El fin- Chapter 10

Assessment tools that organize data are an amazing resource for teachers, allowing them to keep track of the learning needs of the 20+ students they will have in their classrooms every year. I love the idea of an e-portfolio because it allows teachers to have something to reference when considering whether or not students have accomplished an intended learning outcome. Portfolios allow teachers to rely on something tangible (even if it is through the computer) as apposed to the "observations" that seem to be the new alternative to standardized or traditional testing. Observations are a fine way to monitor student progress, but it seems improbable that a single teacher in a classroom can accurately observe 20+ students at a time and do a thorough job. This is where technology gets to do something that it is great at: organizing large amounts of data. Teachers can look at this data to draw conclusions, and these conclusions will be valuable for teaching and learning.
The first time I saw clickers was in this EME class, and I was excited by the prospect. What a great potential solution for all the students who do not like to speak up in discussions, for insuring anonymity in pre-testing, and for generating large quanities of current data in a matter of seconds! The book said that there was no research suggesting that it improved learning, but from where I am sitting it certainly isn't going to hurt learning. I think clickers are a fabulous idea, especially in a college setting. As far as using them with youngest students, particularly kindergartners and first graders, I see no better way to familiarize them with the more intricate and fragile technologies they will be using in the future; clickers are simple and don't appear to be as fragile as something like a laptop or digital camera.
Rubrics are important, and I do not see the harm in using a pre-generated one as long as you are wise enough to make it fit with your desired outcomes. Making your own can also be more efficient than one would initially think if you consider that you will probably reuse the same rubric (or similar if you decide to adapt it) for many years, so long as your curriculum is not drastically changing.
CAT- Computerized adaptive testing- technologies seem too good to be true, and yet they exist. Why wouldn't we want a test than can use logic? Any test that can take previous answers and modify itself accordingly is a test that I would love to use with my inevitably diverse student population.
Overall, assessment is important whether or not you do it with technology or on paper. However, in keeping with the theme of the textbook, why not use the tools that will greatly enhance the way we teach and measure learning? It seems foolish, and backwards, not to.
I say, bring on the clickers and CAT technologies. Anything that could (and most likely will) help improve the education of students seems like a great idea to me.

It ain't easy, sharing visualizations...

It is extremely difficult to describe a visualization. It is even more difficult for another person to comprehend the description fully, especially if the description is lacking appropriate detail. Since humans cannot show off an exact picture of whats going on in their minds, the pressure falls on words to communicate those ideas. This is especially relevant for children, who often have many creative and insightful ideas but lack the vocabulary to express them. This is where visualization tools can be of real assistance: giving children a way to express the vivid pictures that they have in their minds. Though expressive visualization is the one most commonly thought of pertaining to children (coloring, painting), interpretive tools could be of real benefit as students move up in grades and in content and need to find ways to clarify difficult-to-understand ideas.

There are tools available that will greatly help students with this process, and some are so obvious! Allowing children to convey their ideas through videos or through digital pictures will not only allow them to express what they are visualizing, but it will truly help build their confidence, as the chapter suggests. Also, students will learn a lot about editing and about producing a quality finished product.

The mapping and math sections were my favorite, because though I have always been interested in mapping and geography it never occurred to me extend this knowledge past google earth. I explored terraserver.com and it had a scrolling list on the left hand side of the page that listed landmarks, which was so neat. Students who aren't privileged enough to travel can explore any place that has an address through sites like this, expanding their horizons as well as giving them a visual reference point when these places are being discussed in class.

As far as the math section was concerned, It felt familiar because I are accustomed to seeing graphs as visual representations of data. I like that it noted it because though it is more familiar than some of the other visualization tools, like the ones that portray chemistry for example, it is still one of the most important forms of visual representation in the classroom that I can think of.

Chapter 8

This chapter was full of information that I never encountered before. I always associated design with "interior" design or more artistic subjects. I never learned or gave much thought to CAD (computer aided design) programs or how engineering could be included in the classroom.

However, after reading about it it makes a lot of sense that things like pro/desktop be explored in the classroom. Perhaps if I had explored a program like this I wouldn't be as spatially challenged as I am! I think for any kid to really hone their design skills they need to design. Since technology is taking precedence in the classroom and in the world, CAD softwares are going to become more important than ever as more jobs will require an understanding of how to use them.

A small note: I love how pro/desktop gives students feedback when their designs are impossibly structured. Thats how kids will learn the fundamentals of mechanical design.

I was especially interested in the simulations section when it discussed the construction of a trebuchet catapult. When I was in eighth grade I had to build a catapult and we were not required to do anything but draw a 2d picture (without dimensions listed) before building them on our own. I cannot explain in words how many different failed attempts we went through before getting a working catapult. We went through so many designs and we could not locate where the problem was. If only we had used a simulation program! I highly doubt that any students today would get it right on their first try, so without simulations this project will keep resulting in a lot of effort and supplies going to waste. This project is far more effective when students recognize patterns in their mistakes and learn to correct them, as the chapter suggests.

Scratch is obviously a design-tool gem that can be used for any subject. It also helps kids get comfortable with designing. This is probably the most versatile and applicable design tool for the elementary grades.

Music class is often the most exciting time in a students day- why not combine this beloved subject with a constructivist design tool like impromptu so that students are learning the most that they possibly can? Impromptu looks amazing, like Scratch but with a set subject in mind (music). They were both designed by MIT and are both equally valuable tools.

Notes

*Use itunes to download free podcasts

Communication- Chapter 7

This chapter was very easy to digest. I was especially interested in the section on video conferencing with professionals in different fields. I love how NASA is engaging students and teaching them about the ever-changing world of space exploration.

