Badges, Choice, and Vertical Alignment

As part of our work as an ISB Vertical Team, we set out to align our practices so that skills would build intentionally from year to year. We also wanted to create space for teachers to share best practices, tools, and ideas for integrating technology in meaningful ways.

Our team decided to focus on digital publishing since this was already happening in every grade. Digital Publishing is an important area of the ISTE Creative Communicator standard.

Credit to: Elizabeth Eastman: https://www.slideshare.net/eheastman

When we shared student work across levels, we noticed some inconsistencies. To address this, we agreed to align the skills and tools that we would introduce at each grade.

This process gave teachers a clear view of what was happening both above and below their own grade level, which is an essential step in any vertical alignment effort.

To support this, we used our Digital Badges system and created success criteria for different levels. This allowed us to scaffold learning while also giving students the chance to go beyond the minimum expectations. It offered real choice as well. For example, a Grade 2 student who mastered Level 1 could move on to Level 2 or even Level 3 skills. This choice fueled engagement and motivation for many learners.

My role in the process was to support implementation and help introduce some of the tools that teachers might not have felt fully comfortable with at first, such as Canva. I also helped manage the awarding of badges, which students proudly displayed on the backs of their iPads.

Through this work we saw the power of collaboration and the impact of sharing success criteria vertically. Aligning practices across grade levels not only made learning more consistent but also gave students the opportunity to stretch their skills in exciting and creative ways.

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