I would have to say, no. In fact, I think that many times our standard multi-choice tests don’t do our students justice.
·A good test taker can guess their way to a decent score even when they haven’t mastered a concept.
·A bad test taker may have a firm understanding of a concept, but due to test anxiety their test score might not reflect that competence.
I believe that the one key to establishing an objective assessment is:
·First to form measurable objectives and to define varied levels of performance. (In other words, draw up a rubric)
·Then to design the assessment based on the measurable objectives. (In other word… is the assessment going to be a presentation, essay, portfolio, demonstration, etc.)
·Finally, the evaluator must allow the rubric to justify the evaluation of the assessment.
A further thought:
The whole reason for using assessments is the need for evaluating a student’s mastery level and pinpointing any re-teaching needs.
I would like to point out that just because an assessment is objective, doesn’t mean it is effective or efficient.
It takes the human element (the teacher) to decide if the designed assessment has been an effective measure of the individual student’s abilities. We have to remember that in education we do not measure objective machines in a vacuum. We are assessing human beings with complex emotions and experiences. Our students have good days and bad days… and it takes a teacher to process these variables and derive meaning from them.
What do you think? Let me know by posting your comments!
The Question: What do you think a technology-infused classroom should look like? How do you plan to have a technology-infused classroom?
Photo Courtesy of Bing Images
The Response: Using technology as an integral part of the classroom has the potential to change both the roles of the teacher and the student. Let us take a look at the technology-infused classrooms.
Add technology to the class dynamic and the teacher is no longer the limited reactant or the source of all knowledge, but a facilitator of learning. Students become investigators, creators and “published” authors, not observers only. The teacher uses carefully constructed differentiated assignments, thought-provoking questions and structured guidelines to assist students with technology-infused learning experiences. These learning experiences are no longer limited by space, time, distance or even language barriers. Instead the whole world becomes a classroom.
I myself hope to use a classroom website via the Haiku Learning Management System (LMS) to post, organize and manage learning materials, assignments, assessments, polls, projects, class communication, student information and etc. With a website or LMS, the Internet becomes “the classroom command center” and “the classroom away from the classroom”. Students and parents may be kept informed, have access to the course work and remain in constant contact with myself and other members of the class.
Ways I also intend to have a technology-infused classroom:
·Using a document camera, a SMART Board and a set of iPads to allow students to interact with the content
·Using E-Readers like NOOK Color to fill out the classroom library and provide pristine digital copies of books, magazines, newspapers and etc.
·Using Digital Cameras, Voice Recorders and such to allow students opportunities to create podcasts, movies and mixed media visuals
What are your ideas for a technology-infused classroom? I'd LOVE to hear from you!!!
In the world today, oodles of media and visual stimulus bombard us. Really… stop and think about how many pictures, graphics, video clips, commercials and advertisements you see in a day. Oodles!!! So logically, most educators have come to the conclusion that students need to be able to figure out what these visual messages mean (decode messages) and also how to compose visual messages themselves (encode messages). This mastery of decoding and encoding visual messages, is called “visual literacy”.
Ok, so how does this impact the teaching process? Well, let’s start with the fact that this generation of students encounter more visual stimulus (via various media) than they encounter complex reading material (like books).
(Before you object… think about the visual messages that little kids receive through the television every day. Even before children are reading, they see commercials for cereal, toys, clothes, movies and etc. Before you know it… you can’t walk down the cereal isle without hearing a child crying out for Fruity Frosted Pebbles. A child doesn’t necessarily understand the complexities of commercials and marketing. They only know that the box is fun, that the cereal is colorful, the kids on the commercial were cool and the box shows the cool toys that could be hiding at the bottom of the box.
Picture Courtesy of Google Image
Fast forward a few years. Think of teens and their obsession with fashion and gadgets. With the visual messages that they see, teens learn to attach wealth and social status with brands and the best and newest “thing”. Now do all of these advertisements require a lot of complex and heavy reading… NO. Why, because the PICTURE is worth a THOUSAND words.)
Now… Back to the original question. How does visual literacy impact the teaching process?
