Monthly Archives: March 2016

Inquiry Synthesis

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How can technology be used as both an assessment tool and a student resource to personalize learning?

Where I came from: I knew that I wanted to incorporate technology into my practice, I wanted to use technology to both enhance my teaching as well as use it as an assessment tool. I was eager to see how technology was being utilized in todays classrooms. My practicum classroom has access to a number of technology resources with in the classroom and wider school community, including: iPads, laptops, iMacs, and a number of tech tools. I noticed that technology was being used as both an assessment tool as well as a tool for facilitating brain breaks. I was interested in how to facilitate technology for both my assessment as well as student learning.

Where am I now: I am working to integrate technology into both my unit and lesson plans. Yet, I am being mindful to focus on both the content and curriculum and then taking the opportunity to integrate technology.  Fabrikant et al suggest that it is important for us to know what we are doing before we expect our students to know.  We should familiarize ourselves with the information and the use of technology before we require our students to use it within the classroom. Using technology is not about having another teacher in the classroom, but using it to enhance our lessons and better equip students. I have also been influenced by Monica Burns writing, which is featured on Edutopia. With the help of Vicki Davis, also featured on Edutopia, I have begun to develop my own ‘toolkit’ of technology resources.  Developing a ‘toolkit’ is a personal process; it is a set of tools which are personalized to the needs of both your class and yourself. The article ‘No Teacher is an Island: How Social Networks Shape Teacher Quality’ opened my eyes to the importance of establishing a strong social network, working with other teachers and professionals.  The importance of these networks is to learn from one another; to learn from and teach others the tools that I have been able to utilize within my classroom and they have been working with. It also strengths our ability to use these tools as we are teaching and learning from other professionals before attempting to use them within our own classrooms or with our own students.

Where am I headed: Throughout my inquiry I have come to recognize and appreciate the need for media literacy.  As our world progresses we constantly have access to technology and the various facets of technology – yet, many students do not yet have the skills to utilize this technology or become an active participant in a social network.  I would like to continue to research ideas on how to effectively introduce students to media literacy, as well as what it means to be an active member of social networks. I would like to work not only with students, but also with parents to establish their presence on the class Freshgrade account.  As we are utilizing Freshgrade as an assessment tool, it is important that both parents and student know how to make meaningful and constructive comments on displays of student work.

Works Cited

Baker-Doyle, K. (2015). No teacher is an island: how social networks shape teacher quality. Promoting and Sustaining a Quality Teacher Workforce, 367-383. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/19709903/No_Teacher_is_an_Island_How_Social_Networks_Shape_Teacher_Quality

Burns, Monica (2015). Empowering teachers with tech-friendly formative assessment tools. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tech-friendly-formative-assessment-tools-monica-burns

Davis, Vicki (2014). The epic BYOD toolchest (51 tools you can use now). Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-epic-byod-toolchest-vicki-davis

Fabrikant, K., York, S., Morris, M. Integrating technology into pedagogical content knowledge in K-12 and university professional development. Building Sustainable Futures for Adult Learners, 541-558. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/21070374/Integrating_technology_into_pedagogical_content_knowledge_in_K-12_and_university_professional_development

Transformation

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This past Thursday I was able to experience how what we teach in the classroom can be transferred to students learning at home.  As their show and tell, one of my students brought in their iPad and showcased a story that they had written about themselves using Book Creator.  It is an app that has been utilized within the classroom.  He was able to transfer the skills that he had mastered in the classroom to a project at home.  He created an All About Me story that showcased a few of his favourite things.  He was able to bring together text and visuals to represent what he considered to be important. It was interesting to see how he was able to transfer his skills and how proud he was of his work.  The student also disclosed that he taught his siblings how to use the app.  Throughout his presentation, the student was proud of the work he had done and how he was able to transfer his skills.

Tech-Friendly Tools

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“Formative assessment identifies areas where students are excelling and struggling so that teachers can best alter their instruction to meet the needs of all students.”

Using technology as a formative assessment tool allows teachers the ability to immediately see where their students may be struggling and adjust their lessons accordingly – they can shift their lessons to answer student questions. Technology  may also offer teachers an alternative to pen and paper.  If they prefer, they may use technology to enhance their pre-existing formative assessment.

Using technology allows teaching to plan with a purpose.  They may use the data they collect to plan their next lessons – they may spend more time on a concept that the students may not be having difficulties with or they may move on to the next topic, if all of the students have mastered the concept. The patterns that teachers may find in their data can help to find patterns in individual learners and tailor groups for student success.

To utilize technology effectively within the classroom, teachers must first find what works for them.  It is through this inquiry that they are able to explore various modes of formative assessment and discover what works for them and their students.  Upon finding what works, technology can be used to tailor lessons and work toward student success.

Burns, Monica (2015). Empowering teachers with tech-friendly formative assessment tools. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tech-friendly-formative-assessment-tools-monica-burns

Integrating Technology

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“Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class.”

