Top 10 Question Types in 2017 (Teacher Tools)

Posted on by edciteteam

Edcite offers 60 technology-enhanced question types that align with online state assessments such as SBAC (Smarter Balanced), PARCC, AIR, ACT Aspire, and FSA (Florida State Assessments). Teachers can use these question types to create their own formative and summative assessments. This year we also improved our question type designs to make it even easier to create questions on Edcite.

Read on for the top 10 Edcite question types teachers used in 2017!

1. Free Response

Free Response was our most popular question type this year! Our Free Response question can be used across subjects, and teachers are able to add digital rubrics to make grading easy. You will find this question listed as #101 on our Create Question page.

Free Response

2. Fill in the Blanks

Teachers love our Fill in the Blanks question type, which is found on online state assessments. You can differentiate this question type by setting it as a drop-down, drag and drop, or type in answer. All options will be autograded. You will find this question listed as #002 on our Create Question page.

Fill in the Blank Drop-Down 2

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3. Math Keypad

This question type is always a popular one for math teachers looking for state assessment alignment. It is also autograded! You will find this question listed as #062 (Multiple Answers) or #063 (Single Answer) on our Create Question page.

Student is entering the sum of the fractions using a math keyboard technology-enhanced question type.

4. Essay Response

Teachers can add multiple passages, videos, or audio clips to Essay Response questions. Digital rubrics can also be added for fast grading on Edcite, and teachers can incorporate annotations and comments for students to see on their grade report. You will find this question listed as #100 on our Create Question page.

Essay Response

5. Numeric Answer

The Numeric Answer question type asks students to enter their answer in the box, with the option to write in units. Answers will be automatically graded! You will find this question listed as #066 on our Create Question page. Edcite also offers a Randomized Numeric Response Question (#068). Teachers choose a variable, set a range for it, and then set the answer algebraically so that the question will grade automatically, even though all students will see a different problem.

Need a text version of this question? Check out Edcite’s Short Text Answer question type (#027), which is also autograded!

numeric answer - response

6. Drag and Drop – Text / Drag and Drop – Math

The Drag and Drop – Text question is engaging for students and gives teachers a lot of freedom in how they want to set up the question. Images and tables can be embedded, making it a valuable question to use across subjects. It is also an autograded question type. You will find this question listed as #021 on our Create Question page.
drag and drop

The Drag and Drop – Math question type is very popular because it aligns with online state assessments. Students can drag integers, expressions, images, or text. Teachers can also select an optional grid layout or background image. This autograded drag and drop question is listed as #022 on our Create Question page.

Math Drag and Drop Example.gif

7. Grouping Drag and Drop

Teachers and students love this question type, and it can be used across all levels and subjects. Teachers have the ability to set up answer choices as text or images. This is an autograded question type. You will find it listed as #041 on our Create Question page.

Drag into Categories - Amendments

8. Select Box Response

This multiple choice question type uses larger boxes for answer choices. Teachers can set multiple correct answers and include images or graphs as answers. This autograded question type is listed as #004 on our Create Question page.

American Government - civics practice - multi-select

9. Match Text-to-Text

Students have a lot of fun with this question type as they show their learning! Students match items from two lists, and Edcite autogrades their answers. You will find this question type listed as #041 on our Create Question page.

matching text to text

10. Tabular Checkbox Answer

This question type appears on many online state assessments. Teachers can set up the table with multiple questions or problems and answers. You will find this autograded question listed as #010 on our Create Question page.

Elementary Math Tabular Choice

 

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What is your favorite question type on Edcite? Share on social media with the tag #EdciteQuestionType!

5 New Improvements to Our Interface (Teachers Tools)

Posted on by edciteteam

We are so Edcited to release our new interface! Feedback from our community helped us improve the teacher experience across our platform. Keep reading to learn more about these exciting updates.

Continue reading 5 New Improvements to Our Interface (Teachers Tools)

5 Ways to Use Edcite as School Starts (Teaching Tools)

Posted on by edciteteam

Welcome back to school! The start of school is a busy time for teachers, but using digital assignments on Edcite can save you some time. Here are five ways to use Edcite in the beginning of the school year or summer school.

Getting to Know You Surveys

Knowing and understanding your students is an important part of teaching, and these Getting to Know You Surveys will help. You can even refer back to your students’ answers in the Assignment Report throughout the coming months.