First of all, teachers actually have to consider visual literacy. We can’t just assume that the interpretation is obvious to our students. We can’t assume that students know WHY they interpret visual messages the way they do (i.e. the little kids and the cereal commercials). Second, we have to model the thought process behind visual message interpretation and then give them practice at decoding and encoding.
How visual literacy impacts the learning process:
Because students are accustomed to being constantly stimulated visually… most students have come to rely heavily on visual learning strategies. While this is good to know and use to our own advantage by employing more visuals during instruction time… it is also important that teachers encourage students to foster their other learning options like auditory, verbal/linguistic and kinesthetic. The key is to combine two or three learning intelligences in your learning activities when possible.
How using the Internet impacts the teaching and learning processes:
Teachers can use the Internet as a teaching tool for creating authentic, real-world learning experiences in the classroom, and also as a networking tool in the classroom to create community.In a nutshell, fully integrating the web into the classroom has the potential to provide greater breadth to instruction and greater depth to student learning. Teachers have more resources at their disposal with the Internet and therefore have the ability to provide better quality learning materials. In a classroom where the Internet has become an integral part of the course, the student takes the lead in her/his own learning experiences through exploration and inquiry. The teacher acts as both a facilitator and a fellow learner.
What are some visual thinking strategies you like to use in your classroom?
These are my favorite visual thinking strategies. I use them in my English courses.
Please take a look at this “Periodic Table of Visualization Methods” to find great ideas for visuals to use in your class. I am so excited that I found this. It is an excellent resource!!! The link provides examples and explanations for all the visuals.
What role do you want the Internet to play in your classroom?
I personally like the idea of having a learning management system (LMS)/classroom website. With all of the 2.0 (and upcoming 3.0) wonders available, the classroom shouldn’t be bogged down by textbooks, piles of paperwork and volatile learning materials (meaning one-use materials like workbooks and skill drill worksheets). If you do the same old thing, you have to expect the same old results.
I want my classroom to extend beyond the boundaries of a set time and space. I want students to have access to the classroom and their peers whenever and wherever they have Internet access. I want the Internet to be the nervous system of our learning community.
To assume that one instructional strategy will work for every learner in my classroom full of high school students is... well... laughable.
It would be similar to assuming that I could bring in a single pair of size two “skinny jeans” and... if I asked each student to try them on… they would fit each of my students equally well.
Ha ha ha… not likely! Alas, my students have a wide range of body types, sizes, and personal styles. Yes, a few girls (and maybe even a guy or two) may be able to flaunt those size two skinny jeans… but for the rest of us… it’s not going to happen!
Today’s classrooms are full of diversity. The students come from a mixture of backgrounds and cultures and come to class with a variety of talents, interests, learner profiles and educational needs. So, as with underwear, shoes, panty hose and … yes… skinny jeans… when it comes to instructional strategies, one size does NOT, in fact, “fit” all.
What does this mean? It means that if educators assume that all their students are different… which, they are… then they must assume that their students probably need different strategies to master content.
Now, does this mean that if you have twenty-five students in your class, that you will have to come up with twenty-five different strategies for all the students to be successful? Goodness, no! You can focus on using strategies that cover the main learning styles: auditory, verbal, visual and kinesthetic.
For instance, instead of having students just copy down vocabulary definitions, you might have them:
1.take turns reading the words and discussing the definitions
2.act out the words
3.come up with a memory tricks together
4.drawing a picture that will help them remember the word
5.write down the definition in their own words
See? With a few different strategies you can meet a variety of learner needs. What makes the difference? Students need to interact with the concepts in lots of different ways. The more they DO… the more they LEARN!
With more and more of our world going digital… the more and more technology is becoming the backbone of our educational communities! Think about it… the students that we are teaching now are the “digital natives.” We have to prepare them for the life of tomorrow. They NEED to interact with technology… now more than ever before!
But it is ok… because technology makes implementing those strategies even easier!
Interactive features like SMART Boards and Document Cameras make it a snap to do guided practice, model processes, create diagrams and graphic organizers, interact with games and websites.
Learning Management Systems or classroom websites are fairly cheap ways to post assignments, assessments, study resources, communicate, coordinate projects, manage grades, grade assignments (I mean you can actually make notes on student papers without ever printing the paper or leaving your computer), and you can even show off projects and portfolios. If you are interested in this, try Haiku Learning Management Systems!
