Designing Rigorous and Motivating Assignments

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Designing Rigorous and Motivating Assignments
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• To compete in todays global economy, students
  need to be prepared.
• What are some of the skills that will be
  necessary for survival when they are competing
  with workers around the world for the same jobs?
  
• Essential Skills
• Critical Thinkers
• Global Communicators
• Self-directed Learners
• Strong Work Ethic
• What are we doing to help students prepare?
• Are the assignments we are currently giving
  students helping them develop the skills they
  need?

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Are the assignments we are giving our students
motivating and challenging? Motivation is
key.. Lack of motivation can lead to reliance
on dishonest methods of fulfilling assignments,
turning in assignments that are sub par or simply
falling through the cracks. Lets build better
assignments that keep our students engaged and
cultivate a world class work ethic.
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Our digital kids need more.
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Improving Assignments

• Avoid asking students to go on Google and find.
  Teach search strategies.
• Exercise higher order thinking skills.
• Use validation techniques.
• Ask students to consider the point of view of
  people in other countries.
• Collaborate. Create authentic global
  relationships.
• Get them to solve real problems
• Challenge them to utilize different channels.

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Teach Search Strategies
Generally, we all tend to over-utilize and put
too much faith in Google.
There are better tools out there. We must teach
students to use the best tool for the task at
hand.
Remember the tools we discussed
earlier Answers.com Ask.com Noodletoo
ls.com
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Exercise Higher Order Thinking Skills
Have students compare and contrast two different
websites. For really exciting results, use global
views.Have students interpret anothers views
about a particular event. (For example, what do
students in England learn about the American
Revolution?) Have students apply what they have
learned - design an experiment to test a
theory.Have students write taking on the
personae of someone else.
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Use Validation Techniques
Remember REAL
R Read the URL E Examine the
Content A Ask about the Author and Owner
L Look at the Links
Anyone can publish to the Internet. Students need
to have the critical thinking skills to
distinguish between valid and invalid information.
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Consider Point of View
Consider that people in other countries are
likely to have differing opinions on any given
topic.
Using the host command with a country code can
help students gain a global perspective.
In AltaVista, run these searches.womens
rights hostaf womens rights
hostil womens rights hostrw womens
rights hostvn
Now, we can ask students to compare and contrast
womens rights issues in the U.S. with those in
Afghanistan, Israel, Rwanda, and Vietnam. This
may lead to some very engaging discussion.
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Collaborate
There are tools available that allow us to
connect to others around the world
opportunities for authentic learning and
assessment are everywhere!
ePals - ePals.com contains a database of schools
all over the world that wish to collaborate with
other schools on various projects.Skype -
Skype, found at skype.com, is a tool which will
allow you to make computer to computer calls
anywhere in the world for free.
(See handout for more details)
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Utilizing Multiple Channels
Students are using various channels on a daily
basis.
Blogs Podcasts Video
Instant Messaging Music Wikis
Allowing them to utilize these channels, the
channels they are used to working in, gives us a
better chance of bringing out their natural love
for learning.
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Role of the Family
The previously mentioned strategies can become an
even stronger motivator if we bring the family
into the picture.

• Have students teach parents proper search
  techniques.
• Provide some collaborative, global family
  assignments. Consider a family-to-family learning
  exchange.
• Invite parents into classroom presentations
  either in person or thru Skype.
• Video is easier and cheaper than ever to
  produce. Use its power.
• Keep families informed. Allow them to interact
  with your class through a blog.