I discovered the U. of MN’s Assignment Calculator back in 2004 and thought it was a really cool idea. I learned at the TIES meeting today that MEMO, Minnesota’s statewide media organization, has collaborated with MINITEX at the U. to develop a new version of the Research Project Calculator which is aimed more appropriately at a K–12 audience.
The old version was aimed squarely at traditional research paper projects. The new one has broader appeal and includes information about essay, presentation, or video projects. (The site has “PowerPoint” as an option. I always avoid specific products when possible since there are many alternatives to PowerPoint.) Once the project type is selected, students can enter their email address for automated reminders and the project due date. The calculator prints out a five-step research guide and deadlines for each step to discourage procrastination. The new site has a lot more supporting documentation than the original, and a teacher guide is on the way. This would be a great site to link to from a media center or other school web page.
About the Powerpoint reference… We talked about this a lot and decided to go the Kleenex (as opposed to tissue) route in the pull-down menu. In the actual text we say, “Communicate in an oral presentation with slides” and mention other possible products. This could be changed. Any suggestions?
Jane
Thank you for sharing the research project calculator information. I’m a middle school technology teacher and this is perfect for video projects!!! Have a nice day!
FYI- The Teacher Guide for the Calculator will be up and running in early October- we think that it will prove very useful in helping teachers to guide students through the research process- check it out!
Leslie Yoder
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Thank you so much for posting information on the Assessment Calculator. This is a fantastic resource that I hope to use with my class. This is a great blog. I hope to read more from you.