#17 Student Choice: Student Assessment Portfolios

      One good practice that the administrators at MXR do is set aside time for all teachers to meet with their grade level and analyze data. During our data meetings, we discuss student data and make instructional decisions based on the data. It is very beneficial to look at the student results and analyze my instruction. The numbers provide black and white evidence of how students are progressing....or not progressing. Although the data is only one piece of the puzzle, it provides a good starting point for analyzing whether certain instructional strategies or materials are working.

    In keeping with the data-driven theme at MXR, two years ago I created a student data document in Word for my students to complete when they finish major benchmark tests such as DIBELS, STAR, and Scott Foresman unit tests. The students edit the data and get practice with entering data into cells on an excel-like document, and the results are automatically graphed for the students. Underneath each graph is a place for the students to write a goal for the next test. It serves as a great tool for short and long term planning, and students are given time and taught the skill of analyzing data to decide whether or not they are truly making progress. I've included some pictures of the document below. Feel free to share any data strategies you use with your kiddos!

The left side of the document is the graph that is created after students input the data on the excel-like spreadsheet on the right. As the students enter their data, we use words like cell, column, row, split screen, toolbar, etc. So, the students are introduced and become very familiar with those common computer terms.

    The picture above shows the goal sentence stems that I have my students fill out each time we update the graph. The graph above is for Scott Foresman, but there are two other graphs, one for DIBELS and the other for STAR, that the students complete.

    I really like the way the students are using their graphs and setting their goals. I think it is an important lesson for students to monitor their own progress and set benchmark goals for themselves throughout the year.

# 16: What do you do with old technology?

     Easy. Turn the hardware into chia pets.

Ok....maybe not your style, but this is a very legitimate question. Technology advances at dial-up, broadband, lightning speed, and it is inevitable that hardware is going to become outdated and useless in the classroom. Ehow suggests some ways to get rid of outdated personal technolgy, but schools need to be careful when "getting rid" of old technology.First, teachers need to try to find a creative use for the technology before exiling it from their room. For example, I found a couple of great uses for overhead projectors by looking on Pinterest. Some teachers are using them for handwriting centers, fluency practice, or as a math station. When the technology does need to leave the classroom or school, administrators need to contact their computer services department for proper procudures and protocol for getting old technology out of classrooms and schools.  At my school, before any device can be relocated, a fixed asset form must be filled out and signed by an administrator. Since we are a Title 1 school, all devices purchased with Title 1 funds HAVE to labeled and their located monitored. From an adminstrative standpoint, it does make me think of what an overwhelming task it is to monitor the movement of all the technology in the school, especially if the school is large. Glad I don't have to do that.....yet.

#15: Student Choice: Still Lovin' Linot

      A couple of weeks ago, I shared a Linoit board my students created. In the post, I promised to show you my second attempt at Linoit. The students are not done posting on it, but I wanted to go ahead and share it.

    The students watched a short you tube video about the Sugihara story. I was able to embed the video right onto the Linoit board for easy, quick access during class. The cool thing about the video is that it was a documentary about our reading story, Passage to Freedom. The coolest thing about watching the video was observing the students' faces and reactions when they saw the real people on the video. They frantically flipped in their reading book to find the illustrations of the people in the text. They were amazed that they were seeing the illustrated people from their book in real life!  So cool!

   After we watched and discussed the video, I explained the directions to the students and modeled a response. Then, as students rotated through their centers, they created their sticky note. What I love about Linoit is that students can read each other's responses. It reminds me of the gallery walks that we as teachers do after we have all commented about a prompt on chart paper at professional development workshops......except it's cooler. So far, the students have given interesting responses. I can't wait to see what everyone else says.

