Testing Shmesting

Are Tests the Only Objective Assessment of Student Learning? Absolutely not! There are so many ways a student's learning can be assessed objectively. A test is just one of the ways. Students, whether they know it or not, are being assessed constantly while in the classroom. There are two main types of assessments that can objectively show a students growth or mastery in a subject: formative and summative.

Formative assessments are helpful when it comes to monitoring the  learning process of students. They are also beneficial when making decisions about a student's progress or how and where to improve instructional practices. Some common types of formative assessments include student tracking, observations, active responding systems (clickers), adaptive assessments, and participation.

Summative assessments are closer to a final assessment and can be aligned to a curriculum or an IEP goal. It can show mastery of specific skills or concepts. Common summative assessments are final exams, presentations, portfolios, essays, and rubrics.

Both types of assessments can be very helpful and some types of assessments fall into both categories. For example, a multiple choice assessment can be used as a final exam or as a daily exit ticket to show progress.
So, is a test the only way to objectively assess a student? After reading this, I hope you can agree with my answer of, "No! That's just the tip of the iceberg!" We can and should assess students using many different methods.

As educators, we need to prepare our students for the real world in the 21st century. We can't possible do that with assessing only with tests.

How Was Your Day at School?

When I think of the age-old question, "How was your day at school," I always consider the cringe-worthy answer, "Fine." I imagine in a technology-infused classroom, the answer would be a little more exciting. There is so much going on in the digital age that "Fine" just doesn't do it justice. This might be because I'm technically Gen-X, so technology is still something that excites me because I'm constantly learning it, whereas it might be a little more mundane to someone born into it. I imagine a student's answer being somewhere more along the lines of this:
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=10377522&height=267&width=200

A technology-infused classroom is full of technology that is being used effectively. Ipads are being used to follow along with lectures and to take notes. The web is used to Skype other students, research, "travel" outside the classroom, and to create blogs, Google Docs, and presentations. Clickers and grade cams are used to give immediate feedback to students and teachers for assessment purposes. Doc cams are used to share students' work with the whole class. Interactive whiteboards are used for lessons and games to engage students. Classroom websites are created to communicate with parents, students, and teachers. This is a clip of a future classroom. It seems a little advanced in the use of technology, but at the rate it is growing, I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing some of these tools soon!

I love the end of the video where it shows 12 objectives have been completed. Wouldn't you feel accomplished!?

I plan to have a technology-infused classroom using most of the tools mentioned above. There are only 4 computers in the classroom as opposed to a tablet for each student, but we do have class sets of laptops that can be checked out, so that could be a way around it. Other than that, most all other tools are in play but I learn about new apps and tools daily, so I will continue to keep adding on to technology used in the classroom! The important thing to remember is to use them effectively. For each lesson, I must ask myself how this tool will make this lesson better. Otherwise, it's a whole bunch of hassle for nothing!

Let's get excited about teaching with technology!!

To Internet or Not to Internet? That is the Question

With the use of technology growing like wildfire in the 21st century, many skeptics wonder if the internet is an appropriate tool to use in the classroom.  After considering the pros and cons the internet provides, the answer is quite clear: the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for internet usage and I, for one, will be striving to make the internet an integral part of my classroom.

Dewey Deci huh???

The internet has many benefits.  It can be used for effective communication, as a research tool, to connect concepts to the real world, and to collaborate with others, just to name a few.  A class website is a great way to communicate with parents, students, and other teachers.  As a teacher you can post assignments, great links, and even previous lessons that students can go back to watch again!  Long gone are the days of the card catalog.  If a student wants to research a topic, a few keywords and a click of the mouse is all they'll need.  As long as learners know how to find reliable sources, (something that will be taught by a wonderful facilitator), everything needed to research is at the student's fingertips, (literally if they're using their cell phone or a tablet).  This also helps promote visual literacy in students because they are able to find a plethora of visuals for decoding as well as encoding.

Instead of just reading out of a text book, teachers can use the internet to show students how something is relevant.  Dan Meyer shows how the simple use of technology (a video camera and the internet) can bring a boring math problem to life.  Check it out!

Finally, the internet can be used to collaborate with others.  It breaks down the barriers of needing to physically meet up with a group.  Through the use of discussion boards, forums, wikis, and video apps like Skype, you can essentially work with anyone around the world!  As long as students are aware of internet safety, cyberbullying, and proper internet etiquette, the internet can be used as an effective tool in the classroom.
As a math teacher, I want the internet to play a significant role in my classroom.  I want the students to use the internet to collaborate with other classrooms.  I want them to improve their decoding and encoding skills with visuals found on the internet.  I also want to use the internet to make learning meaningful by connecting it to the real world.  I loved Meyer's example so much that I created a problem following his example.  We were working on distance and maps and I created a video that started out with the question, "Who wants to go to Disneyland?"  After that got their attention, I started asking for ways to get there.  I got answers such as "fly" or "drive."  Then I asked them to find the shortest route.  They broke up the problem, step by step, themselves, to find it.  It was amazing to see their collaboration, patience, and use of technology!

Classroom Without Walls

As teachers, we’ve always been taught that all children learn differently.  This has been proven in many different studies done all throughout the 20th century.  It is an educator’s job to cast a wide net, so to speak, and use as many different instructional strategies as possible, to engage and reach as many learners as possible.

The 21^st century adds another component of effective learning: technology.  No matter what type of learner a child is, there is a media that can be used technologically that will enhance learning.  There is no time like now!  Technology must be incorporated into education.  Students and teachers are no longer confined to the four walls of their classroom.  Technology can be used to “travel” the world!  It’s up to the teacher to incorporate technology effectively so students can use devices that they use daily, like cell phones and i-pods, to learn more efficiently and effectively.  21^st century learners are begging to be challenged and engaged!

The digital age has had a huge impact on the way I teach my students.  I no longer just look at lesson plans and wonder how I can differentiate for my students.  I also must think how I can engage them with the use of technology.  How can technology enhance this lesson?  It is a constant question and has become a new focal point because it is an urgent matter.  I will continue to learn about advancing technologies (usually from the students themselves) and continue to challenge myself by incorporating technology in education daily.  I essentially want my students to be life-long, global learners and technology is here to stay.