{Digital Badges} - a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality or interest that can be earned in various learning environments.
Traditional physical badges have been used for many years by various organizations such as the United States Army and the Boy Scouts of America to give members a physical emblem to display the accomplishment of various achievements.
Digital badges are a powerful new tool for identifying and validating the rich array of people's skills, knowledge, accomplishments, and competencies.
Digital badges inspire new pathways to learning, connect learners to opportunities, resources, and one another. A digital badge system makes it easy for anyone to issue, earn, and display badges across the web—through an infrastructure that uses shared and open technical standards.
Got it! So......
This gave us the idea, but we are twisting it to fit our needs at PAC Elementary.
Our digital badges are centered around and will help measure our students 21st-Century Learning Skills. In particular, the 6 Iowa Core Technology Literacy Standards - Make It!, Share It!, Find It!, Solve It!, Protect It!, and Use It!
Technology teacher - Mrs. Zierke - is implementing the digital badge system. However, Mrs. Zierke is not the only distributor of the badges. Learning today happens everywhere. Our core teachers will also recognize student achievement and proficiency as students transfer their knowledge in and out of their different discipline areas.
3-6th grade students will showcase their badges on a blue ribbon adorned to their lockers.
PreK-2nd grade don't have a locker system so sticking badges on a decorated folder will highlight their competencies.
There's A Badge For That!
We are creating our own digital badges and are super excited about the enthusiasm the students have in wanting to know if and when they will earn a badge.
I know - at the end of the year - student's badge ribbons are going to "take over" the front of their lockers.