Assessing Meaningful Learning

I really enjoyed learning about the many different modernized assessment tools in this weeks’ lesson. Quizdom especially is a great tool for both teachers and students. The students find it fun and intertaining while it gives the teacher feedback about the students’ progress and ideas of what to work on in the uncoming lessons. I would know Quizdom is fun because in middle school we used in for my math class. Also, we used clickers in my college math class as well. I think the eportfolio’s are a great way for students to show what they have learned throughout the semester, and teachers can see exactly how students are doing and what they have learned. I personally think these assessments discussed in this weeks’ lesson are far better than standardized testing because it creates student engagement and excitement because it is so unique. Also, it eliminates as test anxiety or misrepresentation of a students’ overall comprehension of a course.

I have learned a lot of interesting things from this course. It has really opened my eyes to a whole world of using technology in the classroom that I never really cared to explore before. Since I am such a pen & paper kind of person, this class was very necessary to help me break out of my comfort zone for the sake of my future students. I will use the eportfolios in my future classes. I will also use blogger and quizdom because I think these are a great way to see students’ progress and keep them engaged. Integrating Technology in The Classroom has provided me with many ways to help students learn while enjoying the lesson. Rather than the normal book work and testing, educational technology can create student excitement for learning. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and I have already saved a bunch of helpful ideas from this course onto my computer.

Technology Application Standards

High School 11^th grade English

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills by Chapter

§110.31. English Language Arts and Reading, English I (One Credit), Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a)  Introduction.

(1)  The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In English I, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2)  For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(A)  English language learners (ELLs) are acquiring English, learning content in English, and learning to read simultaneously. For this reason, it is imperative that reading instruction should be comprehensive and that students receive instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and word attack skills while simultaneously being taught academic vocabulary and comprehension skills and strategies. Reading instruction that enhances ELL's ability to decode unfamiliar words and to make sense of those words in context will expedite their ability to make sense of what they read and learn from reading. Additionally, developing fluency, spelling, and grammatical conventions of academic language must be done in meaningful contexts and not in isolation.

(B)  For ELLs, comprehension of texts requires additional scaffolds to support comprehensible input. ELL students should use the knowledge of their first language (e.g., cognates) to further vocabulary development. Vocabulary needs to be taught in the context of connected discourse so that language is meaningful. ELLs must learn how rhetorical devices in English differ from those in their native language. At the same time English learners are learning in English, the focus is on academic English, concepts, and the language structures specific to the content.

(C)  During initial stages of English development, ELLs are expected to meet standards in a second language that many monolingual English speakers find difficult to meet in their native language. However, English language learners' abilities to meet these standards will be influenced by their proficiency in English. While English language learners can analyze, synthesize, and evaluate, their level of English proficiency may impede their ability to demonstrate this knowledge during the initial stages of English language acquisition. It is also critical to understand that ELLs with no previous or with interrupted schooling will require explicit and strategic support as they acquire English and learn to learn in English simultaneously.

(3)  To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations in English I as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(4)  To meet Texas Education Code, §28.002(h), which states, "... each school district shall foster the continuation of the tradition of teaching United States and Texas history and the free enterprise system in regular subject matter and in reading courses and in the adoption of textbooks," students will be provided oral and written narratives as well as other informational texts that can help them to become thoughtful, active citizens who appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation.

(Source:http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html)

I will use these TEKS stated above as a guideline for creating assignments and activities for my students. I will use the reading and writing portion of the TEKS by assigning class readings and in class writing assignments. These are just two of the basic skills used in the Language Arts/English classroom. I will also assign at least one research assignment, as mentioned in the TEKS, so students will be given the opportunity of a well rounded education in my classroom. Also, as mentioned above, listening and speaking will be an active part of my lessons. In class question and answering sessions will take place frequently throughout lecture and I will encourage students to respond to one another in class discussions.

 I strongly believe that all the TEKS provided above are necessary in the classroom because students need to be engaged in what they are learning. Obviously, in all high school level English courses, students are expected to read passages or books and are taught the basic five-paragraph essay of writing. However, I believe teachers can use these TEKS for more than what is on the surface level. For example, in my classroom I would expand past the five-paragraph essay an better prepare my students for college papers. Also, I would spend time on teaching students how to use research databases, correctly cite sources, and how to properly prepare for then write a research paper. I find these few TEKS very important because I was not properly taught these things in high school and it really caused me to struggle in college, even if I am an English major. 

Visualizing with Technology

I think visualizing technology is so important both inside out of the classroom because it has the tools to influence us in many ways. I personally am a more visual learner, so I prefer to have visual tools like movies, PowerPoints, images, etc. to help me better understand what I am learning. Visualizing technology helps students make conclusions about what they have learned, and tie up any loose ends/ answer questions they may have had. I strongly believe in visualizing technology because of the many benefits it has to offer us. Whether it is used in the classroom, or for advertising, these visual aids teach us something new every day. These visual technologies are essential especially in a world, like today, where society relies on technology.

Inside the classroom tools like movies and videos are just one of the many visualizing technologies that provide students with another way of thinking and visualizing a lesson or idea. PowerPoint is very helpful visualizing technology tool that can make learning and teaching both easier and faster. PowerPoint allows for teacher to move through lesson topics quickly, as opposed to using older equipment like an overhead projector where you have to continuously erase, and switch out slides. Computers and projectors are clearly the basic necessities for having a smooth running classroom and having these tools are great practice for students when they will enter the working world. All in all, visualizing technology gives teachers and students the freedom to learn in a fun environment.

