I chose these two video cases to analyze due to my current teaching context of middle school students. Both cases show experienced teachers implementing a plethora of technology with students grades six to eight. As well, the classrooms appear lively and noisy where different groups of students are engaged in different projects incorporating technology. In both cases, there is great diversity in terms of how students demonstrate their learning in the sciences. Also, the teachers in both cases expressed the effective use of technology in the sciences as helping students understand knowledge accurately and increasing engagement in the content. Finally, in both classrooms, there seemed to be adequate resources of technology equipment for students.
At the same time, there was a significant difference between the two cases. That is, there were some contrasts in the openness of technology between the preservice and new teachers. In Case 6, the student teacher interview discussed her incorporation of technology in her practicum class. She had positive notions of it and expressed benefits such as collaboration, hands-on approach, and exposure to media literacy. In Case 6, the new teacher interview expressed she was frustrated with using technology and how it was a work in progress.
An interesting issue I am wondering about is with regards to assessment. That is, how will educators adequately assess students when they use different ways to showcase their learning? For instance, in both classrooms, the teachers mentioned the use of raps, podcasts, videos, experiments, and interactive websites where different groups of students are engaged in. Though this can increase participation, how will educators be able to monitor students’ process of learning? It seems like educators will be required to circulate and keep track of the diversity of projects going on. As well, how would students’ depth of learning be assessed? Will educators be using a standard rubric to assess students? Assessment is definitely a relevant question in terms of integrating technology in the math and sciences.
In terms of assessment, I would recommend having them develop their own rubric as a starting assignment. In order to develop that rubric, students will need to conduct initial research, conceptualize the project format, seek out exemplars of great work in a similar format, and identify what quality work on their topic looks like. By the end of the exercise, you have a rubric and the student has completed their initial planning with the addition of a way to measure their own progress.
I’ve often found that students are actually more challenging of themselves in these tasks than we are. While it may require a little extra time in the project schedule, an is certainly not well suited to small tasks, the work at the end can really be fantastic and students have a much better understanding of what they need to accomplish in order to succeed.
Thanks Daniel for the comment! Should students be taught on how to reset a rubric? I am not entirely sure that all of my students at the upper elementary level would have the skills to create a fair way to assess their learning.
Hi Gloria!
I also agree that assessment is a big part of technology integration. I suppose for each type of project like a podcast versus a video versus an animated gif would all need their own rubrics as a possible solution to keep track of assessment. But at the same time as you mentioned, it would be very difficult to keep track of the different groups all at the same time, more so to give prompt feedback to students as they create their projects. Maybe too much diversity in project types is a bad thing after all?
Thanks for sharing,
Vibhu