Baseline Assessments

Once you’ve started to learn about your students, a baseline assessment is a great way to begin your curriculum. The Edcite Math Baselines will instantly show you what math skills students have as they start the school year. The Edcite ELA Baselines will give you a sample of students’ writing skills.

In-Class Assignments

Many teachers have students work on Edcite during class. Visit our curated Featured Collections to find great assignments to assign to your students. Then use the Live Assignment Dashboard to view students’ progress in real-time.

Exit Tickets

You can also use Edcite to create a digital exit ticket for students to complete at the end of class. You will see answers and scores as soon as students finish the exit ticket, and you can use that data to inform instruction the next day. To create your own exit ticket, visit the Create Question option in your navigation bar for our 60+ tech-enhanced question types.

Homework

Students can use Edcite on any device, so teachers often give Edcite practice for homework. If you allow retakes, the Summary Report will give you the option of selecting which retake score you would like to view, and you can upload this to your report card system.

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How do you plan to use Edcite the first month of school or during summer school? Let us know in the comments or share your ideas on social media!

Easy Summer Planning with Edcite’s Social Pages

Posted on by Nicole Bixler

Easy Summer Planning (3)

You switch off the classroom lights and turn in your key. Then you rev up your car’s engine and hit the road. Summer! Summer is time for decompression, whether that means watching Netflix, reading some good books, or getting out and enjoying the warm weather.

We know how important it is for teachers to have this time to recharge. We also know that teachers spend part of the summer planning ahead for the next school year. Thankfully, we can help make the planning process easy!

Our new Social Pages allow you to easily organize and find the best assignments for your new classes in the fall. Read on for three ways to use the Social Pages.

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My Profile

On this page, you can showcase collections of your favorite Edcite assignments. Organize your collections by month, unit, topic, or however you plan your lessons. After you’ve created a great collection, share it with other teachers!

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Featured Collections

On this page, you’ll find dozens of Edcite-recommended assignment collections. Follow your favorite collections and make copies of assignments to send to students in the fall. When you follow this social page you’ll be notified when a new set of Featured Collections appears!

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Discover Teachers

Search for teachers at your school or in your state. Follow teachers and their collections, and easily make copies of assignments.

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Discover Teachers

See how easy it is to plan ahead for the next school year? Now you’ll have even more time to head to the beach, hang with your friends, binge watch your favorite show, and get in that much-deserved relaxation!

Did you make an awesome collection? Share the link with us, and your collection may be featured!

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Assessing Interactive Science Simulations (PhET)

Posted on by juliaasweeney

With growing expectations for students to engage with material online and the desire of teachers and students to experience the learning process, it is no wonder that PhET Interactive Simulations have become so popular.

PhET Interactive Simulations, produced through the University of Colorado Boulder, have more than gotten the attention of science teachers across the world. Specifically in the US with new Next Generation science standards and assessments (NGSS), teachers are looking for high quality digital resources to enrich and align their teaching.

PhET Interactive Simulations, like Edcite, wants to give back to education through free content which is why all of their simulations are available under Creative Commons licensing. PhET’s open source policy enables many teachers to embed these simulations into homework, in-class practice, or assessments. In fact, we learned about PhET from our teacher community. Earlier this year, we heard from teachers in Ohio that these simulations were fantastic complements to their lessons.

After seeing how useful embeddable simulations were for teachers, Edcite now allows PhET Interactive Simulations embeds! So teachers can further enrich their Edcite interactive assessments with awesome PhET simulations to further engage and challenge their students. Dave Limbaugh, an 8th grade science teacher, has used PhET simulations in his class throughout this year, but now is able to use them on his summative or formative assessments on Edcite.

“With the additional Edcite feature of embedding a PHET simulation, I have been able to assess my Science students higher order thinking skills by having them apply, analyze and evaluate collected data. Using this technology allows me to incorporate 21st Century skills into my 8th grade classroom. ”
-Dave Limbaugh, Oakwood Middle School, Canton, OH

Check out these formative Edcite assignments that assess students using different simulations.

https://support.zoho.com/portal/edcite/kb/articles/adding-phet-simulations

Click here for some directions on how to create your own Edcite assignment using a PhET simulation—and don’t forget to share it in the library. 🙂

 

Teacher of the Month: Tracey Tisdale

Posted on by Guest

Tracey Tisdale

We are so thrilled to honor our February Teacher of the Month, Tracey Tisdale, an elementary teacher from Ohio! According to the teacher who nominated her, “[Tracey] is inspired to give her students the best, most relevant education possible. By doing this, she seeks out and implements 21st century teaching on a daily basis. Although she is a seasoned teacher, she is always seeking out new ideas that bring education to the next level.”