Podasting

Podcasting is a very unique way to share new information. It is great for subscribers who want to keep up with a certain show, created by ordinary people, without the use of major media. It is helpful because once you subscribe to a channel or website, the new shows will automatically down load to a computer, mp3 player, or any other handheld device. Teachers can use podcasts for a free way to further engage their students in the lesson by subscribing to an educational web site to receive live shows. For example, if a teacher is starting a new lesson series about a specific topic, he/she could use a podcast for daily or weekly discussions or videos. Also, students could be assigned to listen to podcasts on their ipods/laptops the be quizzed over the material in class.
Podcasting is different than the other web 2.0 tools we discussed earlier because unlike the other tools, podcasting, once subscribed, is continuous and uploads automatically. Also, it is more "personal" as it is stated in the "P" of podcasting. Much like DVRing a series on tv, podcasting isn't necessarily a one time thing. It can be a weekly subject that could go along with the lesson for that week or month or however long. It is similar to the other web 2.0 tools obviously because it is used through technology, but is meant to be shared. Like the other tools, it is readily available for students to download on any device. This is great for students when they are on-the-go and may need to listen to the lesson for the day instead of read it in a book or sit down and do homework.
I do have an ipod and if I was to listen to educational podcasts, for the benefit of my students I would either use my ipod to play the podcasts into a speaker, or assign podasts as homework or do both. I think online communication is beneficial to students because they need as much practice with technology as they can get because of the overwhelming number of employers looking for tech savvy employees. Also, it can be quite fun and different to add something new to the lesson. Rather than doing so much book work, why not allow for students to listen to a lesson, message, or idea through a podcast made by myself or someone else? I think this will engage more students and get them excited to learn.

Web 2.0

This assignment  taught me about the many tools available online to better our lessons and activities in the classroom. The Wiki is a helpful tool for posting online discussions because it allows students to add their input about the lesson and help other students through posting ideas and questions. It also  helps organize and regulate discussions. Social Bookmarking was another helpful online website we examined in this assignment that helps teachers keep track of all their favorite webpages. This website helps teachers to organize links for in lessons in class such as videos, and websites and also allows for teachers to save helpful sites the might use as reference in the future. Voice Thread is a great tool for really engaging students in an online discussion through using your voice and posting pictures. It is great for summarizing a lecture and allowing students to refresh their memory about the lesson earlier that day.
All of these web 2.0 tools are so helpful to students, especially in today society. It is so important to students to practice computer skills religiously, besides status updating, because most jobs require some computer skill. When teachers involve technology in their lessons, they are preparing students for the future in college and in the work place. The Wiki is a great way for students to practice safe online interaction and challenge themselves to think on their own without the presence of a teacher at hand. Also, it keeps students responsible for doing their work outside of the classroom and keeps them engaged. Even though school is limited to a strict schedule, learning should be continuously practiced. Social Bookmarking is helpful mainly to teachers because it helps them to organize their favorite webpages and any thoughts or ideas they have planned for a lesson. Voice Thread is unique because it engages students on a higher level by hearing the teachers voice and allowing the teacher to lead the discussion.

Copyrights, Fair Use, Cyberbullying and Netiquette.

I have learned that there are many strict rules when it comes to copyright laws and what is allowed and what isn’t. Even if it is allowed, majority of the rules require you to give recognition to the author or site where you found the information. I had no idea that you couldn’t show a movie for entertainment purposes or rewards without obtaining a version from an authorized distributor who can license you to use it. From taking the copyright quiz, I also realized that by breaking this law that is not familiar to most teachers, the school district could be in trouble. This shows me that I really need to study these laws, even though in my opinion they are ridiculous. Not once did any of my teachers in grade school provide the class with copyrights or a work cited resource for videos, images, or documents they used in their lesson.

What a scary unknown problem teachers and students have on their hands. I will definitely keep the cheat sheet provided handy in my classroom for my own personal use and to teach my students. Not once did I learn how to cite sources or give them proper credit until college. It’s wrong for teachers to not better prepare students for their future research papers and presentations in college. To add to internet misuse, cyber bulling is a major problem especially among teens. It is so important for teachers to educate students about the dangers and consequences of bulling whether it is online or face to face. I remember having guest speakers come to my high school and warn us about cyber bulling and share sad stories about students who have taken their lives at the expense of others harsh words.

Mapping assignment

Before the mapping assignment I used the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing to find all information. My favorite search engine being Google because the home page was clutter free which made it easy on the eyes and mind. I never thought to look for certain website for external links because these search engines did all the work for me. However, because of my lack of knowledge of certain search techniques that I thankfully learned from this assignment, I'm sure I missed quite a bit of helpful information during my previous searches. Since I have taken the course twice, technically these helpful search tips are not new to me, but it was imperative that I brushed up on this lesson.
I think my searching habits will change to some extent. I still strongly believe in those search engines for my own personal use because they are so broad and easy to navigate. I simply chose to ignore all of the advertisements and commercials because I know that it is a huge part of our culture and a way for people, businesses, and corporations to make money. However, I would want my students to be scholarly researchers, so I would teach them how to locate the data needed through scholarly websites, search engines, and texts. I want nothing but the best for my students, like all teachers should, so I strongly believe they should not cut corners because they are only cheating themselves.
I enjoyed this assignment and even going back through for a second time I picked up a few things that I missed. I really enjoyed learning all of the fun, cool, and interesting facts about the major search engines. This assignment opened my eyes to what little we know about what we are calling "research" and I will definitely use this same lesson to better prepare my students for research assignments in college. I think it is so important for students of all ages to learn how to properly use the internet and all its sources since as the author states, there is no "Source police". This assignment has affected me in a positive way and I will definitely refer to it in my classroom.