Journal Post #4

Chapter 4 Designing Lessons and Developing Curriculum with Technology

Focus Question: How can Teachers evaluate and assess students' learning? 

Evaluating students 

          There are three factors that strongly influence how teachers think about assessment. One is person experiences. This basically means that teachers taught the way that they were taught when they were in school and they assess the way they were also assessed. However, teachers can also use portfolios, creative writing, group work, daily conversations, and other tools to evaluate students. The second factor is standardized testing. Teachers can use past tests to help teach and assess how their students are doing in the class. If the student is not doing too well on a certain assessment then action needs to be taken. The third factor is teacher tests. Most states require new teachers to pass a test before earning a teaching license. This tests goal is to make sure that anyone receiving a license to teach has the competencies need to do the work, as shown by passing scores in reading, writing, and knowledge of academic content fields. 

Photo Credit to: co-laborate! on Flickr

Tech tool 4.2 Web Resources and Apps for teaching 

           This tech tool lists the Fair test and teaching channel under the web. The Fair Test is a free online resource for keeping informed about testing policies and the wider education debates about the effectiveness of standardized tests in assessing student learning. The Teaching Channel is an online video resource for teachers that contains materials in all subjects and across all the grade levels. In app it has Cram, QuickVoice and a few other apps. Cram provides content review through customized flashcards and short quizzes and tests. QuickVoice lets teachers record classes as well as a way to review and improve teaching practice and performance. 

Summary

         I really liked all the tech tools that were listed because I am still a student myself and a lot of these websites and apps can really help me in my own journey to becoming a teacher as well as inform me in what are some other ways to teach my students instead of just the same way that I was once taught. The way that I was taught was good but there is always room for improvement and technology will help get us there. 

Resources

Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.