The sixth grade science teacher has designed a lesson that has students explore and define the different characteristics of minerals. Each jigsaw group is responsible for researching one characteristic. The teacher has created a template using Inspiration, which includes areas for each group to add their information. As the students use their texts and carefully chosen websites about rocks and minerals, the teacher filters through the classroom with a wireless keyboard. When ready with a required piece of information, each group can add information to the template, which is projected on the wall, without leaving their seats. As the class period comes to an end, the teacher redirects the class to view the completed template. After school, he posts the completed template to the class website and prints copies for students. Tomorrow, members of the groups will use the template to teach their classmates about their assigned characteristic.

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity

A high school ELA teacher has grown tired of the disinterest her students have in reading “Night,” by Elie Wiesel. Before the school day begins, she is able to secure the computer lab for that afternoon. She feels that if her students learn more about World War II and the Holocaust, they will appreciate Wiesel’s story. When in the lab, the teacher instructs the students to find some interesting pieces of information, which they will share the next day in class. Most students head to Google, and begin entering their own search terms: War, Night, Jewish, Holocaust. Students have found lists of millions of sites and begin scanning the pages. The teacher moves from computer to computer, commenting on the sites and trying to focus her students on important information. With about 10 minutes left, she tells the class to make sure they have at least three interesting facts to share tomorrow.

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity

Mrs. Robert’s kindergarteners have been working on number recognition and she is getting them ready for a practice activity. Each student has a small whiteboard, marker, and eraser. A picture of a pumpkin appears on screen in front of the students and they are asked to write the number of pumpkins on their boards. As the students hold up their boards for the teacher to review, the slide changes to reveal the number “1” with the word “one” under it. The next slide shows 4 pumpkins and the students begin to write on their boards. This is done for a series of numbers. Students are then instructed to use paper to write a number and then draw the same number of an object of their choice. Later that night, Mrs. Roberts creates digital versions of the student work for review the next day.

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity

The music teacher discusses famous composer’s basic information as she clicks through a PowerPoint presentation. The slides contain a picture of the composer, place of birth, country of origin etc. The students listen to the teacher and are expected to link this knowledge to the composer’s music they will hear played.

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity

The music teacher has created an Inspiration template with 6 major composers listed. The document contains explicit instructions about information the student must locate from designated websites. The students are to use the notes feature to develop a short biographical abstract about the composer they have chosen. Students will pick up the document from the teachers shared folder and work independently. Their finished documents will be saved to the teacher’s shared drop-off folder. The teacher will combine all the composer information into one document and make it available through the shared folder.

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity

A fourth grade science lab is being conducted in Mr. W’s classroom at Main St. High School and Ms. M’s room at North High School. Using a camera, connected to each classroom computer with an LCD projector, the two rooms are linked in a video conferencing configuration. As each group performs the experiment they are asked to discuss their results with their partner group in the other class. They are instructed to give reasons for the similarity or differences in their data and hypothesize why?

Novice / Developing / Distinguished
Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Productivity