Writing Your Instructional Resource

Day One

1:25 to 1:35: Interim Connections Playlists (ICP) Work Time
With your table lead, look at the topics on your team’s Interim Connections Playlist (ICP). Some topics will have clickable links that take you to Instructional Resources (IR). If there is no Instructional Resources (IR) link associated with a topic, you’ll see “Future Resource” in gray. These “Future Resources” are what your team will be writing.
3:15 to 4:00: Test Item Management System (TIMS) Work Time

Open up the Table Team Assignments sheet. You and/or your table lead will copy and paste your individual topic next to a link to the Test Item Management System (TIMS) resource ID.
Clicking that link will open up the page in TIMS where you will write your resource. If you need support in using TIMS, Module 3 of the pre-training has a good overview, including a TIMS how-to video. You can also rely on the TIMS technical guide.

Day Two

While the first day of the workshop is fairly proscriptive, days two and three involve more unstructured work time. You may stick closely to the steps laid out below, or follow a workflow that better fits your needs. Either way, make sure you get plenty of feedback and to be as concise as possible.

Some possible ways to do the writing are laid out here. Consider what works best for you, relying on your table team. Please note: TIMS supports cut and paste or copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts (i.e., control + V, control + c, ⌘ + v, ⌘ + c).

Option A: Writing in Google Docs/Slides. Pros: Easy to share with colleagues, easy to track feedback with comments tool, work is saved automatically, work is saved somewhere besides individual devices, Google Slides has nice, accessible templates. Cons: Will need to copy and paste/download into Word and PowerPoint to check accessibility, more complex formatting might not copy well, need a Google account, need to review TIMS to make sure you're writing the correct sections. 

9:00 to 10:35: Instructional Resource Work Time

Think of this section as the “meat” of your instructional resource. You will want to balance giving enough information with maintaining conciseness. This is a good time to dig in to your Interim Connections Playlist a bit more and review the Student Performance Progressions; Suggestions for Intervention; Things to Consider; IAB Background; Academic Vocabulary; and Dive Deeper: Sample Items, Content Explorer, Interim Assessments.

As always, refer back to existing instructional resources and reach out to table leads, coaches, and colleagues with any questions.

Tip: look at existing Instructional Resources in Tools for Teachers. What might you want to avoid or replicate?

12:50 to 2:55: Instructional Resource Work Time
Remember to rely on supports like table leads, coaches, colleagues, and Smarter Balanced staff as you write your instructional resource.

3:10 to 4:10: Instructional Resource Work Time

During this chunk of work time, please make sure to review copyright and to add formative assessment/accessibility strategies. 

Whether or not you have already drafted supporting materials, take a moment to review the copyright guidelines. If needed, edit your work to ensure that any materials meet copyright. It is critical that there are no copyright violations. 

Day Three

Much like yesterday, day three involves unstructured work time. You may stick closely to the steps below, or follow a workflow that better fits your needs. Regardless, please make sure that you complete all the steps below. If you l need to complete those steps after the workshop itself, make a plan for email/phone discussions with your table lead. 

Once your resource is complete, your work will go through a final copyedit review. After copyedit approval, you will be able to submit your invoice for payment.

Once your instructional resource has gone through three rounds of feedback, and that feedback has been logged in the “review” section of TIMS) and you have incorporated any revisions, check in with your table lead. If you both feel that the instructional resource is ready, your table lead will use their spreadsheet to indicate that it is ready for copyediting.

After the Workshop

Congratulations! We appreciate all your work to support students and educators. Steps to get your stipend payment and travel reimbursements are to the right. Forms are linked here and are also on the Quick Links page.

Make sure that all travel reimbursements are submitted within two weeks of the workshop end date, i.e. August 4th. Anything submitted after that date may take up to 90 days to process. 

Please complete the SNE Workshop Reimbursement Form as soon as possible. Forms submitted after August 4th may take up to 90 days for processing. Your stipend is $62 for the first/full travel day, and $35 when breakfast and lunch are served.

Scan or take photos of all receipts for expenses you note on the reimbursement form.

Once the form is completed, email the form with the scans/photos of attached receipts to Samantha Stevens at stevens@collaborativecommunications.com for processing. Again, please make sure that all reimbursements are submitted within two weeks of the workshop end date, i.e. August 4th, 2023.