#14: Helpful Website in the Classroom: Class Dojo

     Over the summer, Haley gave us a sheet of cool web tools, and one of them was classdojo.com. This website is awesome! The first reason I love it is because it literally took a total of 10 minutes for me to get all four of my classes set up, including registering and entering all of my students' names. The creators of this website must have focused on user/teacher friendliness because I've rarely had this easy of an experience getting signed up and set up. Secondly, it allows me to EASILY monitor class participation, partner work and independent activities occurring while I'm in a small group, and transition times like switching classes and packing up. Students in all of my classes know I'm always watching and I can give or take away a point from anywhere in the room! I typically use my SMART Slate when I'm walking around the room or working with a group at my small group table. The Slate is a portable device that uses bluetooth to sync to my SMARTBoard. It allows me write, modify, open new documents, or in this case, monitor behavior in my class by simply moving the pen around on the blank "slate". Here is a picture of the SMART Slate.

 

    I've been using Classdojo for the past several weeks, and the students love it! (Primarily because they have the choice of assigning themselves funky avatars...then they all laugh at each other's icon...silly kids.) I use it first thing in the morning to take attendance with my homeroom and every other class. (Attendance screen pictured below.) The students love getting to use the SMARTBoard to click on their name, and it allows me, a very visual person, to quickly check and take attendance.

 



 

 

 

Then during class, I award or take away points from students. Another cool feature about classdojo is you can modify the positive/negative awards to create a custom library of choices. For example, our students have a behavior calendar that travels with them to all classes. On the calendar are certain codes we write, such as NFD (not following directions), or NP (not prepared). These are not standard options for the rewards on classdojo, but I can easily add new options so points are added for the appropriate reward/consequence that is on the students behavior calendar.

 



 

 

   Yet another helpful feature are the behavior reports you can print out to give to parents or keep on file. Reports are quickly generated and available for teachers to print as a hard copy, or email the report to the parents. All of the points, both positive and negative, are shown on the report. Besides the student behavior calendars, I'm thinking about printing the reports to use during parent teacher conferences to discuss class participation.

 

    Last, but not least....yes, "there is an app for that". Class dojo is also available as an app for your iPad or iPhone, which has come in handy when the wireless is down at school. I just whip out my phone (sorry computer services) and resume adding or taking away points without missing a beat. 

 

 

 

 

 

#13- Student Choice-  10 Teacher Facts That Will Make You Proud

  Ok, maybe we don't ALWAYS fee like a super teacher. Recently, after a few hard, busy weeks, I needed a teacher pick me up. This job can really drain you mentally and emotionally....and let's all be honest, financially, if you're not careful, and unfortunately, I had several nights of being drained. So, I started in search of validation for my efforts, late nights, and caffeine addiction. I came across this website with "10 Teacher Facts That Will Make You Proud".  The facts are the result of data compiled from 10,000 public school teachers that participated in a survey for Primary Sources, a joint publication effort between Scholastic and Bill and Melinda Gates. Take a look for yourself....go ahead, feel validated!

http://www.teachhub.com/teacher-facts

1. Teachers aren't passing the buck.

2. Teachers are working just as hard as everyone else. (No duh.)

3. Teachers said that tenure should not protect ineffective teachers.

4. Teachers aren't hanging around gossiping in the teacher's lounge. (What is a teacher's lounge? We only have a copy room....)

5. Teachers aren't opposed to standardized testing. Teachers just think there are better ways to assess student learning.

6. Teachers worry about basing so much on tests that students don't take all that seriously.

7. Teachers aren't afraid of evaluations.

8. Teacher's believe that our teaching skills will teach for themselves. (Boo-yah.)

9. Teachers see our students coming to us with more challenges than before. (AMEN.)

10. Teachers aren't in this profession for the money.

#12- How would you approach resistance by teachers to use technology in the classroom?

     First and foremost, I think administrators have to face reality that 100% buy-in does not take place immediately when presenting new technology to a faculty, especially when most faculties are comprised of a mixture of digital immigrants and digital natives. I think a lot of teacher resistance comes from how the technology and expectations for use are delivered, amount of professional development offered before the technology arrives, and the support given to teachers after the technology has started being used in the classroom.

