Tests as the Only Objective Assessments of Students Learning

image from www.http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/

According to Dikli (2003) “Assessment is one of the crucial components of instruction” (p. 13). People have different ideas regarding which are the best and most objective assessments available to measure students understanding and learning. The idea of tests being the only objective assessments of students learning is passé. There are many objective assessments available in this day and age we live in, to limit ourselves to the use of just traditional testing.

 Tests are “single-occasion, unidimensional, timed exercise, usually in multiple choice or short-answer form” (Mitchell and Eckes, as cited in Dikli, 2003, p. 13). Currently, with all the technology and advances available in this 21^st Century, educators are aware that tests are not the only objective way to gather information about student learning (Dikli, 2003). We can not limit objective assessments to exclusively administering tests, which can exhibit just memorization of facts and recalling of information.

Educators need to step up to the plate, embrace other methods of objective, impartial, and fair assessments, which better fit the 21^st Century learner. Assessments such as projects, blog/ journal reflection, technology based educational games, authentic assessments, performance-based assessments, and portfolios are examples of methods that measure more than just what students are able to remember or recall.  They measure what learners know, are able to do, and how they can apply the knowledge to the real world (Dikli, 2003).  Therefore educators have to keep up with the 21^st century learner and accept all the alternative assessments available to measure students learning and understanding; and not just limit the options to tests.

Reference:

Dikli, S. (2003). Assessment at a distance: Traditional vs. Alternative Assessments. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 2(3), 13-19.

image from www.lets-suit-up.blogspot.com

Blog 3 entry: A Technology-Infused Classroom

                                                            Image from: http://www.wvschools.com/

What does a technology-infused classroom look like? How can educators infuse technology in the classroom? These are questions to be answered in this new era that we live in.

 Incorporating technology in all the facets of teaching, learning, and education, is fundamental to successfully teach and learn in the new digital age.  Teachers need to embrace and include in their classrooms the newest technology, with the intention of reaching all 21^st Century learners, and
 help students achieve their learning goals.

I envision a technology-infused classroom looking like a room where students are actively engaged in their learning by using different technological tools. Learners are interested and involved in productive activities, they exhibit a positive attitude because the lessons are tailored to their interest, needs, and learning styles. Lessons and activities are relevant, meaningful, and highly stimulating. A technology-infused classroom needs to be an engaging and exciting classroom where students love learning through the use of technology and multimedia.

The physical layout of a technology-infused classroom may display different areas, such as listening, writing, and math centers with manipulative, and other useful tools; student computers with updated software and programs, a reading library, laptops, digital cameras, videos, and student desks  organized in groups of three to four for collaborative  group work .  One important point educators must not overlook is planning effective lessons incorporating appropriate technology and media, which best aligns with the curriculum and learning standards (Smaldino and Lowther, 2007).

Innovative Designs for Education mentions how in a technology- infused classroom:

·         The teacher creates a structured environment for learning by preparing units and problem-based activities.

·         Educators set high expectations and provide encouragement and support.

·         Instructors help students develop good work habits, collaborative and reflective skills.

·         Parents are engaged in their child’s learning process.

·         Teachers facilitate learning.

·         Not all students are doing the same thing at the same time.

·         Technology is used as a resource in the learning process.

·         The room is filled with resources.

·         The room is designed for learning.

(Innovative Designs for Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2010, from http://www.idecorp.com/philosophy/newpage21.htm, p. 1-3).

As an educator, I am gradually integrating technology in my classroom setting.  As I pursue a master’s degree and gain information and experience about instructional technology, my goal is to increase the use of technology in the classroom to encourage student learning and enhance student’s achievement. I plan in having a technology-infused classroom by allowing my students to plan, design and create products, help one another, work collaboratively in accomplishing assignments through the use of a vast array of technologies and other resources. I intend to allow my students to research, investigate, ask questions, and find answers to problems, by using new technologies such as interactive white boards, computers, Inter write tablets, Internet, voice thread, power point, software games, and other web-based resources. I am looking forward to embracing technology and gradually building a technology-infused classroom for the 21^st Century learner.  

Blog 2 entry: Visual literacy and the Internet: Their Impact in the Teaching and Learning Process

The types of learners we have in our classrooms today, this 21^st century we live in, are a generation that lives in a world of games, images, Internet, animation, and virtual experiences, to say the least. Hence the importance of incorporating visual literacy and Internet in today’s classroom setting. Visual literacy is the reading, understanding, creating, thinking, and communicating through visuals such as graphs, videos, concept mapping, drawings, and pictures, to name a few.  Learning Live (n.d.). Literacy Materials: Visual Literacy, explains how it is vital for our students to learn to read visual images since we live in a visual world (Learning Live. (n.d.). Literacy Materials: Visual Literacy. Retrieved November 7, 2010 from http://www.learninglive.co.uk/teachers/primary/literacy/materials/visual_literacy/index.asp).    

