Because this class is based on technology, I am always intrigued to read about the neat technology tools that are provided as extras in the text. These make me excited about becoming a teacher and incorporating technology into my lesson plans. In chapter 4 of the text Transforming Learning with New Technologies there is an interesting “Tech Tool” article found on page 80 titled “Web Resources and Apps for Lesson Planning” (Maloy…). I am so interested in these types of things because the web, for one, is an awesome place to go to find resources to use during teaching. There are millions on top of millions of different ways to teach lessons, different ideas and projects to incorporate, etc. The web tools and apps listed in this article provide things like pre-planned lessons, games, activities, videos, and professional development opportunities. I am excited to use apps such as “My Lesson Plan” and “Math Ref Free” that can benefit myself and my students.
Something else I found interesting in this week’s reading was the section titled “Assessing and Evaluating Students” (Maloy… 83). The reason I find this interesting is because there is such a broad definition of assessing students and almost every individual teacher looks at this subject differently. The text states “No single definition precisely explains the concepts of evaluation and assessment.” (Maloy… 83). This is interesting to me because it makes me wonder if certain students would perform better or worse depending on the way the teacher is assessing and evaluating their work. Everyone has their own way of looking at things, the same goes for teachers when deciding how to choose what performance level each student achieves.
To follow up with assessment and evaluation, there is a “Tech Tool” article titled “Web Resources and Apps for Student Assessment” listed on page 87 (Maloy…). This article explains web resources like Rubistar and Quizstar that can provide different ways, other than the teacher’s own, of assessing students and grading them on their work. There are also some neat apps that can be used such as Grade Pad that assesses students as they work, Essay Grader that helps provide students with preset feedback but also gives the option for the teacher to add his/her own, and eClicker that allows students’ progress and understanding to be monitored individually. I believe these are some great resources that can help when evaluating student achievement and I am excited to learn more about them.
Sources:
Maloy, R., O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
www.voki.com
Love your Voki and yes, get excited about technology! :) Vokis are a great way to get students attention and students love to create them as well. Imagine a lesson on the environment where students create their avatar and background to depict the relevance of the topic and then share their knowledge through that 'voice'. There are so many creative ways to use Voki and students really like the 'fun' nature of it.
ReplyDeleteTeachers lives are extremely busy and so any app that makes lesson planning more efficient would be valued. This is an area, though, that is sometimes 'standardized' for teachers and so the apps would need to have a fair amount of individualization. It IS exciting to think about how technology can help teachers become more productive as well as creative in their instruction.