EDLD+5364+Week+5+-+Reflection

This is the last week for Teaching with Technology and I have learned a lot of additional information for teaching the 21st century learners. It continues to stress the importance of integrating technology, benefits of using an effort rubric, standardized assessments, and Excel spreadsheets. The readings this week focused on the importance of spreadsheet software and Web 2.0 survey tools and how each can be used to track daily student effort and achievement. When students maintain their own spreadsheets, it allows them to collect data on themselves, self-assess their efforts, and make inferences from the data collected. According to Pitler (2007), “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback” (p. 156). At my school, we created an Excel spreadsheet for students in Math and Reading leading up to STAAR for students to keep track of their daily scores. It gives students immediate feedback for each assignment that has been graded. It is a spreadsheet that allows the students an opportunity to see and record their information as well as compare their achievement levels and improvement for each subject and content. It shows students how their success or failures can affect their performance on assignments and assessments. The students enjoy keeping a record of their scores. I think this approach allows students to capture the full sense of how studying can influence their grades and achievement.

I believe assessments being given to students need to be changed in order for students to show what they can are capable of doing on their academic level. Many times teachers assess the students with the same assessment no matter what educational levels the students are on individually. A special education student should not be given the same test as a regular education student. I do not feel that because questions and answers are orally administered to special education students that the students are capable of being assessed on their level. Teachers’ assessments should not always be summative but ongoing formative assessments. Formative assessments are ways to assess student knowledge as well as teach content and technology skills. Every teacher knows that all students do not understand, learn, and perform on the same level. Therefore, teachers should not be assessing all students with the same assessment. We should give students assessments that accommodate their learning styles which allow them to demonstrate their understanding of the content for the subject matter. If teachers want an accurate picture of students’ achievement, assessments should evaluate the content and knowledge according to the academic level of the student’s abilities.

It is essential that teachers encourage students to perform to their highest potential for any task at hand. If teachers have students that perceive themselves as failures, it is the teacher's responsibility to assist the student and help develop a strong trust in order to be a successful learner. Most students attribute their performance and achievement to their own hard work and competence and their failures and disappointments to their parents, teachers, environment or peers. It is extremely beneficial for teachers to emphasis the importance and benefit of believing that they must have a high level of effort. Therefore, loads of effort and energy will be needed in order for students to be successful!

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 41-58, 155-164.