Provide creative assignment opportunities
There are times when an educator wants to provide a file for students to edit and return to the educator for review. For example, a kindergarten educator gives a writer's workshop session on sketching a story before writing the words. In Schoology, an educator creates a OneDrive Assignment using a Word file from the educator’s OneDrive. When selecting the file for the assignment, it creates a copy for each student receiving the assignment. When the students open the file, they use digital ink in Word to sketch their stories before they transition to typing the words.
As the student works on the file, even before submitting the work, the educator can open the student's in-progress file to view and comment. Opening the student’s file with the native program (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) allows the educator to provide feedback with tools like digital ink. Another option is to add comments to the file with an @mention to get the student’s attention. This is a great way to provide ongoing feedback while the student is completing the assignment. For example, a student is working on a research project with PowerPoint through a OneDrive Assignment. In PowerPoint, students can use features like QuickStarter, Designer, and Presenter Coach to develop, design, and refine their presentations. Each week, the student opens the file to add more to the ongoing project file, and the educator provides feedback on each slide. The next time the student opens the file, the student sees the comments from the educator and can reply to the conversation thread within the file. This type of feedback cycle permits the educator and student to communicate with each other at their own pace and schedule. In addition, the ongoing conversation connected to the student’s work can be a powerful way to provide praise and constructive guidance to extend the learning. When the student submits the assignment in Schoology, the educator can provide grading feedback for the student’s work in addition to a score.
Another way to provide creative assignment opportunities is using individually assigned items. In Schoology, an educator can make assignments available to individuals or to grading groups, offering a way for educators to personalize learning for students. For example, a fifth-grade science educator creates a Schoology assignment and provides a link to a Flipgrid topic. With the use of grading groups in Schoology, the educator can assign a different Flipgrid topic to each group of students. After students respond in the Flipgrid, they return to Schoology and submit the assignment. This lets the educator know the student has completed the work and that it is ready for review. By connecting Schoology with products like OneDrive and Flipgrid that students are using for assignments, educators offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning of a skill or topic.