Lori Rice teaches fourth grade at West Elementary in Wamego and is the current Kansas Council for the Social Studies elementary teacher of the year. You can find Lori on Twitter at @MsLRice. She also blogs on all things teaching (not just social studies) at The Educator’s Room.

Our world is changing; looking different today than ever before. In this evolving environment it is more important today than ever before to develop citizens who are prepared to take on the challenges our society is dealing with.  We need students who are able to understand the past and use this knowledge to apply, create and synthesize solutions for tomorrow.

In 1956 under the title, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain, Bloom’s taxonomy was published with an idea of giving educators a common bank of items to be used in assessments.  Forty-five years later, in 2001, this framework was reevaluated as Bloom realized it could reach beyond assessment purposes. He believed it could serve as a common language for learning objectives across curricular areas. During this time of revision a few of the categories shifted.  “Understand” was a verb used over and over by educators so this replaced “comprehension” and with this the nouns were changed to verbs. Lastly, evaluation and synthesis switched places making synthesizing the highest level; however, it was changed to “create”.

Bloom’s has been used across classrooms for years.  Adding a layer of technology to this chart allows students to remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create in ways that are meaningful and fun.  This increases the engagement and retention of ideas and content from the classroom. Here are a few apps and websites to check out for each classification of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Remembering: Students can use Google Searches or Kids Safe Search by Google to allow them to find facts and information.  Word clouds like word art, tagxedo, word salad app or word it out can be used for students to incorporate important vocabulary and main ideas.  Within this classification students are finding, copying, quoting, memorizing, bookmarking and searching for information within your content area.

Understanding: Students can use apps here to show their knowledge including annotate app, Show Me app or online, Diigo to annotate notes, or Paper 53 for Sketchnoting.  Student could also create an online bookmarking page for their topic using wakelet.  Within this classification students are annotating, comparing and contrasting, tweeting, journaling and summarizing the information they have learned within your content area.

Applying: This classification is moving up in cognitive thinking and application of knowledge.  Students can create podcasts, music using Garage Band or Soundstation as well as interview experts using Skype.  Within this classification students are choosing, displaying, sketching, interviewing, presenting and reenacting to show their understanding within your content area.

Analyzing: Continuing to move up the cognitive ladder in this classification, students use their application to analyze information. There are many apps available for this area including google docs, mentimeter, Adobe Spark Suite and Evernote.  Mind mapping is another useful activity within analyzing using kidspiration or popplet.  Within this classification students are categorizing, linking, organizing, illustrating, explaining and advertising.

Evaluating: Students can use google doc for this classification, especially when sharing and collaborating together.  Seesaw is an excellent resource for younger students to use as a digital portfolio where they can provide feedback on each other’s work.  Edublog, Kidsblog or WordPress are sites and apps that students can use to blog.  Within this classification students are arguing, testing, debating, experimenting, reflecting and commenting which allows them to analyze information against various criteria to demonstrate a deep knowledge of your content area.

Creating: Here is all about adding your flavor to your knowledge by putting it all together.  Students can create videos with Inshot, iMovie, explore graphic and comic expression with Comic Life, Pixton, StoryBoard That, Seedling Comic Studio, as well as letting their imaginations explode with WeVideo and Skitch.  App smashing is always a good option in this classification as students can create and showcase their ideas in multiple apps.  Within this classification students are building, animating, collaborating, podcasting, programming and problem solving.

Classrooms are changing.  Students are becoming more engaged and in charge of their learning.  It is empowering to teach within a student centered classroom and facilitate learning in today’s world.  Working through Bloom’s Taxonomy with your students will allow them to not only learn important facts, but to apply, analyze, evaluate and create.  These skills will produce problem solvers, collaborators, and citizens who are actively engaged in their environment. It is more important now than ever that we have students who are able to understand the past and use this knowledge to apply, create and synthesize solutions for tomorrow.