TIPC Ratings

Although the primary information resource is the textbook, students are familiar with advanced search techniques and are aware of the importance of determining the accuracy of online information. They use the Google Docs planning guide to compile their research and to generate new questions which guides further research. This lesson is rated as approaching.

Students use a variety of digital communicative and collaborative tools as the emphasis throughout the project is on working together to address an authentic task: the creation of quality learning modules for their classmates. This lesson is rated as approaching.

In this project, students are challenged to create engaging activities while covering a lot of information. As a result, teams are continually deciding which tools to use and which content gets emphasized. Making those hard decisions in a team context is not easy and takes practice and effort. This lesson is rated as approaching.

In this challenging project, students are asked to create engaging ways to cover (and uncover) a lot of content using the ‘push pull’ tools of the internet. There is a great deal of student choice in creating these modules and a lot of pressure in finding creative ways to help others learn. As a result, this lesson is rated as approaching.

TIPC Ratings

As part of an ongoing effort to promote research fluency, students receive instruction on advanced search strategies and methods to determine the accuracy of online resources. Students use their planning guide to document research strategies, content obtained and any additional questions the new learning fosters. They use MS Word to originally organize and assemble their narratives and then post them online in a class blog. As a result, this lesson is rated as approaching.

Students work in self-selected teams and use Gmail and the shared Google Docs planning guide to organize their work and document the roles each participant assumes as they complete the project. This lesson is rated as approaching.

The use of the planning guide helps students generate and regenerate purposeful questions to guide their research and help develop critical thinking skills. As researchers and authors, they analyze and synthesize information in order to create and effectively communicate their story line to their classmates (and to a larger population) via the class blog. This lesson is rated as approaching.

Working in teams, students choose the style of the written narrative as well as the images and media that effectively support the telling of their view of history. As a result, this lesson is rated as approaching.

TIPC Ratings

Although the focus of this classroom lesson was on communicating and thinking critically, students were instructed on how to analyze various sources of information while responding to an authentic task. In this light, this lesson is rated as Developing for RIF.

Students worked in small and large teams using digital tools to communicate while completing the class assigned tasks. As a result, this lesson is rated as Developing.

This lesson is rated as Approaching as students solved open-ended tasks (evaluating choral performances using a third party rubric.) Although the teacher created the Google Doc form, students were involved in analyzing the VMEA scoring guide and evaluating performances over time. Additionally, students justified their decision-making processes when discussing performance scores within the groups.

Students created meaningful work by making sense out of all of the data while reflecting on their processes and setting goals for future growth. As a result, this lesson is rated as Approaching.

TIPC Ratings

Students are reminded how to effectively pursue both content and images using advanced search techniques. Throughout their research, the teacher models cognitive and research strategies as well as the process of refining research questions to help locate appropriate information. Continually students distill and organize information to create their artist’s web site. As a result of all of these intentional practices, this lesson is rated as Approaching.

Although students create the webpages by themselves, they support each other throughout the process by sharing what they’ve discovered about Google Sites and researching content and images on the web. As their web pages are shared within the school community and feedback is provided (literally on the webpages,) students collaborate within and beyond the confines of their own class. In light of these processes, this lesson is rated as Approaching.

A challenge is presented to Spanish III students: assume the persona of a famous Hispanic artist and create a webpage (as though the artist was alive today) that showcases their work, personality and perspectives. Students respond to higher order question in this authentic task by continually making decisions about how best to portray their artist online through a webpage. As a result, this lesson is rated as nearly Approaching.

This authentic task allows student to create individual products that blend aspects of personal choice while completing a major class project. No two webpages are alike and students are encouraged to think outside the box in designing the pages and the twitter feeds for their artist. As a result this lesson is rated as nearly Approaching.

TIPC Ratings

Through the school librarians’ and the teacher’s support, students were exposed to academically appropriate searches of information; they were shown how to evaluate the validity of such information and were encouraged to organize their research to create historically accurate letters and artifacts of the times. On an ongoing basis, students postulated, researched, and answered questions to truthfully and effectively convey the stories via their letters. As a result, this lesson is rated as Approaching.

Students worked in pairs using Google Docs to share tasks and to create and store their documents. Each team’s physical books were digitized and shared with other members of the class who in term provided feedback about the projects via online forms. As there was communication and collaboration both within teams and throughout the class, this lesson is rated as nearly Approaching.

Students were charged with authentic demanding tasks: demonstrate levels of understanding regarding many facts and issues of World War I by creating narratives through the exchange of personal letters. In order to make their stories ring true, students had to constantly decide when and how to weave in fact and fiction. Such decisions are the essence of critical thinking and result in this lesson being rated as Approaching.

In order to demonstrate understanding of historical facts as well as the effects of the First World War on soldiers and civilians, students had to role play, had to think creatively, had to fashion narratives, and had to convey accurate stories while blending in elements of fiction. Due to the high levels of student creativity and synthesis of information, this lesson is rated as Approaching.

TIPC Ratings

This lesson is in the upper Developing stage of research and information literacy. Although students are directed to use specific sources (e.g., pinterest.com) to document and analyze fashion trends, they are also encouraged to select other appropriate sources of information.

