Foldables as an Assessment Tool and an AMAZING Rubric Site

I had planned to create this foldable as more of a whole group project, but on a whim further thought I decided I would use it as a basic assessment tool for story elements.

My students were excited about the idea of getting to create their own foldable without me leading them through the steps. I put up some simple directions on the board, went over my expectations, handed out the supplies, and stood back to watch them work magic!

I typically use folables as more of a teaching tool, but decided to take a different approach and see where that lead us.

On the top of the inside flap I had students write the definition for the element and on the bottom they named the character/setting/problem from their book. 

I liked using foldables in this way because my kiddos came up with their own answers instead of just choosing A,B,C, or D on a test.We are approaching "testing season" and my students are bombarded with multiple choice tests so its nice to see some written responses for a change. 

 

I decided to use a rubric to assess the foldables. Confession time: I don't use rubrics as much as I think I should. They are somewhat intimidating to me and all that grading and the extra paper.....but I discovered an amazing new site that has turned my rubric thinking around.

ForAllRubrics is a seriously amazing site.Stop what you are doing now and go check it out. Plan something this week that you will use a rubric with. You will LOVE this site. What makes it different from other rubric sites? You create classes, enter your students' names, and actually score the rubrics online. It is so easy and so much fun (okay, maybe that's the novelty) that I graded these foldables at 11:00 on a Friday night. I know, be jealous of my very exciting life.

I didn't read a tutorial or anything on this site - it is that easy. Upon further exploration it looks like the site offers some very useful features for analyzing your student's performance. This site is definitely one I plan on using and exploring more in the coming weeks.

I wouldn't have learned about this amazing resource if not for an incredible blog I just started following this week: Purely Paperless. I've been downloading apps and visiting websites ever since I started reading her blog - its amazing! If you are interested in technology in the classroom you've got to check out Kate's blog HERE!