Announcements & Selected Archives
To view Karin's recent presentations or to schedule a book study or virtual PD, go to Karin's Calendar
Karin Hess co-authored two books published in 2020 and led development of the BEST "Self-Direction" Toolkit
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Deeper Competency-Based Learning! Click here to read or download excerpts.
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Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction & Assessment, K-6. Click here to read more...
NEW! Featured SEL and Mindfulness Strategies & Resources
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BEST Self-Direction Toolkit with links to videos and self-assessment Self-Direction rubrics by grade span
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Hess Visualization Activity - "The Idea Place" [Students visualize, draw, write about a place for developing creative ideas and building confidence and relationships. Students can return to the idea place to feel safe or to develop ideas.]
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Hess Writing Activity - free verse poem, "The Important Thing about ..." [Directions are at the end of the slide deck with optional ways to use the template.]
Featured Assessment Strategies
April 2020
- Creative Alternatives to Reports & Exams
- Assessment Strategies for Student Self-Monitoring (Chapter 4 excerpt, Deeper Competency-Based Learning)
- Create an Infographic as an alternative to summarizing/using data. Students can view a How to video.
- Virtual Portfolio Defense Toolkit - posted by Envision Learning Partners
March 2019 (article/webinar) - Rethinking formative assessment: Use learning progressions to fuel student success
Featured Kid Tools
March 2021 - Hess Cognitive Rigor Task Cards - 6 Ways to Uncover Thinking and Deepen Understanding
December 2020 - Science Investigation Planning Worksheet (with progress-monitoring checkpoints)
April 2020 - The "What I Need to Do" Rubric for Reflection and Goal Setting
When students understand the expectations - or success criteria - for a given performance task, they are better able to self-monitor their own progress. I developed the “What I need to do” rubrics by stripping away all performance levels except PROFICIENT and making them student interactive (Hess, 2018, Module 3). Download a goal-setting example.
April 2019 - Published in ASCD Express: Deepening Student Understanding with Collaborative Discourse
Featured Instructional Strategies