Edutopia suggests that technology integration should support four components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. As I have come understand, integrating technology into the classroom should be seamless.  Rather than make  technology a separate class, it should be integrated across the curriculum and should be utilized in all areas of study – supporting the wider curricular goals. It offers students a new and exciting way to learn, which will keep them engaged and reduce behavioural problems within the classroom. Technology also offers teachers a new way to teach.  Rather than be the figure head at the front of the room, teachers are able to offer students an alternative form of learning where they can utilize their own skills and seek the teachers help as a context expert.  The teacher is able to use technology to enhance their teaching and offer students the ability to search for answers and become critical thinkers.  Technology integration, therefore, more beneficial when it is used as a tool alongside the curriculum content and with the guidance of a trained educator.

Edutopia (2008). Why integrate technology into the curriculum?: The reasons are many. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

Primary Assessment

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While on my practicum I have been intrigued with how to use technology for formative assessment with primary students.

My class has been using Freshgrade as a portfolio for assessment. The classroom teacher is able to upload examples of student work, criteria for assessment, comments, photos and videos, and descriptions of students activities and assignments. Parents and students can then go online and view their child’s progress and comment on the content.  It gives parents the opportunity to see assignments and criteria that they may not otherwise see – work that could be left at school, only used for assessment, or that never makes it home.  It is an interactive tool that can be utilized by students, parents, and students. It offers a collaborative approach to assessment.

While it is an effective collaborative tool, in the primary grades it is more teacher than student lead. It is difficult for the students to upload their own work and comment it on it from the classroom.  Because of this, the posts are more teacher lead than a way for students to showcase their own learning.  Students in the intermediate grades are able to post their own work and comment.  To enable students to post examples of their work it requires a lot of practice and time committed to ‘teaching’ how to effectively comment and reflect.

As Fabrikant, York,  and Morris suggest, it is important to know what we, as teachers, are doing before we can expect our students to know.  It is not necessarily about the integration of technology but knowing what content you need to cover and then using technology to enhance learning. To be better equipped to teach our students how to properly utilize technology. As teachers we ourselves must understand how to effectively incorporate technology into our lessons.

Fabrikant, K., York, S., Morris, M. Integrating technology into pedagogical content knowledge in K-12 and university professional development. Building Sustainable Futures for Adult Learners, 541-558. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/21070374/Integrating_technology_into_pedagogical_content_knowledge_in_K-12_and_university_professional_development

Living Resources

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During our living inquiry workshop we had the opportunity to connect with not only our classmates but people from a different cohort.  It was interesting to connect with people who, although were from a different area of focus, had similar inquiry questions. We were able to use our colleagues as resources. As we are working figuring out our teaching style and what type of teacher we would like to be as we work toward becoming professional teachers, it is our colleagues and those who are within the profession that are our best resources.  Although did we did not all have the same inquiry question, it was through discussions that we came to realize how similar our areas of interest are.

In the article ‘No Teacher is an Island: How Social Networks Shape Teacher Quality’ they discuss the importance of developing a social network and working with other teachers and professionals.  Through these networks you can teach one another the tools that you have been utilizing within your classroom, or you can learn from others and gain new insight or tools for your students success.  Before we introduce our students to a new technology tool, we must first teach ourselves and understand the uses of the specific tool.

Our living inquiry workshop was a way for us to network and develop social networks.  We were able to share our experiences and exchange information.  We were also able to exchange our social media and email information, developing a connection that we can use to facilitate our students and our own learning.

Baker-Doyle, K. (2015). No teacher is an island: how social networks shape teacher quality. Promoting and Sustaining a Quality Teacher Workforce, 367-383. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/19709903/No_Teacher_is_an_Island_How_Social_Networks_Shape_Teacher_Quality

Research Study

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In a study conducted to look at students’ experiences in integrating technology in the classroom, it was found that communication between the teachers and faculty was increased, but that student learning was insufficient (Brown & Warschauer, 2006). In conjunction with this research, I believe that I will experience similar results in regards to teacher to teacher information sharing.  I am confident that using technology in the classroom is reinforced through teacher’s response and willingness to integrate it in to the curriculum.  I also believe that as we are currently experiencing a new learning curve, it will take time to fully implement the use of technology in a student-centered approach. I believe that through the interactions between teachers, we will gain a better understanding of how technology can be utilized within the classroom. Yet, I also believe that students will gain from the use of technology.  Therefore, not only will the use of technology in the classroom change the way that students learn, it will also give teachers more opportunity to collaborate and learn from what others have tried and tested in their classrooms.

Brown, D. & Warschauer, M. (2006). From the University to the Elementary Classroom: Students’ Experiences in Learning to Integrate Technology in Instruction. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14(3), 599-621. Chesapeake, VA: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education.

Media Literacy

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The Edutopia article “ Frictionless Formative Assessment with Social Media”, offers many helpful ways to integrate social media and technology into the classroom and for use as a formative assessment tool. As social media has become increasingly more popular, it is useful to use a medium of assessment that the students are familiar with.  It also encourages the use of approved technology.  Students are going to interact with technology whether or not it is used in the classroom, but integrating social media and other familiar online reporting tools, the teacher is able to not only offer students immediate feedback on their work, but also introduced students to media literacy.  I believe that introducing students to media literacy at a young age is imperative. So not only is it important to utilize technology and social media in the classroom, I feel it is equally as important to introduce students to media literacy; understanding how to properly post as well as what is information that should be shared and information that needs to be kept personal.

 

Alfonzo, Paige (2014).  Frictionless formative assessment with social media. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/frictionless-formative-assessment-social-media-paige-alfonzo