This lesson is in the Developing stage for student communication and collaboration as the structured lesson occurs early in the course when students are learning how to effectively communicate and work together as a team.

As students are required to elaborate on their thinking processes when justifying their decisions regarding fashion myths and truths, this lesson is in the Developing to Approaching stage of critical thinking and problem solving. Additionally, students are asked to explain their problem solving and decision making protocols while providing evidence via pinterest.com to support the reasoning behind the truths, myths and trends decisions.

As students create online fashion collections that blend technology while providing aspects of personal choice, they also analyze fashion trends and create meaningful work via their ‘pinterest portfolios.’ As such, this lesson is Approaching in terms of creativity and innovation.

TIPC Ratings

This lesson is at the approaching level as students respond to class assignnments that require them to analyze discovered information in terms of accuracy and authority. They then assemble and organize the information to create effective, engaging and entertaining audio files for others to critique and enjoy.

This lesson is developing as students work in teacher-selected groups to complete their research and create their podcasts.

This lesson is rated as developing to approaching as the teacher designs a series of challenges that allow students to provide solutions to questions that have long puzzled scientists and historians. The students elaborate on their research by providing unique insights into the issues surrounding the creation of calculus.

This lesson is rated as approaching as there are many opportunities for students to synthesize knowledge and research while working collaboratively to create original meaningful works to share within and beyond the classroom.

TIPC Ratings

This lesson is rated as approaching as students self-selected the most appropriate digital tools and information resources in order to create an online version of the student newspaper. Students continually had to determine the authority and accuracy of information for only implementing the online blog but aslo in the posted content.

This lesson is rated as developing as students worked within the The Sentinel newspaper teams to accomplish the class and newspaper goals.

This lesson is rated as approaching as students generate and responded to a series of purposeful questions regarding the creation of the online version of the student newspaper. In addtion, students often had to justify their decision-making processes and engaged in a series of problem solving practices in order to make the online Sentinel work and probject an image of a high quality students news site.

This lesson is rated as developing to approaching because newspaper staff members continued to work on class assignments for the hard copy newspaper while implementing the online version.

TIPC Ratings

This lesson is rated as developing as students reponded to class assignments that required analysis of the information to be presented. After exposure to the required content, students demonstrated understandings of appropriate grammar and vocabulary in order to effectively communicate their ideas and messages in Spanish.

This lesson is rated as developing as students used digital tools to communicate while completing class assignments. Communication occurred through the online comics while collaboration was evidence via feedback with peers using electronic discussion boards.

This lesson is rated as approaching as the assignment promotes solutions to authentic problems using the target language. In addition, students justify their decision-making processes both in the cartoons and in their responses to peer feedback on the discussion board.

This lesson is rating as approaching as students reflected upon their own cartoon and each other’s work and delivered feedback to promote future growth. Additionally, students were able to use any numver of scenes, graphics and phases to create their own original take on explaining and examining school rules.

TIPC Ratings

This lesson is target as the students were provided resources on effective design and guided through the de-construction of award-winning ad campaigns in order to understand the importance of background and ongoing research in creative advertising.

The assignment provided the students an opportunity to test the results of real-world research, as their creative product was used to promote value to the arts in education. Each day, the instructor would meet with the small student teams to facilitate inquiry and to help guide the research and campaign strategy  specific to the interests and ideas of each team.  The student research varied according to the direction of each group (autonomy was given), and a variety of research resources and strategies were provided.

This lesson is target as students collaborated in teams to create strategy and details of a real-world ad campaign. The students used advanced technologies, many of which are used in the advertising industry, to create original and purposeful works. Additionally, students worked with experts in the field in a collaborative critique with design and strategy gurus at Richmond’s most celebrated advertising agency. This lesson goes beyond the classroom in that students communicated in real and non-real time, as they shared their knowledge globally through a variety of appropriate social media outlets. Additionally, students were brought together in a round table discussion after the day-long field trip to the Martin Agency, where they were encouraged to give each other feedback on the work they created after having heard the comments by experts in the advertising industry.

This lesson is target as the teacher facilitated an environment where students were engaged in the creation of innovative advertising campaigns.  The students were encouraged to take risks and try creative techniques that they felt would be effective (based on research, trends, and visceral responses).

The teacher provided multiple opportunities for feedback and assessment by peers, the instructor, as well as experts in the field of advertising.  Students continually reflected on the process and the product they were creating.  Most importantly, there was not one “right” way to solve the challenge spresented to the students. Instead, the possible solutions were infinite and specific to each team.

This lesson is target as students were engaged in an environment with meaningful questioning strategies, and were immersed in critical thinking, reflection, and creativity throughout the entire project. The students were provided with multiple resources to draw conclusions, based on clear patterns of evidence, to produce new understandings about persuasive design. Students were challenged to reflect on their product, their process, as well as those of their peers. Additionally, students were required to use prior research to develop and answer open-ended questions using higher-order thinking skills. The final product was authentic, meaningful, creative, and useful.