Objective Assessments of Student Learning

Teaching to the test seems to be the talk of many schools now days. The push to having your students make AYP and bring up their scores from the previous years is the overall goal when it comes to education. To figure out if AYP was met or if your students made gain on their scores, all students have to take standardized tests. Many people involved in education think this is the only way to truly show the progress a student or school has made. I, on the other hand, think that tests are not even close to the only assessment that shows student learning and how well a student or school has done. How can you use one type of test to truly measure progress when you have students using all different types of learning styles to achieve their greatness?

            Tests are not altered to a student who is a reading below grade level or a student who is struggling understanding math concepts at their current grade level. As educators we have to teach students on the level they understand, if we want to see growth. They do need to see grade level material; but if they are being instructed below their actual grade level, then those students should be tested at that level. But standardized tests don’t make this happen, if you are in 3^rd grade, you are tested at 3^rd grade no matter what.

            There are so many different ways to assess children and truly see the progress they are making. For example, you could do a group project that shows social skills that students are developing, an e-portfolio that shows the student’s artifacts and progress, teacher observations as students are using strategies to solve problems that show their understanding, and the list for assessments goes on and on. Testing is one of many different types of assessment that truly shows a student’s learning.

Youtube Video: Are exams the best form of assessment?

    http://youtu.be/C-Y9mST4m5k

Technology Infused Classroom

 

When walking into a technology-infused classroom you should see technology everywhere.  Students are working on computers (computer for every 2-3 students), the teacher has own computer she/he is working on.  A Smart Board or interactive board is being used along with a projector during lessons.  Students from all angles can see the board and are interactively involved in the lesson.  Smart Board clickers/responders are being used when appropriate for students to chime in on the lesson.

For my classroom, I plan to use all the technology my school provides me with. My students will be involved as much as possible on the computers and be using the given technology right along with me. My students will be able to help teach lessons by showing their examples up on the "Elmo," as well as teacher-created examples. The students and I will all be familiar and proficient with the technology that is in the classroom and how to use it. While students are responding to questions, they can use the surround system's microphone to make sure all can hear their answers. As I am teaching, I will be wearing the other microphone that comes along with the system, so students can hear what I am saying as well. Technology will only enhance my teaching experience, and not hinder it.

 

Visual Learning

Visual Literacy aided by the Internet

Visual literacy is critical to the learning process. Students need to see what they are learning about and how it applies to what they are being taught. Often teachers believe that if they have more words displayed on the Smart Board that students will learn more about the material, but in most cases the opposite is actually true. Students can learn more from pictures that do not contain words or have little wording then items that are only words and no pictures.  The use of the Internet is a great way to get visual literacy into your classroom. The internet allows you to find images quickly and easily to display for all students to see while you are teaching them a new skill or concept. After the lesson has been taught there are many educational internet programs that students can use that will help them fully understand the material that was just being taught to them. These educational programs have lots of visuals that help aide in the learning process for students. As 21^st century learns are in my classroom I want the role of the Internet to be more and more. The Internet is not going away anytime soon and my students should be exposed to it in as many different ways as possible. The internet aids my teaching and should be used to its full potential when appropriate for all different subjects being taught.

Two strategies I would use in my classroom would be when starting a new topic with my students I would put up a picture that is related to the new material or story we are going to be learning about. I would not explain the picture to them, I would only ask them to look at this picture for a minute and think about what you see.  After the minute was up students can share with their partners, group, and whole group their thoughts on the picture. After a 5-10 minute discussion on the picture then I would explain to them the meaning behind the picture and how it leads into the next topic or book we are going to be talking about. Another strategy that can be used is showing a picture on the board to the students and allow them to write down as much as they can about this picture in 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up allow the students to share in their teams what they wrote about, this can be used as a quick write and allows the students to focus and get their brain flowing with ideas. It allows for creativity and the practice of writing.

 

 

 

Implementing a Variety of Strategies

Students learn all different ways; visually, aurally, and hands-on. As a teacher you have to make sure you are meeting each and every one of your student’s needs. This can easily be done if you are using a variety of ways to provide your instruction, always sitting in front of the class and lecturing your students is not going to reach each and every one of them. But using projects they can use their hands on and visuals that are colorful and full of meaning will help reach all of your students.

Students of the 21st century need a variety of instructional strategies to keep them focused and involved in their education. There is so much technology to be used and if teachers are not using this technology and interacting with their students, the students will not focus and want to learn. Technology allows the teacher to have tools to aid him or her in their instruction that holds the student’s interest and willingness to want to learn. Technology not only allows the students to want to learn but it keeps the teacher on their toes, making sure the newest technology available is being used and implemented in the classroom.

Starting off!

I have never created a blog before. I hope this works! :-)