The art of the middle school math project does not have to be a casualty of the pandemic
The beloved middle school math project has taken a hit. Many teachers have abandoned the idea. But you don’t have to. Going digital with your math project for middle school may be easier than you realize.
For some time, it seemed digital would become the new way of education. More and more schools were jumping on the one to one bandwagon. Edtech giants such as Kahoot, Quizizz, Quizlet, Desmos, Boom Cards, and Gimkit were popping up everywhere. Then the events of 2020 changed everything.
Going digital was no longer an option, but a necessity.
With the changes and challenges brought on by the pandemic, many teachers rearranged what and how they were teaching. Unfortunately, this often meant abandoning any middle school math project they may have used in the past. However, those fun middle school math projects don’t have to be a thing of the past. Read on to find out how to revive your middle school math project ideas in a digital world.
Google Slides: The middle school math project sandbox
One of the easiest ways to implement middle school math projects digitally is to provide students with projects that allow for video submissions, slide presentations, documents, and a variety of media. However, when provided too many options, students can become paralyzed from the decisions. Furthermore, too many options can become a grading nightmare for the educator.
It’s okay to set the framework for the students to lighten the load. Creativity is not sparked from endless options. As the educator, we need to set the rules, expectations and parameters. Create a sandbox for the students to play in and then step aside and watch them create beautiful castles.
When creating projects to be used digitally, Google Slides can be the sandbox. Google Slides is the Swiss army knife when it comes to versatility. It can be used in so many ways to allow students to create beautiful images, documents and presentations all in one. My Ultimate Guide to Middle School Math Projects breaks down the steps you need to successfully transform your projects to be used digitally in Google Slides.
Grading middle school math projects for distance learning
Grading middle school math projects for distance learning does not have to be an overwhelming experience. How can you get the information across to students of what is expected? Exactly how will students be notified as to where they made errors? Will there ever be enough time in the day to grade all these projects?
Unfortunately, these are often questions asked when it comes to grading and implementing math projects digitally. The solution to all these pain points is a beautiful marriage between Goobric and Doctopus. Goobric is a Chrome browser extension and Doctopus is a Google Sheets add-on, which together, make a solid team.
More on Goobric and Doctopus
I go in depth on how to set up and implement the free software to help provide students exceptional feedback while saving time. All of this and more is found in The Ultimate Guide to Middle School Math Projects. Don’t forget to download your free copy today!
Conclusion
Whether working with your students in person or digitally, projects are a great way to assess while continuing the learning process. Don’t let the shift to digital diminish your use of projects. Turn your favorite projects into a Google Slides Activity and get ready to grade them with ease.
If you are looking for projects to use in your class digitally or in person this year, you may be interested in one of my Middle School Math Project Bundles. To read more about some of the projects included in the bundle, head on over and read my list of fifteen project ideas for middle school math or pick them up today by clicking the images below.
