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