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!!