more we talked through the challenge, them more we realized how this could be beneficial for lots of other uses, as well. We discussed the possibility of using Google Forms, but that didn't quite meet his needs. So, the solution I came up with involves creating a Google Spreadsheet and installing a free apps script. Some of the skills/tools involved in this process include the following:
Creating a Google Spreadsheet with multiple sheets
Using data validation to create drop-down menus
Using the VLOOKUP formula
Installing and using a free mail merge apps script
Hiding columns
While this may already sound like a daunting task, the investment of time to create the first spreadsheet will certainly pay off as it can easily be copied and tweaked for additional rubrics. In addition, the added bonus of being able to collaborate on Google Spreadsheets allows multiple teachers to work together to build their working rubrics.
Below are the tutorials I put together to demonstrate this process.
Here's what's cool about this (besides Brian's brilliant design) from a pedagogical perspective: IT SEPARATES ASSESSMENT FROM FEEDBACK.
The "rubric" I'd put together for this assignment was actually just a list of comments I'd thought I might end up sharing with my students about their work. So the points are actually just codes. They don't have to be numbers, and theY certainly don't have to translate to a particular quantified scale. The key element here (for me, at least) is that I'm able to efficiently COMMUNICATE with my students via a medium they are used to employing as such.
So the language in the model and in the emails is the LANGUAGE OF FEEDBACK/COMMUNICATION not the LANGUAGE OF ASSESSMENT.
For me it is an huge improvement/alternative on 1. students sifting through language of assessment on complicated rubrics. 2. having the only communication about work being so closely tied to grades and grade justification. 3. employing individual emails and doc comments that are common among many students.
Here's what's cool about this (besides Brian's brilliant design) from a pedagogical perspective: IT SEPARATES ASSESSMENT FROM FEEDBACK.
ReplyDeleteThe "rubric" I'd put together for this assignment was actually just a list of comments I'd thought I might end up sharing with my students about their work. So the points are actually just codes. They don't have to be numbers, and theY certainly don't have to translate to a particular quantified scale. The key element here (for me, at least) is that I'm able to efficiently COMMUNICATE with my students via a medium they are used to employing as such.
So the language in the model and in the emails is the LANGUAGE OF FEEDBACK/COMMUNICATION not the LANGUAGE OF ASSESSMENT.
For me it is an huge improvement/alternative on
1. students sifting through language of assessment on complicated rubrics.
2. having the only communication about work being so closely tied to grades and grade justification.
3. employing individual emails and doc comments that are common among many students.
Dave