To Test or Not Test...Is that REALLY the question???
I think that it is more accurate to ask, "How to test?" There are many different forms of assessment to evaluate several different forms of knowledge and skills. Can you you did a surgeon a multiple choice test and from its results determine he is a good or terrible surgeon?? No, of course not. But, it might be a piece of the data that helps to formulate his knowledge about the human body. Assessing students' knowledge should be done with many different forms of assessment tools to get the best and most accurate data.
It is no secret that everyone learns differently; consequently, everyone should be "tested" with several different forms of assessment. Not to mention, as illustrated in the example of the surgeon in the first paragraph, understanding what you want as an outcome is important in selecting your assessment tool.
There are many different assessment tools. In my 9th grade English class I use everything from "traditional" tests and quizzes, to journal entries, projects, portfolios, software application, presentations, etc. It is important to understand what your motivation is for the assessment as well as the desired outcome or skill/knowledge. All of these forms can be assessed objectively. Whether the answer is right or wrong or whether it met the requirements on a rubric. Well designed rubrics can be objective yet allow for "above and beyond" mastery to "outside the box thinking". Traditional test and quizzes do not allow for the above and beyond or outside the box thinking. They tend to be more limiting in results. I, personally, love rubrics. They allow me to clearly state the content or skill I want my students to master, yet they leave the mode or method up to the student. I love that! Grading the same thing 146 times gets REALLY boring, but when the final product can be as different from night and day yet still reflect the target content, it makes grading not such a chore. It is also exciting to see student's personalities, interests, and creativity come out in their work. A traditional test doesn't lend itself to that!
In conclusion, objective tests are not the only way to assess students knowledge. It is but only one piece of the big puzzle.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Week 6: The Technology Enriched Classroom
In a technology-rich classroom, every child is equipped with a Wi-Fi capable firewall-protected laptop. There are bluetooth-enabled peripherals, such as printers, scanners, and projectors. There are also hand held computers and every other possible technological advantage.
The Internet could be used not only for static research but for real time data. Envision a project with a real world connection or problem for students to attempt to solve. Now, imagine a project where the children can chat with experts in various fields or email their opinions to children in other countries, testing hypothesis online and sharing information with applications found in programs like Google Doc. They would then create PowerPoint or Prezi presentations from their research. They could beam drafts of information to their teacher for immediate feedback. They could create charts and graphs using Excel or Create-a-graph. They could enhance their writing, using the computer to take them through writing workshop and all the steps of the writing process. They could use Inspiration or Kidspiration to do their prewriting, and Word to do their drafting. They could then email or beam their information to their teacher for assistance with editing and revising. The teacher could communicate by adding comments to their work and sending it back to the student via email or beaming. Finally, the students could use Publisher to produce a final copy or use FrontPage to turn their work into a Web or classroom Blog page. There could be peer-to-peer conferencing without the students ever leaving their seats with applications like wallwisher and keepandshare, and that is just the beginning!!
One curriculum that promotes THIS type of educational experience is the New Tech model. Check out the New Tech Network website and learn how the classroom of the future is here!
New Tech Network
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/
Video:
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/node/71
The Internet could be used not only for static research but for real time data. Envision a project with a real world connection or problem for students to attempt to solve. Now, imagine a project where the children can chat with experts in various fields or email their opinions to children in other countries, testing hypothesis online and sharing information with applications found in programs like Google Doc. They would then create PowerPoint or Prezi presentations from their research. They could beam drafts of information to their teacher for immediate feedback. They could create charts and graphs using Excel or Create-a-graph. They could enhance their writing, using the computer to take them through writing workshop and all the steps of the writing process. They could use Inspiration or Kidspiration to do their prewriting, and Word to do their drafting. They could then email or beam their information to their teacher for assistance with editing and revising. The teacher could communicate by adding comments to their work and sending it back to the student via email or beaming. Finally, the students could use Publisher to produce a final copy or use FrontPage to turn their work into a Web or classroom Blog page. There could be peer-to-peer conferencing without the students ever leaving their seats with applications like wallwisher and keepandshare, and that is just the beginning!!
One curriculum that promotes THIS type of educational experience is the New Tech model. Check out the New Tech Network website and learn how the classroom of the future is here!
New Tech Network
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/
Video:
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/node/71
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Week 4- The Internet's and Visual Literacy Impact in the Classroom
Students of the 21st Century have been exposed to visual stimulus from a very early age for example, from visual enhanced children's books,TV's, computers, cell phones, video games, etc. Using visual literacy in the classroom has become a necessity in helping students remember, learn new material and relate new information to old information. For many students, making visual connections has become second nature to them. Visual literacy is an important part of education because it also helps students become prepared for the workforce. This trend can also be seen as more businesses and employers become dependent of the visual technologies.
The internet has a tremendous impact on student learning today. The internet provides access to teaching and networking tools. Some examples of teaching tools are WebQuests, virtual field trips, research, and publication. Networking tools include wikis, blogs, email, and discussion boards to name a few. All these tools facilitate learners of the 21st century by requiring higher level thinking, communication, and collaborative skills.
