Module+5+Reflection


 * Reflection Prompt: //How has technology impacted or changed your classroom assessment and evaluation? Has your data collection methodology changed with technology? If technology has not impacted your assessment and evaluation, what would you like to change? Discuss technology and your own productivity and professional practice.//**

Advances in technology are creating many tools and resources for teachers to use in assessment and data collection. The technology needs to be fully evaluated to ensure it encompasses the features you are looking to assess and implement for productivity purposes. Using technology-based assessments allows for faster assessment results and easier data collection for the teacher, while lessening our carbon footprint.

Technology has impacted classroom assessments and evaluations in a positive way. With the availability of computer based assessments, and Senteo Response Systems I have been able to create a variety of assessments. With the use of the Internet, many teachers and companies have created and shared assessments. Why re-invent the wheel? Teachers everywhere are a collaborative team, and as technology advances teachers will have an easier means of sharing and finding resources. Multiplication.com has a times and computer graded times table assessment that the students take on the computer. My students love to take the assessment, even on their free time. They like the immediate feedback of the assessment and try and beat their last score. I created IEP objective formative assessments to help progress monitor individual goals. This was the first year I tried this, so I only create a few assessments. The students respond well to the clickers and are more willing to complete math problems when they get to enter their answers in a remote afterwards. My goal was to move to spreadsheets on the iPad for data collection both formative on daily concepts and for IEP goals. I move around the classroom too much, and could not risk leaving my iPad available for someone to pick up, so I decided to forgo this idea. At the time, it is easier to track using pencil/paper recording forms. The Scantron sheets my building uses has a computer program where it will record scores within a spreadsheet for data analysis. There are many features to organize the data for a variety of desired purposes. The program has been available for a number of years, but it was not brought to the attention of the teachers until two years ago. Since teachers were not trained on how to use, most are resistant and do not use. It simply takes opening the program before scanning and it does the rest! Why complete the test analysis on your own, when a computer can easily complete it for you.

From the readings it is apparent that students need to experience computer-based assessments that assess more than just basic skills, but allow the student to complete performance-based assessments. This is an area of weakness for me and an area I would like to explore in more detail to see how I could integrate technology based performance assessments. I would like to become more proficient in the use of spreadsheets for digital data collection and productivity purposes. Having a school Gmail account, I would also like to explore the collaborative features that Google offers and create online quizzes and surveys that sutdents can take on the computer at school or home. When it comes to utilizing technology for assessment and productivity reasons teachers really need to set a goal as a team and work together. Failure to work together will only create more set back when keeping up with 21st century skills.