Technological Rubrics, Clicker Assessment Tools and Inspiration/Kidspiration Software

Technological Rubrics-- I would use these types of rubrics for evaluating individual understanding  and progress in certain subject areas by assigning different tasks and seeing at which level students perform.  By using these rubrics, students can also evaluate others within their group/team and know what expectations that I might have for them.  Almost any subject matter can be evaluated by teachers and students.  Many different types of rubrics are available for instant download off of the internet.  Online tutorials are often offered to teach how to use them.   http://www.rubrician.com/
Clicker Assessment Tools -- Many schools are using clicker assessment tools for their classrooms.  Students are able to answer poll-type questions annonymously without fear of being ridiculed, and teachers can instantly see who answers the questions correctly/incorrectly.  This allow the teacher to assess the class as a whole and indivually to know who needs more instruction.
Inspiration/Kidspiration Software - Many teachers have integtrated the use of Inspiration software into their daily curriculum routine.  It allows for students to collaborate with others to brainstorm ideas and increase their visual thinking techniques in many subjects.  By using this softwaree, my students will be able to use online resources and examples to create graphic organizers, write essays, and collaborate with others when doing all of types of projects and writing assignments in different subject areas.
Kidspiration uses visual learning activities to provide improvement in reading and writing skills and other other developmental skills in other major curriculum areas.  In my classroom, I would use this software to promote better vocabulary skills, phoemic awareness and better writing abilities.  Math students would be able to better comprehend strategies.  http://www.inspiration/ .com

 

Visualizing with Technology

"Digital Storytelling by Kate Kemker" ---Digital storytelling allows students the opportunity to tell a story by collaborating with others to perform storytelling roles in a video production.  Each student performs specific job duties in the production such as; videographer, actor and director.  Each is provided with a check list of basis elements in a story and uses it to evaluate their project to make sure that the final production connects with the audience.  In the end, all of the students get to critique the work of the others in their group and in other groups.
In my classroom, I would assign digital storytelling projects throughout the school year related to the subject matter we are discussing at the time.  All students will be able to perform the different roles in order to see which areas that they excel in. This will allow them the opportunity to collaborate their ideas in the roles assigned and within different groups each time.
Math is made easier and more real with the use of graphing calculators.  They allow students to become more flexible in their problem solving abilities and evidence shows that they are more persistent when trying to solve new problems.  The use of data sets also allows students that think differently the ability to find representations that make sense to them.
I believe that children of today are visual learners.  Teachers are using more and more video instruction today because it captures the attention of students in the same way that television does.  Children relate more to this today due to sitting in front of televisions, video games and computers. I do not believe that everything can  be learned from TV alone, but certain things can.

Podcasting

Podcasting is a new form of technology available to all of us now.  You can subscribe/download just about anything imagineable  and use it on almost any device.  Classes can now create their own podcasts by creating their own broadcasts in which students can interview others and create their own questions for the interview and techniques that they want to use. They can also access other podcasts internationally and podcasts created just for kids.
Podcasting allows us to download and access topics that are of interest to us.  It is different from blogging in that it allows us to record/videotape interviews and other information instead of just letting us write down our opinions on different topics.
I do not own an iPod or MP3 player, but I frequently use my child's. I like the fact that I can monitor what he watches and listens to and that I can download movies and songs that are appropriate for him to listen to.  I would use them in my class to allow students to listed to text. This would definitely be an advantage for students who have reading problems or who have problems staying focused.
Advantages of using these applications are that you are allowed to think about your responses  before responding immediately  and people from different areas can colloborate on their responses.  Computer conferencing promotes learning amongst peers.

Wikis and Blogs

Wikis and blogs will be a daily project for students in my classroom.  The opportunities to use these innovations will be presented and students will be able to express their own opinions of our subject matter when creating their own blogs.  Wikis will be used weekly so that students can download pictures from fieldtrips and activities, information that they want to share, and areas in which they want to collaborate on with their peers.
Socialbookmarking is a great way to get others interested in different topics that they may not otherwise knew existed.  I believe it would be a valuable tool to me and my students and will add a different twist to research.  Voice Threads can also provide technological new aapproaches to lectures that will be more interesting to students.  I would have to practice a lot before feeling comfortable in doing Voice Threads.
I have not had any experience with Tapped In.  I have not even explored it.  I feel that once I have had the opportunity to expose myself to this resource, I will be able to incorporate it in my classroom.

Assessments

Assessment activities are used to decipher how much students learn under certain time frames.  These assessment provide information to teachers as to whether their students are meeting state set, district and teacher set standards.  By using different types of assessment strategies, summaries and reflections, graphic organizers, and collaborative activities, teachers can keep track of specific data that can improve learner performance and proficiency.
E-portfolio's are digital portfolios assembled by individuals as a collection of evidence of works that they have created. They provide access to teachers and students to materials for use in planning and research.
Computer based tests are tests administered on a computer and the results are electronically recorded.  Their use can impact validity and reliability due to the consistency on which the same results are recorded and whether or not the answer is reliable.  The validity of such testing could be based upon common opinion.
Teachers ands students will always benefit from assessments due to the results showing areas in which improvement is needed.  The use of E-portfolio's will benefit both students and teachers by being able to access their own created accounts and the sharing to other information.  Computer based testing will also provide teachers and other access to shared data.
Resources:
http://www.2.scholastic.com/
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-portfolio
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/computer-based_assessment

Copy rights

In order to respect and give validity/credit where it is due, it is necessary to follow copy right rules.  Would you like for someone to take credit for doing something that you have done?  This is why copy right laws and usage rules are important.  I feel that this is a subject to teach my students in the future.  I want them to treat others with honesty and respect.  By teaching them how to follow copy right laws they will be doing so.

Online safety is a persons abilility to protect their personal information from being given to others without their consent online.  It is different from cyberbullying due to cyberbullying being an action of a person online that is deliberately intended to threaten or embarass/humiliate anothe person online.  In order to protect ourselves online, it is wise not to put any personal information online that could identify our address or other personal information that might fall into the hands of predators.

This weeks activities were very informative.  As a parent and future teacher, I have learned of new ways to teach my students and children to be safe online.