Technology and Student Assessment

Technology and Student Assessment

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When it comes to teaching, thinking about assessment is not far behind. Assessment has always been a part of the teaching process, how else does a teacher know if their students have learned the material they are trying to share? As technology is becoming more and more an integral part of today’s education process, how we think about teaching and assessment is also evolving.

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Gone are the days of pencil and paper state testing, everything is done on a computer now. Students need to learn all over again how to take and score well on high stakes testing using a computer. Doing well in a traditional testing is situation is important but it is not always a reliable indicator of how a student will perform once they enter the work force and should not be the only measure of a student’s achievement.

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Assessing whether a student has learned the necessary subject material can be accomplished in a variety of ways. One of the most authentic ways students can demonstrate their learning is through the completion of performance based tasks or simulations. This type of assessment requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the learning by applying it to solve a problem in a realistic setting. What better way to test if a student has learned than by watching them use the knowledge to solve potential problems they may encounter that require the use of the information they just learned? Although not a traditional testing situation, this demonstration of student understanding would provide a clearer insight for the teacher into the level of understanding a student has mastered.

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As our schools are evolving to adapt to the rapid changes occurring around us so too must our ideas about assessment evolve. There is no one right way to assess student knowledge. Teachers, schools, districts, and parents need to be open to the idea that demonstrating understanding of learned material can take many forms. 

Technology Infused Classroom

Technology Infused Classroom

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Today’s 21^st Century classroom looks quite a bit different from classrooms of the past or even classrooms of 15 to 20 years ago. When I first began teaching a teacher was lucky to have even one desktop computer in her classroom. If students were to use a computer we went to the computer lab and loaded drill and practice games for the students to practice their math facts or brought a short paragraph to type into a word processing program. When a student walks into my independent study room today they see four desktop computers in the center of the room and a box of 10 chrome books mounted to the wall. There is an Elmo available for use when teaching whole group lessons, two printers, and a copier.

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This next school year our site will be launching its first online education program. That classroom will contain 15 desktop computers located around the periphery of the room. The center of the room will contain six to eight tables with a rolling cart that will contain another 15 laptops for students to use during instruction or group work. There will be an Elmo in the room for use during direct instruction or student presentations and a printer available for student and teacher use. The room will also contain a teacher desk with a desktop computer and a storage cabinet for supplies.

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The majority of student learning will occur through online lessons and student instruction will occur most often in small flexible groups based on need. Students will need to become proficient at searching the Internet for information on topics of study. They will need to develop skills that will allow them to evaluate and analyze information for reliability and accuracy. For all intent and purposes they need to become actively involved in constructing their learning, no longer can they passively sit and listen to a teacher lecture. Students themselves will only need to come to school once or twice a week for direct instruction and participation in PE and extracurricular activities. Every year more of our students are turning to online only learning academies they can access strictly from home. This blended approach offers students an opportunity that combines the best of classroom and online learning.

 

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Each year we progress into the 21^st century computers and technology are playing an even bigger role in the classroom and how instruction is delivered. No longer do we see a stack of student books on each individual desk within a classroom. The classroom environment has changed and will need to continue to change to meet the demands of a rapidly advancing technological society.

Visual Literacy and the Internet in Classrooms

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Being able to understand visual information is becoming critical in today’s multimedia world. As anyone who has ever had to assemble a bookshelf or bicycle knows, most of the directions are pictures that the manufacturer hopes is understandable to as many consumers as possible.

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By the time children arrive at the school door they will have been exposed to innumerable multimedia images. The job of today’s classroom teacher is to tap into this background and teach students how to see and gain meaning from multimedia visuals, to critically consider the information and its source, and then apply the information to solve real problems. By using the Internet and social networking and media teachers can capture the attention of their students and engage them in the process of learning how to use these tools for learning.

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Students not only need to know how to interpret and respond to visual images but also how to search for the right image to convey their message. “A picture is worth a thousand words” could not be a more clear statement of the importance that visuals can add to student projects. I encourage my students to organize their thoughts visually as much as possible using Thinking Maps so they can see how their ideas flow one into the other and how they are connected. I also hope to include more assignments that offer students a choice between presenting their understanding through the written word or through a PowerPoint or video using images to convey their understanding.

 

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Using the Internet to access visuals to convey understanding will become an important skill for students to acquire. Each year the Internet has played a more and more important role in student learning. As time goes on I see it becoming an indispensable tool in the learning process. It will become ever more important for students to learn when and how to use the Internet appropriately especially when citing sources.

Instructional Strategies and Technology

     Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace. This is a statement that educators know to be true. Knowing this, it is important for teachers to have a wide variety of instructional strategies to chose from when making decisions about how to achieve lesson objectives.

     There are many different instructional strategies a teacher can choose from to deliver lesson content and can be divided into teacher and student centered strategies. Each approach has its advantages and limitations. It is important to note that no one approach is always appropriate for every learning situation or learner. By varying instructional approaches to learning, teachers are more likely to keep student interest focused on learning. It also offers students different ways in developing their understanding and demonstrating that understanding. Employers today are looking for individuals who are creative problem solvers and can work collaboratively. To meet this expectation teachers need to provide students with learning situations that promote subject matter competency and the skills of working with others to solve problems, having a wide variety of strategies to employ will make this easier for teachers to accomplish.

     Technology can play an important role as a tool for delivering instruction and be used by students to demonstrate their understanding. As every teacher knows, students arrive in the classroom with varying levels of subject matter background and understanding. The use of technology in the classroom allows teachers and students more options and greater resources in developing understanding.  Teachers can more easily differentiate for students based on their needs. Students can access tutorials online or through school networks to learn more about a subject, review past concepts, or complete coursework at a different pace. Technology also offers teachers the ability to bring the world into the classroom through live chats with experts and fellow students around the world, access to primary documents and wide variety of research opportunities on the Internet, and even virtual field trips. The opportunities provided by the use of technology in the classroom are almost limitless.

     As an independent study teacher technology is playing a greater role everyday in how I approach instruction for my students. More and more students are using tools like Google Drive and email to turn in assignments and communicate with me. Students are using Internet resources, like Khan Academy, to aid them in their understanding of subject content, becoming more self-directed in their learning. My role, as an independent study teacher, becomes that of a guide, making sure students know what they need to learn and provide them with the information on how to access the resources to help them with their learning. I am able to differentiate lessons easily based on student need. Technology is giving me the opportunity to bring the world to my classroom and use it to help students understand the possibilities that exist for them.