Both of these two trends are very evident in my New Tech classroom. All of my students have their own laptop and flash drives, oppose to textbooks and notebooks. Most of my students carry around a cell phone and i-touch oppose to a calculator and pen. These advances have directly caused me to change my approach in teaching. In stead of handouts I give out entry documents. These entry documents can take a variety of formats such as video, podcast, email, etc. My "units" are now projects that have a direct "real world" application or connection. My grade book does not use the following subheadings for assignments:"tests, quizzes, homework, essays", but instead the headings are: "Content (English 9 & technology), work ethic, collaboration, and communication". All of these advances allows me to help prepare my students for the 21st Century and beyond.
The internet has a tremendous impact on student learning today. The internet provides access to teaching and networking tools. Some examples of teaching tools are WebQuests, virtual field trips, research, and publication. Networking tools include wikis, blogs, email, and discussion boards to name a few. All these tools facilitate learners of the 21st century by requiring higher level thinking, communication, and collaborative skills.
Both of these two trends are very evident in my New Tech classroom. All of my students have their own laptop and flash drives, oppose to textbooks and notebooks. Most of my students carry around a cell phone and i-touch oppose to a calculator and pen. These advances have directly caused me to change my approach in teaching. In stead of handouts I give out entry documents. These entry documents can take a variety of formats such as video, podcast, email, etc. My "units" are now projects that have a direct "real world" application or connection. My grade book does not use the following subheadings for assignments:"tests, quizzes, homework, essays", but instead the headings are: "Content (English 9 & technology), work ethic, collaboration, and communication". All of these advances allows me to help prepare my students for the 21st Century and beyond.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Week 2- Blog 1 Reflection
Week 2 Blog Reflection
It is crucial for teachers to wake up and change what they have done for years. Students today are different and they have very unique needs. Today’s classrooms are also victims to reform. For example, all students are mainstreamed into the general education classrooms. It is important for teachers to be knowledgeable about student needs and accommodations due to learning disabilities. Many schools have to cut back on staffing; my school is no exception. We have 83 students with IEPs, yet only have 1 and ½ special education teachers. General Ed. Teachers are having to fill-in the gaps. Differential instruction is necessary. Teachers have to utilize many different strategies and modes of instruction. U.S. students are falling behind their counterparts in other regions of the world. U.S. students cannot complete academically or technologically with students from other countries. Due to these alarming trends, teachers are incorporating 21st Century skills to their curriculum. Representative of the ICT literacy skills are the following six arenas critical to students' success in the workplace (Kay and Honey, 2005):
• Communicate Effectively: Students must have a range of skills to express themselves not only through paper and pencil, but also audio, video, animation, design software as well as a host of new environments (e-mail, Web sites, message boards, blogs, streaming media, etc.).
• Analyze and Interpret Data: Students must have the ability to crunch, compare, and choose among the glut of data now available Web-based and other electronic formats.
• Understand Computational Modeling: Students must posses an understanding of the power, limitations, and underlying assumptions of various data representation systems, such as computational models and simulations, which are increasingly driving a wide-range of disciplines.
• Manage and Prioritize Tasks: Students must be able to mange the multi-tasking, selection, and prioritizing across technology applications that allow them to move fluidly among teams, assignments and communities of practice.
• Engage in Problem Solving: Students must have an understanding of how to apply what they know and can do to new situations.
• Ensure Security and Safety: Students must know and use strategies to acknowledge, identify, and negotiate 21st century risks.
These demands put a lot of pressure on the classroom teacher of today. However, the rewards and challenges make teaching unlike any other profession: every day is new.
It is crucial for teachers to wake up and change what they have done for years. Students today are different and they have very unique needs. Today’s classrooms are also victims to reform. For example, all students are mainstreamed into the general education classrooms. It is important for teachers to be knowledgeable about student needs and accommodations due to learning disabilities. Many schools have to cut back on staffing; my school is no exception. We have 83 students with IEPs, yet only have 1 and ½ special education teachers. General Ed. Teachers are having to fill-in the gaps. Differential instruction is necessary. Teachers have to utilize many different strategies and modes of instruction. U.S. students are falling behind their counterparts in other regions of the world. U.S. students cannot complete academically or technologically with students from other countries. Due to these alarming trends, teachers are incorporating 21st Century skills to their curriculum. Representative of the ICT literacy skills are the following six arenas critical to students' success in the workplace (Kay and Honey, 2005):
• Communicate Effectively: Students must have a range of skills to express themselves not only through paper and pencil, but also audio, video, animation, design software as well as a host of new environments (e-mail, Web sites, message boards, blogs, streaming media, etc.).
• Analyze and Interpret Data: Students must have the ability to crunch, compare, and choose among the glut of data now available Web-based and other electronic formats.
• Understand Computational Modeling: Students must posses an understanding of the power, limitations, and underlying assumptions of various data representation systems, such as computational models and simulations, which are increasingly driving a wide-range of disciplines.
• Manage and Prioritize Tasks: Students must be able to mange the multi-tasking, selection, and prioritizing across technology applications that allow them to move fluidly among teams, assignments and communities of practice.
• Engage in Problem Solving: Students must have an understanding of how to apply what they know and can do to new situations.
• Ensure Security and Safety: Students must know and use strategies to acknowledge, identify, and negotiate 21st century risks.
These demands put a lot of pressure on the classroom teacher of today. However, the rewards and challenges make teaching unlike any other profession: every day is new.
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