Visual+Ranking

The Visual Ranking Tool
We often ask students to make lists, but how often do we ask them to organize and prioritize these lists, identifying and refining criteria as they rank the list, and explain their reasoning...and do this while working in small groups? The Visual Ranking tool allows students to do this, and to compare their ranking to others. It supports higher order thinking skills (analysis and evaluation) and is one of three tools found in Intel Teaching Thinking with Technology tool set. This tool may be used once students are able to read text. Why use the Visual Ranking Tool? It has the potential to address all the components in Bloom's taxonomy, the cognitive domain and the affective domain. The pictures below show the domains as defined by Bloom.

[[image:massnewlitinstitute2011:Bloom's_Taxonomy.jpg width="477" height="179" caption="Bloom's_Taxonomy.jpg"]]
A newer Bloom's technology has also been released. The Wordle below is based on the words in one paragraph found on the Visual Ranking website and provides an overview of the benefits of the tool. What does this Wordle say to you?

The Visual Ranking tool is easy to use. Students click and drag the items in a list to the position they want to place it. As they work in their team they must negotiate as they come to consensus.The picture below shows part of the list, in this case questions. The students have begun to rank the questions based on the prompt hand have also begun to explain their reasoning.



If there is a red triangle in the box it means that the students have provided a rationale for the ranking. The next picture shows a page from the Intel website with some further explanations. Let's get started. Click here to go to the Visual Ranking Tool. **Online Handouts ** Visual Ranking Tool Directions  [|Connections to the new Massachusetts Framework for ELA & Literacy - Visual Ranking]

Additional Resources
 A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives  Bransford, J.; Brown, A.; and Cocking, R., eds. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (Expanded Edition). Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. Available at @http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368