   
     While researching this topic and possible strategies for combating resistance, I came across an excellent article in THE Journal entitled "Resistance is Futile", and I couldn't agree more.

Source: http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/03/01/Resistance-is-Futile.aspx?Page=1

Key Ideas:

• "According to Education Market Research, spending on technology products for education is expected to increase 8 percent, to an estimated $8.1 billion for the 2010-2011 school year, from an estimated $7.5 billion for the 2008-2009 school year."
• Significance?-Technology isn't going away, so teacher resistance,therefore, is pointless. It is here to stay...and advance for that matter.
• With many teachers, the way a technology is introduced into the academic environment can mean the difference between adoption and abandonment. If teachers believe they are being forced into using it, they will resist, especially if you don't show them what value it will bring to their classroom.
• "It all starts with how you communicate with teachers," says Barbara Dunn, vice president of the Remediation and Training Institute in Alexandria, VA. "You can position technology as, 'This is what it does,' etc., and that's fine, but when you say, 'You must use it,' that's where the resistance comes. And when you impose a deadline, it becomes another compliance thing rather than a way to enhance learning."
• I second that! At my school two years ago, we received SMARTBoards, student response systems, slates, and Elmos all within 6 months of each other. Although we were excited, a gradual introduction in to the technology would have proven to be more effective.
• "It takes time to learn new tools and software, and with everything else teachers are asked to do, technology integration is often last on the list," she says. "Some teachers still feel teaching is a craft. The old method is the way they've done it for 20 years. Why change now?"
• Teaching is a craft, but the craft is changing to incorporate technology. Administrators need to be sure to tell teachers that technology is not replacing quality teacher, but rather, enhancing the delivery and assessment of it.
• Lake Washington now offers a stipend to teachers who take classes on using Promethean's interactive whiteboard, the Activboard, a tool they've had in their classrooms for two years but weren't using beyond its simple projection capabilities.
• Sign me up for more money!!
• Sound familiar in any classrooms at your school?!

Strategies to address resistance:

• One way not to scare teachers off is to allow them to learn a technology gradually.- THE Journal
• Strategic and ongoing, post-introduction professional development
• When all else fails, districts can offer their teachers incentives for learning and adopting the technology. - THE Journal
• The key, New York City's Azoulay-Lewin advises, is to let the excitement of the small cohort of early adopters spread.- THE Journal
• Introduce the new technology to a group of enthusiastic, trained teachers that have had the appropriate professional devleopment necessary to make the implementation successful. They later can become peer coaches/teacher leaders across grade levels and "crack" open the tough, resistant teachers to the new technology.
• Fire anyone who doesn't want to use the technology......Ok, this one is a lie. I just wanted to see if you were reading this entire post.

Final Thought:
     Teachers are like pistachios...Some are open to use new types of technology in their instruction, while others take a little more time and effort to crack open. And some, well, some never crack open no matter what strategy you use. :)

#11- Student Choice- Character Trait Wordles

   I've known about word clouds and Wordle for a couple of years now, but I never got around to using them in my classroom until this year. I know vision in hindsight is 20/20, but I don't know why I didn't try using them before. My students did a fantastic job, and were able to make beautiful wordles! We finished up Unit 1 of our reading series two weeks ago, so I took the students down to the computer lab to make a wordle about a character from Unit 1. One of our comprehension skills we focused on was character and how you can assign characters a trait based on their words, actions, how others treat them, etc. Before we went to the computer lab, I had students complete the graphic organize below by assigning the character 5 traits (They used a character trait keeper sheet from read, write, think.) and finding evidence in the text that supports the character trait assigned.

   Once the students completed the graphic organizer and after I modeled Wordle by making one the classroom, we went down to the computer lab for students to begin creating their own. I was a little hesitant to let the students use the advanced tab like we did in class, but my students caught right on and were Wordle pros! Below is an example of a Wordle created by Stephanie.