Read more about Tracey and her use of Edcite below.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a teacher at Millersport Elementary in Walnut Township School District. I earned my BSED from Ohio University in 1983.  I hold a MSED  in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New England. I have been teaching for 23 years (full time) and have been at Millersport for 22 of those years. I am married  with three children. My own kids’ ages range from 29 to 14. I have seen education through two sets of eyes in my life (through my role as a parent and as a teacher). It has changed dramatically.

What do you teach?

I teach 5th and 6th English Language Arts.

Tisdale 2

Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher because it has been my goal since I was a Jr. High student. As a high school student, I had the opportunity to tutor kids in the 2nd grade. I knew then that it would be my chosen career path and I never hesitated on that decision.

How did you hear about Edcite?

During a common core (PARCC) conference,  I heard about Edcite through another teacher. After looking at it the first time,  I was hooked. Nothing could be more exciting than to have the proper tool to prepare our kids for what they need to know.

What aspects make you most “Edcited” about Edcite?

Where do I begin?

  1. The ability to create my own assignments and tests using a platform that is necessary for my students to understand.
  2. The various choices of question types
  3. The ability for my students to have instant feedback on an assignment or assessment.  
  4. The option for students to learn from the mistakes they’ve made, by seeing what the correct answers should be for a given question.  

Sorry,  it’s hard to pick just one or two reasons.

Tisdale 3How do you use Edcite in the classroom?

My students take all their summative assessments on Edcite. We also use Edcite for Webquests and discovery assignments.

Final Words of Wisdom for other Edcite Users? 🙂

How lucky are we to have such a wonderful support staff in Edcite? One of my favorite things about the Edcite community is the access I have, as a teacher, to someone who can help me. I recall just starting out on Edcite, and I had so many questions. My questions were answered within minutes of my request. You just don’t find that everywhere. The Edcite team is also constantly changing to meet the teachers’ needs. I love how they take our suggestions with sincere interest and, more often than not, apply those suggestions to the site. They respect our role as teachers.

You can also learn more about Tracey in this Lancaster Eagle-Gazette news story! Interactive lessons help prep students

Time To Give Thanks

Posted on by edciteteam

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As we celebrated our two year anniversary last month, we couldn’t think of a better way to acknowledge the help we’ve received from teachers than by giving back to our teacher community. This is why we committed to releasing weekly ‘product presents’, implementing at least one change each week that our users would find valuable. Read on for more information about our new and exciting updates. Enjoy!

Google Sign-Up

Teachers and students can create accounts and sign into Edcite using Google emails. If you already have an Edcite account, with a non gmail address–don’t worry. We have created a process to link your existing Edcite account with your gmail account. Go ahead and follow the instructions on this one pager.

We hope this will make the sign-up and sign-in processes way faster for you and your students!

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Improved Rubrics: For Teachers AND Students!

A. Grading With A Rubric:

Teachers can now grade rubrics more easily because of 2 enhancements. First, teachers can now use more complex rubrics that grade along 2-dimensions. Also, teachers can now see the entire rubric at once and merely click on the score of their choice, rather than needing to chose from a drop-down.

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How does this look for kids? On their summary reports, students can see when rubrics are available for a question. They can also open the rubric and see which rubric scores were selected by their teacher.

B. ACT Rubrics

We added the ACT Rubrics for our site for teachers in states using ACT Aspire. You can also find useful Common Core rubrics in our ‘Rubric Library’.

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3. New Assignment Settings

We’ve had lots of teacher requests about different assignment features, and we were able to add a lot of them this month! We now have settings that can help teachers administer summative assessments more easily on Edcite, such as: setting a time window for each assignment, restricting access to assignments, and disabling features like question by question feedback.

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4. New Report Features:

A. Summary Report Is Clickable:

When you click on a name in a summary report, you will pull up that student’s individual summary report. And, this leads to Part B below…

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B. Individual Student Reports Can Now Be Printed:

We also have a printable version of each student’s summary report, so now you can print the report and send it home with students!

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We hope you enjoy these product presents. At Edcite, we are committed to enhancing the value of our platform for teachers and students over the long-term. So stay tuned for more in our 3rd year!

Please reach out to us anytime (hello@edcite.com) with any suggestions you have! Even when it’s not our birthday month, we’re committed to accommodating our beloved community and hear your suggestions.