NIS Learning Curve

  Instructional Strategy#13: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) This strategy provides a scaffolded way for students to use evidence to formulate and justify their own arguments by breaking down materials and research into smaller pieces for analysis.                                                                                                                                                              (Click on the images to enlarge) McNeill, K. L., & Krajcik, J. (2008). Inquiry and scientific explanations: He...

Instructional Strategy#12: Create the Problem This mathematics-focused instructional activity has students create a hypothetical problem that matches a given real-world solution.                                                                                                   (Click on the images to enlarge) Keeley, P., & Tobey, C. (2011). #11. Create the problem. In Mathematics Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning (p. 80). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, SAGE.                                                               ...

If you are looking for a part calculator, part interactive simulation tool, Desmos is a standout example of inquiry-driven math tool with super-smart instructional supports. Desmos is an easy-to-use tool that gives students a visual way to understand expressions. It is a Graphing Calculator app that provides features beyond those of a regular calculator, allowing users to graph functions, create tables, simulations and more.  The site boasts a huge collection of activities in accordance with IGCSE and AS/A level requirements. The tool is free and is available on the web as well as on iOS and Android. In addition to plotting equations, classroom activities are available to help students learn about a variety of math concepts. For example, students can learn how to transform periodic functions by trying to slide marbles through points on a graph. Or they can plug in their own equation and see what kind of graph pops up; sliders allow students to adjust values and see w...

Great for -   Assessment, Formative Assessment, Presentation, Flip classroom, Classroom Management, Instructional Strategies, Differentiate instructions Have you wondered if your students are actually watching the videos you assign? PlayPosit can provide the answer. Use PlayPosit to embed quiz-type questions, facts, or links to websites in a video you create or a video you find from on site library or sources such as YouTube, TEDx, Vimeo, Khan Academy, and other popular video platforms. From inside Canvas, instructors can create an assignment that requires students to interact with the video they watch. PlayPosit also includes analytics, so instructors can see how students respond to questions. Instructors can even assign students the task of creating an interactive video. Data can then be analyzed on the individual or group level, providing powerful insight into educational trends in the classroom. Using video effectively in the classroom requires switching s...

  Liveworksheets.com is an educational tool which allows teachers to transform their traditional printable worksheets (in format .doc, pdf, .png or .jpg) into interactive online exercises with self-correction. These interactive worksheets may include fill-in-the-gaps activities, join with arrows, multiple-choice, drag and drop, sounds, videos, listening exercises and even speaking exercises. The site gives an option to create an interactive workbook system, where workbooks can be assigned to one or more students at a time and are organised by class/level. Since the Live Worksheets are interactive worksheets they help save paper, ink, and time, and are fun to complete. Teachers create an account to upload worksheet pdfs, then drag text entry boxes on top of the worksheet. The student then enters the answers online. Questions can be fill in the blank, multiple-choice, matching, drag and drop, join with arrows, recording audio, word search, and more, with new activities frequently add...

  Instructional Strategy#11: Annotating Text Annotating text is a strategy that engages students in close reading to build their vocabulary and reading comprehension. Students identify difficult or confusing passages within a text and then seek to explain them.                                                                                                                                                               (Click on the images to enlarge) Blow, M. (2016). Engage readers and increase comprehension: Ann...

  Instructional Strategy#10: Crosscutting Cards Each subject has skills and processes that should happen, no matter the grade or content standard. This strategy helps students understand the connection between those processes and their learning.                                                                                                                          (Click on the images to enlarge) Happy Learning!