Dimension 1.4

Note: Utilizing a particular resource does not indicate Dimension 1.4 is being addressed. The administrator must examine the level of rigor at which the technology is incorporated.

•Blogs and Discussion Boards

Blogs and discussion boards allow students to post their thoughts online. Best of all, learners can read the posts of their classmates and offer feedback. Discussion boards are great for whole-class discussions. Blogs are typically created by one or a small group of authors to showcase thoughts and reflections on a wide variety of topics.

•Classroom Help Board

Train your students to help each other - while you facilitate the discussion. Created and hosted in an online discussion board, a classroom help board allows students to post questions throughout a given week or for the duration of a particular academic unit. Fellow learners give helpful tips and provide links to beneficial resources. You monitor the discussion to ensure all questions are answered correctly in a timely manner.

•Learning Centers/Stations

Also known as learning stations, learning centers offer numerous benefits - from giving students voice and choice in the ways assignments are completed to maximizing classroom productivity. A teaching technique that hits all 16 dimensions of T-TESS, centers are perfect for interest-based, skill-level-centered, learning-style-focused, and collaborative-group assignments. In addition, they can be incorporated into elementary, middle-school, and high school classrooms.

•Learning Group Reflection Survey

Group work can be rewarding. However, it can also be a challenge. Give students the opportunity to chronicle what they've learned and the skills they still need to master while working in a group.

•SAMR

Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) is a framework through which teachers and administrators evaluate the level of rigor crafted into technology-based lessons and assignments. SAMR assesses how higher-order thinking skills and the Thinking Pathways framework are incorporated into lesson delivery and assignments.

•Student Reflection

Giving students the chance to reflect on new materials and processes can help deepen their understanding and critical thinking skills.