In reading Chapter 11 in our text some interesting topics
were presented and really gave some great ‘food for thought’.
The first concept was the role of assessment tools in
schools and how they can be useful for teachers as well as the students. The
idea that ‘things’ like students’ writing, projects both separate and working
as a group, homework assignments, presentations, student self-assessments, and
teacher observations more so than just written tests being the calculations of
how a student is learning and progressing. As I am journeying toward ultimately
becoming the teacher I want to be, I am learning and understanding not only how
to be a benefit to my future students, but in the process I’m still learning
about teaching methods, classroom management strategies and even about the
academic subjects I will one day teach. When I become that teacher, assessment
tools will help me determine how and if my students are learning, and how
changing my approach may help be more effective for more students. Furthermore
assessment tools can help my students participate in how I’m ‘grading’ them and
be an active participant in the assessment. This one made me think of the
recent lesson plan assignment we completed and how our group’s lesson plan
involved having the students create a digital presentation to explain the basic
concepts behind one of three social movements. This called for the students to
‘understand’ so that they could ‘explain’ to others. It acted out one of the
very concepts here, and showed that the presentation gave students
participation in their own learning assessment.
The second concept was the idea of using a digital
portfolio, for both my own use as I move toward teaching an again as part of a
valuable tool for my students once I get there. While the actual knowledge of
‘how to’ that this will require does give me pause, I can see the benefits that
will far out way this hurdle I face. I have often thought the idea of a virtual
interview or at least ‘highlight’ my qualifications for a job, in the same way it could be a useful way for
me as the teacher to ‘see’ how much my students are learning and growing. The book
detailed advantages and disadvantages to this type of tool, but again, I see
the advantages outweighing the disadvantages given that proper guidance and
direction are used in the creation of this tool. As with so many other options
for teaching, learning and developing in life as a whole, if balance is
properly applied instead of an ‘all or nothing’ approach.
And as this week has been largely focused, in the new media
at least, on the upcoming election, I thought it appropriate that the final
concept is that of ‘Democratic Schools and Classrooms’. The thought that the
book mentioned of how so often the students involved in the learning are the
last to be included in the learning process is somewhat of a ‘duh’ idea and yet
one that, by the same token, should be employed. It does seem fitting that if
our students are the ones we are trying to reach then they should be ‘in’ on
the process so that they share in ownership and are empowered to do their best.
Now clearly there would be some guidelines and curriculum requirements, but
where there are those ‘gray areas’ of ‘how to’ or other basic choices, give
students that ability. I would love to be in that minority the book mentions in
which teachers are taking the initiative to work with students’ input to run classrooms and are discovering ways to
allow this to function within the conventional school organization.
This chapter once again chocked full of exciting avenues to
learn methodologies and technologies to transform teaching into a truly a
twenty-first century adventure.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert,
Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park
(2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Woolf, R. (6 November,
2016). Portfolio, Chapter 11 Concept. Created with padlet.com https://padlet.com/rdwoolf527/23mux2h22aze
Woolf, R. (6 November, 2016). Democracy toon. Created with
use of ToonDoo.com. http://www.toondoo.com/privateView.toon?param=rr7XMLPHRxEOa8x3MzW0q1xqh5CXUB5E4iZIfWApw6V%2BFLb1J8dP0Q%3D%3D
Woolf, R. (6 November, 2016). Word Cloud. Created with use
of wordout.com. https://worditout.com/word-cloud/1927936/private/cd0a0bbbaa582481e578b6787643abe6
