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.