lesson resource: uploading & assigning · a lesson package should include all relevant teaching...

Lesson Resource: Uploading & Assigning: updated October 1, 2015

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Lesson Resource: Uploading & Assigning

Teachers determine the effectiveness of teaching materials and how best to utilize and deliver this knowledge to

students. Teachers have a grand task of creating all lessons and units for the subjects they teach. LUMICARDS

wants teachers to create a few great lesson packages by putting their best knowledge and experience together

and uploading effective lessons into Lesson Resource. The lesson packages will be shared with other teachers.

This creates a sharing platform that aids in effective teaching strategies and structures and decreases teacher

workload through this shared process. LUMICARDS will reward the contributing teachers based on usage of the

uploaded lesson packages by other teachers.

Submit Diverse Lesson Packages

LUMICARDS will not determine the quality of the uploaded lesson packages; teachers will determine the

effectiveness of lesson packages. Teachers have diverse teaching styles just like students have diverse learning

styles. Thus, we do not believe any one contributing teacher’s lesson package will dominate in any given topic. A

diverse mix of lesson packages will serve the needs of a diverse learning population.

Be Attractive and Thorough

A lesson package should contain everything teachers need to conduct effective classroom teaching. Teachers,

upon clicking the ‘assign’ button, should be able to use the lesson packages immediately. LUMICARDS does not

provide lesson package guidelines to teachers; however, teachers should exercise careful and professional

judgment in designing lesson packages. Lesson packages should be attractive to other teachers. If the lesson

packages provide thorough knowledge base, best teaching practices, and save time for teachers, teachers will

surely use them.

Be Creative and Unique

School subject teaching and study materials are, in general, common knowledge and cannot be proprietary of

any publishers and authors of textbooks; however, languages and presentation approaches can be. Thus, we

strongly prohibit copying substantial parts of lesson packages from any textbook or copyrighted material.

Copying others’ lesson packages is also prohibited and strictly monitored. Be creative and unique in making

lesson packages, so teachers can distinguish the style and quality of the contributing teachers’ lesson packages.

Ultimately, contributing teachers’ names will be known among educators, and future lesson packages designed

by these successful, contributing teachers will be well-received.

Update Frequently

Feedback from other teachers will improve the quality of lesson packages. When a lesson package is updated, it

will be placed on top of the lesson package list for a few days in order to invite teachers’ reviews. Sample

quizzes/tests can be updated frequently so teachers can use different quizzes/tests from old classes.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)1 and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)2

CCSS and NGSS provide ample guidelines on what to include in lesson packages. Teachers are required and will


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want to know which CCSS and NGSS that lesson packages comply with. We have listed all CCSS and NGSS for all

grades and relevant subjects as reference for contributing teachers and users.

Structure of Lesson Resource

Lesson Resource is structured by grade, subject and topic. Subject categories are placed under grades. Topic

categories are placed under subjects. All lesson packages are placed under topics. For grades, Lesson Resource

currently has 13 grade levels from Kindergarten to 12th grade. We plan to expand into non-grade level subjects

(i.e. sports, arts and music) and college level subjects when there are enough demands for them. Each grade

includes relevant subject matter. For any additions or modification to subjects, LUMICARDS Content Desk

([email protected]) will receive email requests from the members. The requests will be reviewed,

and the actual changes will be made upon approval. For topics, the default setting is ‘general.’ Contributing

teachers have freedom to choose any relevant topics for the uploading lesson packages. Contributing teachers

can create new topics for uploading lesson packages, if no existing relevant topic is available.

< Grade level screen >

mailto:[email protected]


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< Subject level screen >

< Topic level screen >

Lesson Package Contents

A lesson package should include all relevant teaching and study materials for a specific topic. It is composed of a

lesson plan (LP), a teaching guide (TG), student activity sheet(s) (AS), sample homework (SH), a sample quiz (SQ),

study guide flashcards (FC) and video clips (VC). For LP, TG, AS, SH and VC, teachers are free to choose any file

formats (MS office document or pdf, etc.), but SQ and FC should be in LUMICARDS flashcards and test file

formats. We recommend that all uploaded contents of a lesson package are attractive and useful to other

teachers; however, a lesson package is not required to have all contents. Contributing teachers can determine

which contents are needed for their lesson packages. For the teachers’ incentive program for uploaded lesson

packages, however, a set of study guide flashcards is required for each lesson package.


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< Composition of lesson package >

Lesson plan (LP) is not required to have any specific document layout or required file format. Contributing

teachers can use any form and file format. However, considering the fact that many teachers do submit

lesson plans to schools or districts, modifiable file format is preferred. Upon ‘assign’ click to group folders,

only teachers have access to LP.

Teaching guide (TG) can be anything that will help teachers prepare and conduct successful classroom

teaching. It could be a detailed plan, list of preparation, tips of successful classroom teaching, or video clips

showing classroom teaching and student activities, etc. Contributing teachers can be creative in providing

materials that will help other teachers. Upon ‘assign’ click to group folders, only teachers have access to TG.

Student activity sheet (AS) may contain instructions for student activities in the classroom, handouts for

important topic information, or supplemental worksheets to textbook materials, etc. Again, contributing

teachers can be creative in providing materials that will promote student learning. Upon ‘assign’ click to

group folders, both teachers and students have access to AS.