Asking children to make podcasts seems like a good way to have them demonstrate concept mastery. It would also, as the chapter says, be a good way for children to practice public speaking which is a very valuable skill to posses.

I wonder about how easily these things could be incorporated into the primary-grade classroom. Is it reasonable to assume a kindergartner class could handle videoconferencing as a group? Behavior issues would likely arise, considering how distractible five and six-year olds are.

Communication and the ability to globally interact cannot be underrated. I'm glad, though, that the end of the chapter gave a caveat: Technology does not strive to replace face-to-face interactions; a healthy amount of both would be ideal.

I loved how one of the communication sites even goes as far as to translate text into another language before sending it (if thats what you request of course). How amazing!

I'd be pleased to incorporate podcasting, instant and asynchronous messaging, and conferencing tools like skype into my classroom. I want to be technologically relevant. However, if I teach a younger grade level, I think that it will be a challenge for me to remember to incorporate technology. Sometimes the things that younger students are taught just don't seem as conducive to podcasting or message posting.

Overall, this chapter was a quick and easy read. It brought up a lot of the same points as the chapter before it that introduced Tapped In and The Knowledge Forum. I did appreciate how they posted tips for teachers in regards to facilitating quality forum postings. Those were helpful and thought provoking.

Community (and not the new show in NBC)

Terms I learned from this section:

Dialectic: a philosophical concept that recognizes that there can not be a right answer when two ideas conflict- rather, both should be acknowledged and a new idea should be created that rises above the divergent ideas. *

*I would have liked to have seen an example of this in the text.

The first section about knowledge forums left me wondering one thing: is everything students study in schools conducive to inquiry? So many things that we are told are simply accepted as fact; besides science, I cannot think of another subject where the word "inquiry" is even mentioned. I would say this fact supports the author's claim that traditional schooling requires students to simply demonstrate knowledge, while teachers "hoard all the wisdom and expertise". I felt that it was particularly interesting and apt when the author referred to written assignments as "one way monologues that [do not leave opportunities] for questioning from an audience. Knowledge forums seem very applicable to the classroom when children are actively engaged in an inquiry or working towards an end goal or justification. It is just a shame that more subjects aren't treated as opportunities for inquiry. This is especially true of math. What if a math teacher had students build a knowledge forum discussing a math problem? That would certainly be an interesting thing to see.

They say a writers work is never done, and it appears that through the use of knowledge forums a student's work may never be done either. It can always be improved upon or rejected by a peer, so long as they can justify their reasoning.

I adored the section on wikis- It really extended my thinking on how wikis can be used to demonstrate content learned. I especially liked the teacher who had his student's make a faux-wikipedia to demonstrate what they learned in AP History. How clever! Wikis are an amazing way for humans to use each other as a resource. In the wiki-world, there is no hierarchy of importance. Everyone can contribute equally! A scary thought, but as the author points out that just means that the more authors there are, the more that these authors and their readers can keep each other in check. So long as there are enough intelligent people out there cruising the wikis, we should be okay as far as information validity is concerned.

Learning circles seem like another great way to get students collaborating. To complete a task through use of a learning circle takes extreme teamwork. That is something that kids couldn't even pretend to fake. These kinds of things require students 100 % best.

And, of course, any opportunity for students to communicate with others or learn from others from different geographical locations, whether it be from a blogging expert reporting on climate change or a network of students from Europe, is a wonderful way for students to broaden their horizons in ways that would not be possible without technology (or travel of course).

Kudos to the author for including all of the great resources for novice and experienced teachers. Tapped in seems like an awesome and interactive place for teachers who want to step out of isolation and into a community of people who share their interests and needs. It even has a place for students! Teacher talk seems like a more basic way for teachers to chat about things that are relevant to them. It must be refreshing to talk to someone who has the same purpose that you do, that being to better yourself as an educator (or maybe just to better the education system). I'm sure the spouses of teachers appreciate this too... they surely get sick of hearing about whether or not grading is effective or why standards might just be pointless!

Chapter 5 and all of the confusion that it entailed

This chapter explored the idea of Mindtools and how models can enhance student learning. Presenting knowledge through any of the model types would require a deep understanding of the concept a student is attempting to display. Mindtools are relatively difficult to create because they require attention to detail, which is something that many students are not willing to offer a concept. Some concepts were familiar, such as the idea of a database. Databases have been around, on paper at least, since I was a child so it was interesting to read about it as a Mindtool. At the end of the day, however, it is just that: an organizational system that copies the natural grouping tendencies displayed by the human brain. Humans like things systematic, organized, and accessible. This is why it was relevant that this chapter discussed humans doing the jobs that we have as of late assigned to computers: defining how things should be organized. Things like databases only work if humans set the parameters that they are comfortable with; for example a database that access information based on client's last names will work for one human but would be a poor organizational tool for another. Humans should use computer's and their capabilities, but they should still be in control so that computers are meeting their needs and not the other way around.

Chapter 5 left me with a few questions, but most of them were not directly related to the concept of Mindtools. Rather, I was left wondering if learning about "systems" was something I missed along the way, because even the system that was made by middle school students as a sample system organizer (of the cardiovascular system) left me feeling as though I had missed something in school. What were the bars below the images? All of the little icons confused me in the systems section of the organizers.

Otherwise, the four types of models described made sense. They all seemed like effective ways for students to demonstrate mastery of knowledge, concepts and the like. My particular favorite was the idea that a student could create a master series. The student has to create the questions that model how the human mind thinks through a problem to solve it. The example in the book related to moles, a chemistry concept that I never fully understood in high school. Had I been forced to create the steps to correctly identify and solve a molar problem I'm sure that I would have had a lasting understanding of when and how to use the procedure.