Course
  Description
          


  Reflection

                           Technology and Assessment

Learn how to assess specific types of knowledge, using technology to enhance the process. Explore innovative tools and means of assessment that help teachers individualize and differentiate instruction to improve learning. Develop technology-enhanced assessments of student learning.

My major "take away" from this course is an increased awareness that I should be documenting my students' work in detail and in a presentation format, such as an electronic portfolio. In the past, I have only asked them to save their files/projects that they wished to keep and then burned them to a CD or DVD when the year ends. It would require more work for me to make a project out of a portfolio, but the students would benefit throughout the year if they knew all of their work had a home at which to belong. So, this is an activity project that I need to implement to further their learning. Also, creating student portfolios and then reviewing them with the students would allow me to see their assessment of the activities I presented to them. If they really gained learning from a particular project, I would see that more clearly by what they chose as the most important works. By creating portfolios not only would the students benefit from an year-long assessment or reflection of their learning, but the creation of student portfolios would also serve as an assessment of my teaching.

The culminating project work was to "design a performance assessment that determines students’ deep understanding represented through meaningful use of technology." I created a performance assessment with seventh and eighth grade students using video production to increase their skills in the interview process with the peer group and adults.

I learned that for technology to work best as assessment, communication digital tools offer terrific, reflective formats. For instance, HTML interactive assessments such as Hot Potatoes are good, but no different than our standardized testing; they're traditional, not reflective, activities. Using discussion boards, student response systems (clickers), voicethreads, concept mapping, and other communication media allows for more authentic, metacognitive learning. All of these formats can be linked to the educational standards that are in place for both traditional curriculum and technology. They bridge traditional to digital learning and allow us differentiated learning strategies measured for success.

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