Sample homework (SH) should be worksheets or assignments that students can complete for homework.

Instructions on how to give homework to students can be illustrated in the teaching guide. Upon ‘assign’

click to group folders, both teachers and students have access to SH.

Study guide flashcards (FC) should be in flashcard format and can be made only on the LUMICARDS website.

Flashcards contain all important study points for students, and students should be able to study the topics

by using the LUMICARDS website and mobile apps. We recommend creating and uploading study guide

flashcards for all uploaded lesson packages because it is the backbone of sample quiz and one of two

features for Student Regular Membership. Contributing teachers should consider that flashcards will be

converted into sample quizzes. Thus, the structure of flashcards must be well designed for easy

transformation into quiz format. Upon ‘assign’ click to group folders, both teachers and students have

access to FC.


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Sample quiz (SQ) can only be made through conversion from flashcards, which automatically creates a set

of multiple-choice questions. After conversion, contributing teachers can change multiple-choice questions

into single-answer questions or change the multiple-choice options and answers. The main purpose of

creating sample quizzes is to reduce teacher workload in creating, administering and grading quizzes and

tests. Online testing will reduce administration and grading time significantly and free up teachers’ time for

more effective teaching. Upon ‘assign’ click to group folders, SQ will be downloaded into teachers’ My Test

& Quiz’ sections instead of group folders and should only be accessed by the teachers. The teachers can

further modify the downloaded sample quizzes and conduct online testing through the School

Communication Tool (SCT).

Video clip (VC) supplements all study and teaching materials above. Contributing teachers can search and

find suitable video clips or web page information on the Internet and copy URL addresses. This will greatly

reduce other teachers’ search time while providing extra learning resources for students.

Uploading Lesson Package

The uploading process of lesson packages is comprised of 4 steps: lesson topic, lesson package information,

standards and contents. The process may appear complex; however, it is fairly straightforward. Contributing

teachers will be able to upload lesson packages easily once they get used to the process.

Step 1: Lesson Topic

Contributing teachers can choose from an existing topics list or create topic names relevant to the lesson

packages. LUMICARDS did not create topics lists, and there is only a ‘general’ topic in every subject in the

incipient stages of development. During the first few months of service launch, contributing teachers should

create their own topic names for the lesson packages. LUMICARDS will continue to allow contributing teachers

to create their own topic names until the point when there are too many topics in a subject or too many

containing similar names. In such case, LUMICARDS will restrict new topic creation for the subject. LUMICARDS

reserves the right to consolidate or adjust topic names in such cases.

The naming of topics is important for future usage of uploaded lesson packages: There are two factors to keep

in mind when naming topics. First, the topic names should be relevant to the contents of lesson packages.

Second, it should be recognized by other teachers as relevant and universal for the subject. This is important

because teachers downloading lesson packages are likely to choose those topics from a topics list that is

relevant to their classroom instruction. In addition, other contributing teachers are likely to upload their lesson

packages to relevant and universal topics. Ultimately, teachers are more likely to choose lesson packages from

topics that contain several lesson packages than topics with very few lesson packages.


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< Lesson Topic and Lesson Package Information >

Step 2: Lesson Package Information

Lesson package information has two sections: lesson package name and lesson package description. Lesson

package name should describe the contents in a few words that complement a detailed lesson package

description. Teachers will likely scan through the list of lesson packages and their descriptions and pick several

for review of contents. Thus, lesson package names and descriptions should be concise while containing

information that attracts teacher attention.

Step 3: Standard

Many states have already adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS)1 and Next Generation Science

Standards (NGSS) 2. Teachers will want to know whether the lesson packages are aligned to the CCSS and NGSS

standards. Thus, LUMICARDS listed all CCSS and NGSS standards relevant to each subject. The uploading screen

initially shows the specific standard numbers, but the full standards will appear when the cursor is placed over

the standard numbers. Contributing teachers should check all standards that the lesson packages satisfy. In

addition, contributing teachers can print out the full list of standards for reference purposes.


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< Standard >

Step 4: Contents

Uploading contents is fairly easy. Contributing teachers should prepare all contents to be uploaded before

opening up the ‘Uploading Lesson Package’ screen. As noted above, in the ‘Lesson Package Contents’ section,

contributing teachers are free to choose any file formats (MS Office document or pdf, etc.) for LP, TG, AS, SH and

VC, but SQ and FC should be in LUMICARDS flashcards and test file formats. For how to make flashcards and test

files, read ‘Making Flashcards’ and ‘Making Quizzes or Tests’ in member support section of LUMICARDS website.

< Contents >


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Assigning Lesson Packages to Group Folders

Assigning a lesson package to group folders is a very simple process. A teacher can navigate among subjects and

topics and choose ‘lesson package,’ then the lesson package screen will appear as shown below. Before clicking

the ‘Assign’ button, the teacher can view all attached files by clicking the file names. If the teacher likes a lesson

package, the teacher can click all or part of the groups that he/she manages and click the ‘Assign’ button. All

contents files in the lesson package will be stored in the teacher’s group folders. If a teacher does not like the

lesson package, then he/she may simply click the ‘Close’ button to return to the lesson resource pages.

< Assigning Lesson Package to Group Folders >

Notes: 1. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers own copyright of Common Core

State Standards (CCSS).

2. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that

developed the Next Generation Science Standards was involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

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