The reading and video for this week could not have been timed any better for me and my stated Goals. Let me tell you how and why.
1. One of my primary concerns is whether or not I am effectively and fairly assessing my students. Furthermore, I always worry if I am providing enough ways for my diverse group of students to demonstrate their talents, knowledge, and understanding. Learning about how technology can address the various format assessments has both put my mind at ease as well as challenged me to seek even better ways of using technology to assess my students. Moreover, Cennamo et al (2009) showed me how to use technology in an effort to gather and analyze data.
2. As I read about performance and project-based assessments, I was reminded by the fact that technology is constantly changing and improving, but also the role technology can play in assessing our students (Cennamo et al, 2009 Laureate Education, 2009). Older technologies are being phased out and new ones are being introduced at a rapid pace. Case in point is that the school that I will be joining next year is very much in favor of outdoor educational programs. Every year, every student takes part in two multi-day camping, hiking, and/or canoeing trips. During these trips students apply what they have learned in the classroom to the outdoors. To that point, the school invested in handheld GPS devices a couple of years ago that are now pretty near outdated, but a viable replacement option happens to be a normal smartphone. This week I learned about GPS technology as well as how students can design and develop their own PC games that support what they are learning in their content area classes (Laureate Education, 2009).
3. Cennamo et al (2009) reinforced for me the idea that not every technology tool is applicable or right for every teaching or learning occasion; each must be looked at separately and judged separately on its own merits as to what it can do to improve my teaching.
Thankfully, I believe that my Actions are supporting my Goals and leading down the path toward Evaluation and Extension. Stay tuned!
