Why a Rubric is not a Rubik's Cube

 

Yes 👍,  they both have boxes. Yes👍, they both look confusing at first. But no👎, they are not the same thing.

So what am I talking about? I am talking about Rubrics NOT Rubik’s Cubes. 

Rubrics’ boxes are not for moving around and adjusting like on a Rubik’s cube. But they are used to give students a score for certain assignments. Like the colors on a Rubik’s cube, the boxes on a rubric show students what the teacher’s expectations are and how they did.

Rubrics have 3 main elements:

1. Criteria – the main topics that are being examined in the project
2. Descriptors – describe what each criteria should/could meet
3. Performance scale – numbers that rate how students did in certain criteria

Like how a Rubik’s cube can have 3x3 squares per side or 4x4 or 5x5, etc., so also a rubric can range from simple to complex. It really just depends on what the teacher prefers and needs for an assignment.✏ 

Here are some rubrics that I found for free on TeachersPayTeachers.com. 🍎 They are more for elementary age groups, and some are for students to grade themselves: TpT Rubrics 

Also in this Google Drive folder you will find My Rubric that I created for my final project in Educational Technology Class! 😊

When you create and use a rubric, you will feel a similar satisfaction 💆🙌 to what you get when you complete a Rubik’s cube (not really, because I have never completed one so I don’t know what it feels like). 😏

In reality, there are many benefits to using rubrics:

• Help teachers grade more efficiently, quickly, and accurately
• Show students exactly what teachers expect for the assignment(s)
• Give students direct feedback so they can see exactly where they need improvement
• Decreases the amount of questions/disagreements from parents and students about grades/assignments
• Lets the teacher see where further instruction is needed 
• Give goals to students in a tangible way, and they are able to complete them

Here are some articles on using rubrics in the classroom:

• Creating and Using Rubrics
• How to Create Custom Rubrics

Here’s a link to solve the Rubik’s cube: How to Solve a Rubik's Cube  (FYI: I haven't tested it, so I'm not sure if it works 100%) 😉

Glad to have solved the rubric puzzle mystery with you, and we'll keep working on the Rubik’s cube! 😁