Thursday, January 24, 2013

Journal #3

Focus Question:  How can teachers evaluate and assess their students?
Planning, teaching, and assessing are directly connected. Choosing academic content and creating engaging activities seems rocket science when beginning a lesson, with an assesment at the lessons end. Not suprisingly, new teachers are unaware or unsure of the different ways they might asess students' learning. There are three factors that strongly influence how teachers think about assesment; personal experience, standardized testing, and teacher tests. However, we may not be aware of the substantial benefits that technology can also provide in assessing our students.

Technology provides multiple ways to conduct tests and performance assessments with supporting performance measures such as, portfolios, exhibitions, and students writing. Many times, teachers will assess their students similiar to the way they were tested in the past. Teachers who took multiple-choice tests and quizzes in elementary and secondary school, often assume these tests are the best way to measure te learning of their students. Teachers do not automatically envision using porfolios, creative writing, groupwork, or other assessment tools with studens if these techniques were not part of their own experience K-12.

There has been a huge incline in standardized testing since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. With standardized testing, students are continuously being testing K-12 in English, Math, Science, and History. Within a climate of test score accountability, teachers can easily conclude that the only tests that matter are the ones that rank order students according to their numerical score on local, state, and national exams.Teacher tests are tests for teachers to see how they think about assessments. Most states require new teachers to pass a test before earning a teacher license. Many states use Praxis, an exam developed by the Educational Testing Service, while other states use customized teacher exams from Pearson The goal of teacher testsis to ensure anywone recieving a license to teach has the competencies needed to do the work.  New teachers might assume that students must be assessed in the same way that they themselves were assessed and that passing a standardized test is the only true valid assessment format.

Tech Tool Link: 4Teachers
Loved this website! Very insightful for new and experienced educators! This website helps teachers find creative ways to incorporate technology in their lessons. 4Teachers offers online tools and resources helping teachers locate and create ready-to-use Web lessons, quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars. There are also tools for the students to use. Not only does this webstite offer the teachers and students creative ways to use technology in their work, but it also provides valuable professional development resources addressing issues such as equity, ELL, technology planning, and at-risk or special-needs students.  I would suggest this website to any future or present educator and I will most definently be using this website in my future career.


Chapter Summary & Connection:

I really enjoyed studying this chapter. I was reminded the importance of technology in today's world inside and outside of the classroom.  I loved learning about the different ways educators assess their students and I plan to use more than just one skill to test my students.  One issue I was intrigued to continue studying was, Electronic grading software. Electronic grading software is a software that allows teachers to quickly calculate and record students grades on a computer. I am so happy to hear about a more simple way to record this information! Technology is truly a gift to educators.

2 comments:

  1. So what do you think about standardized testing and how teacher assess students? There are many ways to evaluate a students 'learning' - what will you use?

    Yes, thankfully, technology has helped increase ease with administrative tasks, as well - electronic gradebooks being one of them. It is hard to think about living without this tool. :)

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  2. I personally do not think standardized testing is the appropriate way to place the students. I would rather create unique rubrics to promote creativity among the students and alllow them to feel comfortable in assements.

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