Taking Steps Towards Digital Badges

As somewhat of a "conscientious objector" regarding the grading of students, I am very excited about badges. I loved earning them as a girl scout; the idea of having proven a set of skills or accomplishments appealed to me then and still does. When I first heard of digital badges, I knew I needed to find out more. I did some research and got advice from my Twitter PLN. I have settled on using ClassBadges at classbadges.com. ClassBadges is a free tool that allows teachers to design, describe and award badges to students.

While there are many icons provided, you can also upload your own images. I created some of my images and edited some from Creative Commons.

I am a huge fan of giving my students options. During my decades as a classroom teacher, I used Academic Choice, a Responsive Classroom component. As a new Technology Specialist, I have been rethinking and revising ways to provide meaningful choices in the computer lab. When students complete their daily assignment, they will be able to work towards badges. I am implementing this with students in grades 3-5.





I am starting out with 10 badges. I feel it will give students enough variety, while being manageable.


I created a Google document that gives students a description and the requirements for each badge.  I have also created a Symbaloo webmix for all the websites and shared documents they will need to access.


My next step is to create a screencast for each badge, introducing it and modeling some components. This way, students can jump right into the work without having to listen to me explain all the details of every badge. Each screencast will also be a link in the webmix which is color-coded.

The Importance of Having Choices

I have been striving to give students as many choices about their work as I can. Even though it can increase the work I have to do, there are big benefits.

When students in my lab have choices, I hear:
"I love this one!"
"Can I use..."
"Will you show me how to...?"
"I was thinking..."
"Would this be good?"
"Can I work on this tomorrow?"
"I am trying to..."

Some examples of choices I give students:

• Selection from a menu of word or number games such as Curious George or Everyday Math Games
• The order in which they will do sections of a project in Glogster or Google Sites
• Animals to research and create habitat maps
• The historical figure they will create an interview with using Scratch
• Deciding which tool to use for a project, such as Comic Life or Garage Band
• Tell A Story or Make A Movie in Kerpoof
• Selecting a tool for drawing between Tux Paint or Seashore
• The country they will research and tour in Google Earth
• Resources to explore to get information

During most of my 22 years as a classroom teacher, I used the Responsive Classroom approach. One of the key components is Academic Choice, in which students select how they will demonstrate their learning and understanding. According to Paula Denton, author of Learning Through Academic Choice, it teaches the intellectual skills necessary for independent learning and fosters the need to feel competent.

With the widespread availability of so many options though technology, I really believe that we need to minimize the cookie cutter approach to student work.

Classroom Environment: Beginning the School Year

When people walk into my classroom, they often remark how "neat," "organized," or "calm" it is. My classroom is intentionally "sparse." As a Responsive Classroom teacher, I believe the space we work in is extremely important. It must be organized so that students can use the resources efficiently. I have the luxury of ample storage space so all materials not currently being used are out of sight.



The only things I want "in sight" are learning tools and student displays. Since there is no student work to display in August, room set up is uncomplicated. My classroom library remains as it was the previous year. My students will browse bins and get to know the organizational scheme on day two.



Some student materials are set out for use on the first day: atlases for a geography activity, assorted dictionaries, student binders, planners, etc. as students begin using them on day one. On the walls are two resources we'll reference the first day.





My goal is to have my students, upon walking into our room, feel that the room will meet their needs: space to move and work, tools to assist them learn, and lots of possibilities!