Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Reflective Blog Post 4: Tests are the Only Objective Assessment On Student Learning (GCU TEC 538)
Are Tests The Only Objective Assessments for Student Learning?
During this blog I will discuss whether test are the only objective assessment for student learning or if there are other resource that can aid in assessing student learning.
Tests

Watch this video of a fourth grader's opinion of Standardized testing.
Alternative Options for Assessing Student Learning
Teachers use so much more than tests. As an educator I look at the whole child. I consider all of the class work, homework, projects, presentations, participation, and test to assess the learning of students. As this fourth grade girl states so eloquently she is much more than a number on a bar graph.
One of the many beauties of teaching is that I get to see growth in my student from the beginning of the school year to the end. Not all students are great test takers, nor do all students learn at the same rate. Just using a test does not show all of the learning, skills, and information a student has acquired. To only consider the tests as the only objective assessment of learning short changes the students. I am not alone in this belief. A school district in Colorado has the same beliefs and has changed the way they assess student learning.
Based on the information provided I encourage you to form your own opinion of the subject at hand.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Technology-Infused Classroom (GCU TEC 538)
Technology-Infused Classroom
How it looks
To have a technology-infused classroom means that technology is not just added to a lesson but it becomes and extension of learning. It becomes such an intricate part of the classroom that it is seamless between the content being taught and the technology. Students are allowed to make their own decisions about their learning and students are in charge of their learning. Also they are in control when they are creating projects and completing assignment, to show the knowledge they have gained or are gaining.
Here is a great video on technology infused classroom from YouTube. Watch the first two videos.
How I plan on having a Technology-Infused Classroom
In my classroom I will model the procedures I expect to see and over time I will gradually release the students to have the responsibility to be independent in their work time. Students will also learn to collaborate with their peers following the previous instruction with a gradual release to be independent collaborators. This will allow my classroom to become less teacher-centered to more student-centered in the learning. Allowing students to gain skills they will need in social groups and settings.
One area where I would infuse technology into my classroom would be in math. Students would be given the choice to either complete a math worksheet or a math tutorial on their iPads. Once they have completed either activity they will collaborate on solving a problem that deals with the same objective that they completed independently. During collaboration, they will create an example of the process the used to solve the problem. Students can use iMovi, Educreation, PowerPoint, or poster paper or written speech on the process.

Monday, August 1, 2016
Visual Literacy and the Internet in the Classroom (GCU TEC 538)
Visual Literacy,
Use of Instructional Strategies and
The role of the Internet in Mrs. Rodgers classroom.
Visual literacy is just one piece of the pie that teachers use to engage students in learning.
What is Visual literacy? It is the ability to understand, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Visual literacy can be used in any content or subject area.
This YouTube video on visual literacy in the classroom titled Visual Literacy Across the Curriculum gives teachers a good look at how visual learning can impact their students and help to create critical thinkers and problem-solving learners. https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=XQNbAtK3c3g
The second piece of the pie that plays a key role is teaching strategies for visual literacy. There are many strategies. I will only be sharing my top three favorites.
Number One: Graphic Organizers; Graphic organizers are visual structures that can show relationships, between concepts or ideas. They can be used across all content areas and subjects. I use them to help define a concept, categorize and classify, sequence, and compare and contrast. I use Thinking Maps. You can learn more about them at http://thinkingmaps.com .
Number Two: Think Alouds:
Think Aloud is a method used by the teacher to model how he or she gains understanding from text or visual representations. This method requires the teacher to explain their thinking processes they are using as they are attempting to understand different areas of the text or visual. Once the teacher has modeled this method, it is important for students to practice it. For more information on Think Alouds you can visit Education Week from Teacher Vision https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html
Number Three: Deep Viewing:
Deep viewing is a strategy that I have not used before; I am however planning on using this strategy with this year’s class. Deep viewing consists of three levels of observation. The teacher will show students a visual and then the students will do the following three steps.
1 1. Students study the visual, then they recreate it from memory, finally, students write about what they remember about it.
2. Students describe the emotions and memories evoked by the visual.
3. Students evaluate the visual for relevance, importance, and bias.
For more information please visit Understanding Visual Information through Deep Viewing http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED370560
In today’s classroom the Internet is one of the best resources we as teachers have. The more I learn about all that can be done with technology and the use of the Internet I want the role of the Internet to change in my classroom. I want it to not only be a research tool but also a place where my students can start to become a part of a global community. I want my students to start blogging about class projects and other happenings in the classroom. My main goal is to have a classroom that can collaborate with other students around the world. This will take a while for my classroom to get to but I will continue to take steps toward my main goal.
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