I find that many teachers I talk to are afraid of technology… they get frustrated with it… feel like they can’t learn… that using technology will take entirely to long… some teachers even get this “I don’t wanna and you can make me” look on their face.
Believe it or not, technology is NOT going away… and if we care about our students… then we have to bite the bullet and dive into the 21st century!
Classroom libraries are an amazing resource that I think should be present in virtually every classroom. Many classrooms at the elementary and intermediate levels of public schools have wonderful, overflowing classroom libraries and plush reading corners. Lower level teachers make the effort to have a variety of reading material and foster a text rich learning experience. Unfortunately, the farther along a student gets in their educational career, the less time teachers seem to devote to encouraging the personal reading experience. Whether this is because of the specialization of content areas or... simply a lack of teacher interest, I don't know. What I do know is that pretty much every content area can benefit from a well maintained classroom library!
1. A classroom library reflects the importance of literacy in the classroom.
2. A proper classroom library can support your content area and curriculum. Even science, math and history classrooms are benefited by classroom libraries! Literature geared toward children and young adults can help students connect with difficult concepts. It can also peak student interest and encourage inquiry.
3. A classroom library gives students the chance to explore a wide range of genres, authors and topics. Adolescents need encouragement to try new things. Reading experiences are no exception. Encouraging well rounded reading experiences promotes success across the content areas.
4. Reading can increase vocabulary and critical thinking skills.
5. A classroom library can provide a constructive learning opportunity during “down time”. (Which in turn cuts down on misbehavior during “down time”... if you don't have something for students to do... they will find something to do on their own... and that's not always a plus!)
6. A classroom library provides a text rich environment.
7. A classroom library provides the opportunity for students to exercise choice and pursue their own learning interests.
Ideas for Your Library
Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com
Materials for Your Library:Magazines, newspapers, young adult literature, classics, text books, non-fiction reads, reference books, instruction manuals, anthologies, student work, graphic novels, books on tape/CD, CD/MP3 Players, colored overlays (these are for students who have reading problems like dyslexia, sometimes if they try changing the color of the page, they will find a color that can make the letters "behave"). It is best if you try to have a variety print media so that there will be something for everybody.
Atmosphere: Your classroom library must be inviting! It needs to be clean, orderly with everything well labeled. It needs to be well lit and can be decorated with colorful posters and new/thematic book displays. Good Lighting, Comfort Objects (like pillows, beanbags, blankets, rugs, small comfy sitting areas, etc.), Class ownership (students help maintain, stock, decorate and promote library), bulletin boards and show off pieces (I like to display pictures and souvenirs from my travels).
Recommendations: Peer Recommendations, College bound book lists, YALSA book lists, Author Recommendations, Students Requests and etc.
Including Social Opportunities: Blogs, a Facebook Group or social circle for the Library, Discussion Boards, Book Clubs. I also like the idea of letting students make and share recordings or Podcasts of Booktalks or Read Aloud's for their favorite books, stories or poetry.
Encourage Student Involvement: You can have copies of Writing/Essay/Poetry contest entry forms, Class Contests, Community Involvement Opportunities, Local Library Events, Upcoming Book Fairs, etc.
Ideas for Funding Your Library:
1.Extra credit or class competitions for students bringing in school appropriate books and magazines. (Students and their families sometimes have books and magazines that they don’t want or need). You can even allow students and/or relatives to donate the books in honor/memory of a loved one.
2.Buy books from used book stores like Half Priced books or take advantage of sales like the $25/box scholastic sale for teachers. (Be sure to mention that you’re a teacher and show your I.D. for possible discounts) Check out garage sales too! (I like to save $25-$50 out of each paycheck for adding to my library.)
3.Ask local businesses and doctor’s offices if they have any old magazines that they would like to donate. (Many times, these magazines end up being just thrown away!)
(to be continued…)
Please feel free to ask questions or comment on your own classroom library! I would love to hear from you!
Be sure to check in on May 17, 2011. I plan to offer suggestions for planning classroom libraries and using young adult literature in the individual content areas.