   I differentiated the assignment by having my two higher reading groups list seven character traits, and the below level group list five traits. I know what you're thinking...how are you going to grade it? For assignments like these, I typically type up a rubric and attach the rubric to the paper once I've graded it.

     Overall, it was a fun assignment for the students and me. The students have already asked me when we are going to create another one! My only complaint about the Wordle website is there is no search option in the gallery, so retrieving my student's Wordles when I needed to print them in color at home (yeah...teacher's use their own printers and ink...surprise of the century...) was time consuming. Next time, I will have the students copy and paste their wordle link to a wiki before leaving the computer lab so I don't have to sift through hundreds or Wordles. :)

#10- What principles should guide your approach for integrating technology into instruction?

     As a school administrator, one is responsible for the integration of available and/or new software and technology in the school.  This can be an overwhelming task since technology is ever advancing, and administrators don't always have 100% "buy-in" from the faculty. Therefore, it is important for administrators to strategically research what technologies are needed and wanted by the faculty in the school, collaborate with other instructional leaders in the school, including teachers, and outside resources (experts) that can provide professional development training BEFORE the technology is expected to be integrated, and putting thoughtful consideration into how and when assessment of the use of technology in instruction will be completed. Most importantly, I think principals need to be visible in the classrooms to evaluate the use of technology in order to assess the success of its implementation, gauge teacher's level of skill with the technology to plan further professional development, and assess students' active role and participation.
   
    As I was researching this question, I came across the site below on Maryland's teacher technology standards website. Although it applies to teachers, I think there are several key points that are applicable to school administrators also.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/technology/techstandards/standard5.shtm
source: Montgomery County Public Schools- Rockville, MD

Assess student's learning/instructional needs to identify the appropriate technology for instruction           -Compare and contrast technology to determine the most suitable type -Facilitate use of a wide array of technologies in the classroom Evaluate technology materials and media to determine their most appropriate instructional use   -Work with the school Media Specialist and/or other faculty resources to determine appropriate materials   -Explore proprietary online resources provided by the school or school system
Select and apply research-based practices for integrating technology into instruction   -Utilize research-based practices for improving instruction     -Access online resources and databases to support research activities Use appropriate instructional strategies for integrating technology into instruction   -Employ knowledge obtained from technology training courses -Collaborate with colleagues to understand effective methods of instruction Select and use appropriate technology to support content-specific student learning outcomes   -Establish bookmarks of appropriate web sites   -Enable students to explore appropriate content resources Develop an appropriate assessment for measuring student outcomes through the use of technology   -Create rubrics to evaluate student understanding   -Consider the use of online assessment tools Manage a technology-enhanced environment to maximize student learning   -Integrate technology and content with teaching and learning theories -Evaluate the effectiveness of technology use in the classroom setting

#9- Student Choice: Lovin' Linoit

     I recently used Linoit in my classroom to complete a question related to our reading story. Typically, I have students write a response on a sticky note, and he/she posts the sticky note on a graphic organizer or chart paper I've made. The chart stays up during the week so we can refer back to it, however my afternoons before discovering Linoit were spent taping sticky notes back up to the chart paper. (Yes, even the super sticky ones...and no, I didn't have the heart to throw them away.) So....now that Linoit has come into my life, I no longer spend my post-dismissal time in search of fallen sticky notes. This seems like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.....

Here is a picture of my students' responses to our reading question. The four colors represent the four reading group in my class. Since I am a very visual person, this just allowed me to quickly assess who had not answered the introductory question. The students came up to the SMARTBoard during one of their Daily 5 activites, and used the keyboard on the SMARTBoard to type their sticky note. All it took was a quick model for the students and they caught on immediately. Next time I used it, I want to post a video for the students to watch and respond to on sticky notes. Our story this upcoming week has a great video that interviews the actual characters from the passage. My plan is to watch the video together,then have the students compose one question they still have and a response from the video on a sticky note during small group rotations. I'll let you know how it goes. :)


How do people show kindess?

