Week 9: Promoting Student Success Instead of Student Test Scores

This week I was able to read to different types of articles.  One article was written by O'Byrne, Schenke, Willisi, and Hickey focused around using digital badges.  Another article focused around how computer assessments are impacting ELL students.

O'Bryne et al. (2015) discusses the idea of using digital badges to symbolize technological accomplishments of students.  Students can complete micro achievements in order to collectively complete macro achievements.  Student then can use the achievements to showcase their skills and talents in the digital world.  A lot of students have been able to use these badges to get college scholarships and show their skills in this every changing digital land.

Fenner (2015) focused around this issues with using computer-based testing specifically with ELL students.  As many of the computer-based tests are still early on in practice they are showing a clear gap between students not receiving ELL services and those that are.  These disadvantages are not allowing the true skills and talents of these students to be represented.

While reading these two different articles discuss different issues the root of the articles focus on ways to allow all students to succeed.  I really liked the idea of digital badges.  I think in the classroom this could look like a portfolio. I think with technology advancing it would be very cool to have students have e-portfolios.  We know students succeed when given choice. If all students were able to pick the way to show they could master the standard then it could show the students actual skills not their ability to test online.

By allowing students to create portfolios, this also addresses the many accommodations suggested by Fenner (2015).  Portfolios would allow students to work with less restrictive timing.  This would also allow for the tasks to better meet the students needs and for directions to be clarified in ways that meet individuals needs.

https://6thirty3thirty.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/port-edit.jpg

I think that high stakes testing is here to stay.  As a teacher I am always looking for ways to show my students they are more than just a test.  I think using a portfolio, similar to badges could help my classroom do just that.  Students need time, tasks that challenge them as an individual and accommodations in order to succeed.  I found a website that discusses web tools to create student portfolios.

I think in addition to creating portfolios it is essential to provide students with ample practice time with computer-based assessments.  In my classroom we know there are many students that need to improve their computer literacy.  By providing tasks online and continuing to improve computer literacy I think we can take steps in the write direction to supporting students success instead of just testing it.

Week 8: Love, Teach, Do in Other Words Romance, Precision and Generalization

This week the elementary teachers had the opportunity to see how the other side lives....secondary education.  We read an chapter of a book targeted at middle and high school students.  As a teacher and a learner myself it is always fascinating to see how the other side lives.  The skills students come in with is something that always impresses me.

I really connected with Hobbs (2011) discussing the ideas of romance, precision and generalization.  I felt that this is connected to the learning cycle that we experience as a teacher.  In order to have students connect emotionally to the content we must engage them.  We must tell them why it is important.  Once they are engaged we must make sure we give them accurate information that continues their quest for new knowledge. Lastly, we hope that students generalize their learning and move into using their knowledge and making it their own.  As teachers we know how hard it can be to engage students with learning. We also know the struggle of getting students to connect learning and own it.

When reading Hicks (2013), I was left pondering the possibilities of video texts in a primary classroom.  I often start teaching 2nd grade with students that cannot write a sentence. I think a goal in my writing classroom is to show students a framework about different types of writing.  I feel most students need time to draft, edit, revise and publish.  I am struggling with the idea that my students would potentially write only one or two things and then be expected to turn that into video text.  A quote that really resonated with me in Hicks (2013) was , "As I've already stated, we, as writing teachers, need to focus on the writer, then the writing, and finally the technology." (p. 113).  This quote allowed me to focus on the essential skills in my classroom.  My students learn by doing, and if I only allow them a couple of attempts to try new skills in their writing they will never get to the generalization stage.

When I combined the ideas from Hobbs (2011) and Hicks (2013) I feel that I was able to find a more comfortable balance.  I like the idea of using more audio recordings in the classroom.  Unfortunately, our school has disabled the microphones on the computers. I will have to find a way around this.  I  think asking the students to record one piece a writing a unit would be a realistic possibly.  I also think having them look for or create one piece of visual support to pair with the audio is realistic.  I feel that this would engage students (romance), allow them multiple attempts to practice the skills of writing (precision) and create a final product that is unique to them and showcases their learned skills (generalization) in a primary way.

Taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118289927689792625/

I am currently on the hunt for a program that could nicely allow my students to do this.  I found some ideas here, but hope to find a system that works for Chrome books and possibly iPads.  This app also seemed like a possibility in the classroom.

I often times feel like it is important to go back to the roots of teaching.  We need to engage children, educate them and hopefully when we do that they can take the learning into their own hands. Often it is easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of technology.  When that happens I find it most helpful to reflect on my goals for my classroom, the materials I have available, the needs of my room and make a realistic plan that best aligns with all of these.