We all learned Bloom's Taxonomy in college, and ever since, we've striven to help our students achieve those higher order thinking skills. It's not always that easy, though, is it? Activities and assessments that require students to do complicated synthesizing and evaluation take a lot more time to create and grade.

Well, there's one surefire way to get your students using higher-order thinking skills, and it's not as hard as you might think. How about turning your students into content creators?

What does this look like in today's classroom? Here are a few ideas to get you started. If you have your own idea, and you'd like to receive feedback, we encourage you to submit the optional assignment: Apply Your Open Learning. Tell us about your idea and we'll help you get it polished and ready to use!

Overview & Examples

A brief video overview explains why this trend matters and what skills students will build.

In this project, students are creating a mobile app to solve a real-world problem. Although this project is designed for grades 3-8, it can be easily adapted to other grades.

This video provides an example of how to use social media responsibly, allowing students to create their own digital social media content as part of their educational experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does content creation address the Common Core State Standards?

The Common Core State Standards discusses expectations for students as content creators. This includes writing and publishing written work that incorporates digital tools and media. Students are also expected to incorporate digital content into presentations as speakers. View the Common Core State Standards for Writing and Speaking and Listening here. (from blogger Monica Burns).

What other content creation methods can I use?

Click the "Next" button below for more ideas!