#8- How can technology affect the learning process?






As more technology infiltrates our classrooms and student's desks, it's crucial to evaluate the effects, both positive and negative, that it has on the learning process. I think most teachers would agree that the students that pass through the classroom doors are different from students of any other generation, primarily due to the digital age they have grown up in. While researching this question, I came across this interesting article that focuses on the effects technology has on the classroom and students.


http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

The article highlights the following effects:
1. Change in student and teacher roles- Students take on an active role in the learning process, as opposed to a passive role in years past. Also, the teacher is no longer the "center of attention" and "dispenser" of information, but rather a facilitator. This is obvious by stepping into any 21st Century classroom. The teacher's desk is not front and center. In fact, many teachers have since departed with their bulky desks, and traded it for a slim, sleek setup that allows use of their Elmo and laptop computer. Furthermore, the new "digital age" desk is not front and center in the classroom. It tends to be set up further back in the classroom, which allows students to sit in the front of the room.
2. Increased motivation and self-esteem- Technology serves a motivator for students to focus and increase interest in a learning topic, and it also motivates students in specific subject areas such as written or compuational skills. Students become motivated by project-based learning projects that incorporate technology, and allow teachers to take on a backseat role of facilitating students.
3. Technical Skills- The more students work with software to complete classroom projects or lesson assignments, the more comfortable they become with basic and advanced technical skills. Although the current software will be outdated when they enter the workforce, the foundational skills will have been established, allowing students to build upon their exisiting skills.
4. Accomplishment of more complex tasks- Technology can provide support for students to use more higher order thinking skills, and therefore, complete more complex tasks and projects.
5. More collaboration with peers- Students take on peer tutor roles, and technology sparks discussion and peer analysis. The article didn't mention this because it is was written long before Skype and other video communication opportunities, but communication also increases among students and teachers across the world through these different software programs.
6. Increased use of outside resources- This article was interesting because it referenced telecommunication, email, and downloadeing graphics. All of these were considered "outside resources" years ago, however, students now have the world at the finger tips, so using outside resources to find needed information is just a click away.
7. Improved design skills/attention to audience- It is no secret that students complete better quality work when they know they have an authentic audience. Technology allows a plethera of opportunities for students to write for a real audience. This can be as simple as posting on a blog, or posting authentic writing samples, project videos,or other technology projects online for real audiences to read. Instead of students only seeing their work on the wall inside or outside of the classroom, students can show their work to the public; therefore, making the assignment and learning topic more genuine.

As with many discussions or writing pieces I complete about technology, I think it is always important to remember that with all of the positive effects technology is having on students, the learning process, and student achievement, it's crucial to remember that technology enhances quality instruction delivered by quality educators. Students learned 50 years ago without the technological capabilities we have today, but students today have the unique opportunity to have their education enhanced; however, technology, apps, and iPads do not comprise the curriculum.

#7: Student Choice- Teachers Are People

Teachers Are People

     I came across this funny Disney video from 1952 entitled "Teachers are People". Although it is from 1952, there are several relevant scenes and themes still found in today's schools. I think we have all had a "George" or two in our class. One of my favorite parts of the video is the last scene that shows Goofy sitting at his desk with piles of paperwork around him. That seems all too familiar these days....RtI, IEPs, lesson plans, grades, newsletters, PLPs, etc....

    Considering this class is about technology, I find it necessary to comment on Goofy's "best practices with technology"..(or lack there of)..and the direct correlation to his students' active engagement and participation. Since this video was made in 1952, Goofy could only utilize his classroom map and give a "lecture" type of instruction to "engage" his students. I wonder what effect a SMARTBoard in Goofy's class would've had on the level of student engagement....

Watch and enjoy. :)

See anything you can relate to? What was your favorite part of the video?