                             Image from http://www.learninglive.co.uk/teachers/primary/literacy/materials/visual_literacy/index.asp).   

Some visual literacy- thinking strategies that I use and would like to use in my classroom are:

v  Graphic organizer and pictographs created with technology to help generate mental pictures, and “facilitate the classification, organization, storage, and recollection of information” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 93).

v  Adding pictures, clip arts, and/or photos to text or notes to enhance students understanding, vocabulary, and help emergent readers, and English Language Learners.

v  Create with students study guides with descriptive words and pictures.

v  Create nonlinguistic representation of data using spreadsheet software.

v  Use photographs, movies, and videos to engage students in the lesson, and assist students acquiring information.

(Smaldino and Lowther, 2007)

The Internet also plays a vital role in the teaching and learning process. Alan November (2008) mentioned the Internet as “the most powerful, convenient, and potentially manipulative medium ever invented” (p. vii). In addition, according to the researcher for many of our students, the Internet is the prevailing medium and the place they will most likely go to research, access information, share information, and communicate.

I am in the process of exploring and choosing a variety of resources available on the Internet as a guide to enhance and enrich the teaching and learning process in my classroom. I believe that the Internet needs to play a vital part in my classroom as a tool that allows students to have an active role in their learning. I have used the Internet for planning, creating, presenting, and enhancing lessons that reach a variety of learning styles. I also use the Internet to monitor student’s progress and performance.  Students have used the Internet to practice and reinforce skills. I plan to integrate more of the Internet in the classroom by:

v  Allowing students to plan and produce projects collaboratively.

v  Blogging to share ideas and communicate.

v  Encouraging students to research and access information.

v   Using the Internet to communicate with parents.

v  Expanding students learning with any part of the world.

v    Promoting students to actively participate in their learning through a variety of sources and programs available in the Internet.

                                                     
                                                   

                                           Image from: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/futint/images/ch1-123064.jpg

All educators and digital immigrants need to embrace visual literacy and the Internet to positively impact the teaching and learning process in the 21^st century classroom.

References:

November, A. (2008). . In Web Literacy for Educators (pp. -). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver, Colorado: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Smaldino, S. E., & Lowther, D. L. (2007). Instructional technology and media for learning (9th ed.). Upper Sadel River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

21st century pedagogy

Blog 1 Entry: Instructional Strategies and Technology, an Effective Approach to Teaching Students in the 21st Century

We now live in a digital age, where students are digital natives. Learners’ world revolves around technology. Therefore, teachers need to embrace the use of effective instructional strategies and technology in their lessons and classroom setting; in an effort to keep up with the 21^st century learner. According to Smaldino and Lowther (2007) “well-planned instructional strategies incorporating technology and media promote learning regardless of the subject matter, the learners, or the learning environment” (p. 23). Educators need to select the most appropriate strategies to incorporate in their classroom with the intention to differentiate instruction, satisfy students’ needs and reach a variety of learning styles. Instructional strategies are valuable in education because they can promote active participation of students, and make learning meaningful for students.

In the 21^st century, technology plays an important role in the successful implementation of various instructional strategies in the classroom setting. Technology supports learning.  Schacter  and Fagnano (as cited in Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski , 2007) mentioned that if technology implementation is applied effectively it increases students learning, understanding, achievement, motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning, and supports the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills. Russell and Sorge (as cited in Pitler et al., 2007) notes that “technology can give students more control over their own learning” (p. 3). In addition, according to the researchers, integrating technology into instructional strategies will move classrooms from teacher- center environments to student-centered. More importantly, the researchers pointed out that “technology allows teachers to differentiate instruction more efficiently by providing a wider variety of avenues for learning that reaches students of divergent readiness levels, interest, and learning styles” (Pitler et al., 2007, p. 3).

Definitely teachers nowadays need to look at education in a new way. Technology is second nature for learners of this generation. That means that educators need to incorporate effective instructional strategies and technology in their teaching, to guarantee learning success. We need to embrace new means to help the 21^st century learner succeed in school and in real life.

References

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver, Colorado: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Smaldino, S. E., & Lowther, D. L. (2007). Instructional technology and media for learning (9th  ed.). Upper Sadel River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today