Integrating podcasting into your classroom

Article on informal and formal assessments

Article found at http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4452

The CEC standard 8 Assessments states “Special educators conduct formal and informal assessment of behavior, learning, achievement, and environments to design learning experiences that support growth and development of individuals with exceptional learning needs”. Teachers use several ways to assess student achievement in academic areas. Teachers should document student performance and academic growth. One way to document a student’s academic areas is through informal assessment. Informal assessment are ways to evaluate a student’s performance by using test, quizzes, checklists, running records, portfolios, conferences, and learning logs. 

There are many positive and negative effects of informal assessment techniques in the classroom.  Informal assessments are used by the classroom teacher to keep track of the students’ in the classroom.  Informal assessments are made by the teacher to help with their planning for lessons or just to see where the student is academically. 

Positive effects of informal assessments are because they are not standardized they are based on the curriculum the teacher is teaching in the classroom, at the time of the informal assessment. Informal assessments are valued more than formal assessments because the teacher is the one who sees the student day to day, they can make a better judge of their performance. Teachers use informal techniques, such as observations, interviews, and evaluation of performance on exams, students work, and grades. These informal assessments are an ongoing evaluation of the instructional program. These are positive and often quick ways to evaluate student’s progress in the classroom. The techniques used are to provide a history of the student and summarize their information. 

Negative effects of informal assessments are the techniques used require full student participation which may become extremely time consuming and difficult. The techniques also tend to be subjective rather than objective. Students with disabilities may have a disadvantage in some of the informal assessment tasks. Teachers must be aware of the different informal assessment and must keep excellent records for each student.

Teachers use informal assessments to plan for upcoming lessons and to see what modifications should be made. Each student could be at a different level shown by the informal assessment given. The informal assessment documents the student’s progress and also provides the student’s current levels and performances.

21st Century

Langwitches Blog    

Our world is changing everyday with advances in technology. The classroom should grow and meet these advances. Children should be so excited about school that they can’t wait to get there. Students should be so engaged with learning that there are no longer discipline issues in the classroom. Most discipline issues come from students who are bored and find little or no “real” meaning for an education. Educators should teach students in a way that is relevant to the world. Using technology to educate students is a way for students to be engaged.  Integrating technology into lessons will leave students with enthusiasm and an excitement for school. Students will have a desire to work on projects, research.

Educators should make technology available to all students, and find ways to implement all forms of technology into the classroom. By teaching how to use technology, and using technology to teach, teachers can better prepare their students. Training teaching staff is the key to success in integrating technologies in education. Educational technology is used to support and enrich activities to help faculty and students benefit from new learning technologies.

Wikis in education

Wiki

Wikis are becoming a tool used in the classroom to engage students. Wikis can be used to collaborate with students in and outside the classroom. Teachers can use this tool to asses students’ knowledge about various subject areas. Wikis can be used for multiple different reasons “Examples of things that can be on a Wiki classroom webpage are calendar of events, newsletters, homework assignments, handouts, notes, science safety rules, classroom rules, power point presentations, pictures of students in class working on projects, and parent permission forms (Wetzel 2009)”.

Wikis can be used in the classroom for portfolios, teaching lessons and collaborating with others. Wikis can only be useful if used correctly. Teachers need to be creative to use wikis in the classroom. They need to be designed in a way that fits the class. Teachers need to allow students to be creative but teachers need to build the framework for students to work from.  

Outside edublog

I did some searching on a site that i liked and i found many inspirational blogs but i liked this one the most
http://k6educators.about.com/b/

I liked this blog the most because it was down to earth and extremely entertaining to read. She blogs about everyday issues in the classroom. Its ok to make mistakes in the classroom and she talks about it. She also gives ideas about lesson idea. She also talks about behavior plans for students and ways to implement positive ideas into the classroom.

Common Core State Standards

How does blogging and RSS fit into the Common Core State Standards? If you were an educational technology specialist working for a district, what would you recommend to an ELA Coordinator who is looking to re-align maps to the CCSS. What would you do to prepare teachers for the standards change scheduled for next year?

Teachers should learn to incorporate technology into the classroom. There are so many ways to implement technology into the classroom by using the internet for blogging and to enhance classroom instruction. Classrooms are using the smartboard and other internet technology to help fit the CCSS into the classrooms. 

The ELA standards  use technology more proficiently than ever before. Classrooms should utilize the internet as an essential part of producing and publishing writing by using Blogging. Teachers cab use group articles, newsletters.

Why Could blogging change , or not change, the traditional classroom

Blogging is changing the traditional classroom because classrooms are becoming more technology based. Students are now able to communicate on the internet in so many more ways. I was never able to communicate over the internet like this when I was in school. This would have made getting assignments easier. This would have also made my classroom more interactive with classmates and with parents. Communication in my opinion is the key to a successful classroom. Blogging is a great way for every to communicate. The KEY is to teach others how to use it . It is extremely intimidating in my point of view. I am still learning but the more I learn the more I want to interact with others on the internet using blogs. I can see my classmates and soo many other teachers points of view.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/jan/09/weblogs2

Just a great article i found