Chapter 11 Journal Blog

Engaging Teachers and Students in Learning and Self-Reflection

 

1. How can students become actively involved in assessment and evaluation using technology?

When wanting to reel in students into assignments or certain tasks technology is the "go-to" tool. Children's eyes are caught quickly to attention when they are using a computer, tablet, IPod, etc. It makes an assessment for fun and easy for them, it is an everyday use of theirs, and applying it in school is what they want. Using technology is what they look foward to in a classroom, you can positive results and better yet, actively invovled students! I personally use technology in my classroom and I see the constant gain of knowledge with my students. Since they are drawn in to the technology device, it makes it simple for them to learn. I find it very nessecary to intergrate technology within education. When wanting to have students participate, you need to bring material that is fimilar to them, and technology based material is what they connect to best now a days.

 

2. Tech Tool 11.2 - Online Survey Building Resources

Online Survey's is a foreign topic to me, but the concept of having an effecting way to assess prior knowledge is a great idea to me. Not only does this invlove students to recollect what they have learned but it lets you as an educator see what they have learned also. Online Surveys also take in information that students would like to learn in the future. It is easy for students to use these type of surveys because there really is no "wrong" and "right", it's pure opinion and self-knowledge. This Tech Tool shows teachers certain online tools that can help them get together their students opinions and knowledge on certain topics. Zoomerang is one of the "easy-to-use" online survery building tools shown. It gives teachers the opportunity to have different topics and themed surveys to build. I can see teachers using this in every day lessons, to me it is very quick and easy to use. I enjoy how you can even change the design of the survey to make it your own. This tool can be used in my classroom to see what my students prefer and know from past teachings.

 

3. Summary

Chapter eleven is based on teaching teachers how to use digital portfolios and any performance assessment technologies to evaluate their students own learning. It also focuses on how students will be evaluating their peers using technology based tools. Chapter eleven shows how student participation can increase when using participation systems such as Online Surveys. Self-reflective learning is what helps students grow and help shape their education. Being a student at Edison, I constantly am self-evaluation aswell as peer-evaluating and it honestly build you up as a student. I find it easier to fix your downfalls and learn from it when using performance assessment technologies. I have grown academically by being fully invovled by using my personal reflection.

 

 

 

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.



Chapter 10 Journal Blog

Promoting Success for All Students through Technology

 

 

1. How does assistive technology support efforts by teachers to reach all learners?

 

In any given classroom, students show different levels of learning and comprehension. Some may show difficulty with reading and writting due to language and culture, while others may have trouble with mathematics and science. Then comes specific students with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities that face their own barriers when it comes to learning. When assistive technology is correctly intergrated into the classroom, it gives students a chance to do certain tasks more quickly, easily, or independently. The flexibility of assistive technology allows a teacher to build tools and  materials that focus on the student's prime strengths and yet enhances their weaknesses. As an ESE teacher, I come to apply many of these assistive technologies that make it possible for me to communicate with my students that are not capable of speaking. I find it very relieving to have at least tools that can get me to understand and be able to transmit information to my students. Without any assistive technology around in classroom based settings things can be very difficult in every day to day learning and teaching.

 

 

2. Tech Tool 10.1 - Extra-Large and Online Calculators

 

There is a special calculator that has been enlarged into a greater proportion for easy access, as well as use. The CC16 "Extra-Large" calculator is a tool used to engage students. It brings all of the nessecary operations that all generic calculators have, such as; adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying. This calcualtor is also not as heavy as it might seem, which is another factor that comes to be suprising to students. To me, students learn with the eye, it may sound quite weird but if you look at it in a mathematical term, when a student sees a long equation, their instant though is "I can't do this" or "I don't want to do this". They are appealed by the eye, and this calculator does exactly that. I enjoy how it is easy for students to visually be able to see the calculators certain functions in a bigger way (literally). This is a new teaching tool that students are obviously going to want to use, just because of it's size and apperance. I personally would use this whenever I am doing a math-related lesson, my ESE students would be very intrigued by the fact that this "new" tool is something different to their eyes.

 

3. Summary

 

In chapter ten, the theory of computer technologies is expanded. Their are so many opportunities to use them in every day learning within education. Teachers can use them to meet students needs, whether a student is in a regular, or special ed classroom. These computer based technologys are useful for all types of learning styles. I think that promoting success for all students through technology is the best thing we, as educators, can do for our students. Integrating in what they are familiar with in their school experiences can help them tremendously.

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.