CueThink

From a Case Study from 5th grade teacher Theodora. Contribute your own Case Study by clicking here

What was the problem in your classroom or school that you were trying to solve when you implemented CueThink?

I was looking for the next step in using CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction for Math) with technology. Daily, I would have several students share out strategies to the classroom but time would not allow me to hear all 32 students share out. Furthermore, my students were using Padlet to showcase work but I wanted them to be able to comment on peer work. I feel strongly that in order to truly understand what they are doing in math they need to be able to verbalize how they solve things.

Describe how you used the product:

CueThink allows me to view the students' work as they are working through the problem and after they submit. I am able to use CGI word problems I have created for my students and post it as a Thinklet for students to work through. I can see all their steps: understand, plan, solve, review; in an easy to see screen. I have 1:1 iPads in my Fifth Grade classroom and CueThink has an App that the students use. I have my students work through the problem, record their thinking, and then go back to Annotate on other student work. I am able to view, annotate, and encourage students within CueThink. They also have frames for strategies the students would use, the tools are easy to use, and they can edit work even after submission if they find they need to revise their thinking. Amazing!

What worked and what didn't?

CueThink has changed the way I see my student work. I am able to give them encouragement and support on a daily basis and provide feedback. What's really amazing is my students are able to Annotate on peer work. I require that each student annotate on five student's Thinklets. Each student then will receive five Annotation comments daily from their peers. It is incredibly valuable to them as they take their peers words very seriously. All of these skills to use CueThink were developed over time. They have become very skilled at using CueThink. From the beginning of the year till now they have learned to express themselves as mathematicians and annotate with thoughtfulness.