In Unit 1, we were asked to complete 2 readings and give some insights into our own technology proficiency: a sort of self-assessment. The instructions were as follows:
Digital-age teaching professionals.
Try to assess your “technological proficiency’ using the criteria listed in the ISTE (2008) document and in the Chickering & Ehrmann’ (1996) article, see to what extent these “ideal types” represent your digital competencies and skills acquired and used in your professional or educational context .
Which of the sets of criteria seam the most informative and relevant to your experiences?
Are there any other criteria that you normally use for assessing your technological proficiency?
What are some of the “digital-age” skills that you plan to learn and start practicing, or want to further develop?
My post to the discussion board is as follows:
Which of the sets of criteria seam the most informative and relevant to your experiences?
As a current teacher in science and ICT, I found that I am actually already doing many of the strategies that are suggested by ISTE. I recently attended the NCCE conference in Portland, and while I did learn a few ‘tricks of the trade’, such as apps, Chrome extensions, and software (I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator, for example) I found that many of the things I’m doing at my current school fell in line with current theories on the best usage of digital tools. I run my courses using LMS systems effectively, and I have spent a lot of time continuously improving the overall look, design, and functionality of the pages I manage. I am constantly seeking feedback from my peers and students about how my courses can be improved, and also regularly encourage (and require in many cases) student self- and peer-assessment for formative feedback.
ISTE suggests that we “Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” using “real-world examples”, which I am doing on an ongoing basis with my Biology students. We are always looking at current and future technologies in the sciences (such as genetic screening, gene therapy, ecological issues, applying knowledge of plate tectonics to the disaster in Nepal, etc) as well as digital technology courses. My students in ICT 8 recently completed a group project on Web 2.0, where they worked in teams to produce a website/project to the class. For example, they built a Facebook page to talk about Facebook, and the built a Weebly page to talk about Weebly. They discussed things such as digital citizenship, privacy and safety online, e-bullying, and how these tools are being used in a local and global context. For Grade 8 students, they were surprisingly well-versed in the global nature of these technologies!
I also connected with the ISTE article’s idea about creating digital learning environments in which enables students “to pursue their individual curiosities.” Instead of a final exam, all students in Biology and Chemistry are being encouraged to design and conduct an experiment on a topic that interests them (built around a loose theme – this years theme is “Green”). They are currently collecting data and will digitally present their findings to the class, in the form of a blog/website/slideshow or another method of their choosing (which may not directly involve the use of digital technology, although all groups are tracking their progress and collaborating on the project with their laptops, and many of them collect data with digital Vernier sensors).
I found the Chickering & Ehrmann article to be more relevant to my teaching experiences. The “Seven Principles” they referred to are things I am doing on an ongoing basis: “1. Good Practice Encourages Contacts Between Students and Faculty” = I am always encouraging students to email when they have problems and regularly communicate with students using email. “2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.” = this is something that thankfully seems to happen on its own. I, my colleagues, and our school, have created learning environments that foster and encourage such behaviour. “3. Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques” = as I mentioned above, students write journals and self-reflections regularly.”4. Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback” = I am a big fan of immediate feedback. For online quizzes I use an extension (available on Google forms) that marks and submits immediate feedback via the student’s school email (it’s called Flubaroo – recommended!). This is especially useful in my online ICT 8 course. These quizzes are almost exclusively formative. “5. Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task” = in early grades I do think students need constant supervision and oversight regarding their time ‘on-task’ and screen time in general. However in later grades, I let students know that they have due dates, they have test dates, and when it comes time for a more loosely structured ‘review time’, it’s their job to get to know the material. “Facebook time now, and study later, but I’m here for questions and feedback now, so make good choices!”. “6. Good Practice Communicates High Expectations” = always. Students know what is expected of them, as I always provide a rubric or some way to let them know how they will be evaluated. Like I said, I’m a big fan of examples!! “Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning” = Students have different ways of learning – I always think of Gardners Multiple Intelligences – so I am constantly looking for ways of delivering content (and allowing student work) in different modalities. I love giving students choice (how they want to present a topic – dramatically? stop-motion? a website? an oral presentation? etc)
Are there any other criteria that you normally use for assessing your technological proficiency?
I am someone who learns by doing. Many of my students are the same (they’ve said so!). Answering polls and giving feedback to questionnaires is one way, but sitting someone in front of a program, website, etc and just seeing how far you can get (without any help) is one way to test how proficient you are! I have found that in most cases, the learning curve can be sharply leveled by simply trying things out and experimenting. This is the same with students: just throw it out to them and they tend to pick things up faster than you might think!
The set of criteria set out in these articles is useful in a more abstract, theoretical sense, and the benefit of their way of assessing proficiency is that the definitions and terms they use are very ‘hazy’ and can be applied to many many settings. The downside is that because they are not specific about which tools they are referring to (exactly) it may be difficult for someone to gain a solid understanding of theirown abilities using guidelines like this. I think there needs to be a more applied, specific context to a set of guidelines for it to be useful in any meaningful, tangible sense. I love examples!
What are some of the “digital-age” skills that you plan to learn and start practicing, or want to further develop?
I plan on improving my online course (ICT 8) and offering new ways for students to engage with each other and with the school. We have introduced an “IVY” program at our school that involves creating online portfolios and student reflections, and I would like to incorporate these ideas into my course to give them something more tangible to ‘take away’ from the ICT 8 course. As it is now, it is mostly just a series of tasks (like journal entries and quizzes). The course is delivered through an LMS platform (Moodle) so I would love to improve the overall design and interactivity of the course. This may involve improving my knowledge of Java or HTML…?
I’m also currently putting together iBooks and am interested in making them study guide/notes resources for my students. Currently I think they’re good (feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive) but I’m always looking for ways to improve them!