Effective Grading

            The article that I chose to read and write on is Effective Grading Practices. The article discussed how most of the grading processes that are currently in effect in schools are ineffective and students are failing because of them. To reduce failures we need to challenge prevailing grading practices.

            One effective grading process that Reeves mentioned was that they provide accurate, specific and timely feedback that is designed to improve student performance (2008). With this, he explained that grades are only one type of feedback that is provided to students.

            One ineffective grading policy is the use of zeros for missing work. He reasoned that by using zero as punishment you are grading behavior and the appropriate punishment would be to finish the work on the students own time.

            A second ineffective grading policy was the practice of averaging scores from throughout the entire semester. This practice assumes that work from the beginning of the semester or year is as important as work that is completed at the end of the semester or year.

            The third ineffective policy discussed was the use of the “semester killer” which is the one test or project that will make or break student’s average (Reeves, 2008).

            Reeves outlined an experiment that involved a group of colleagues. He gave them a group of grades (including missing assignments) and asked them to calculate the average. The results that he got were from an F to an A. From this experiment it indicates that many failures are caused by differences in grading policies.

            Taking on a grading system is a very challenging leadership task but Reeves outlines that when grading policies improve discipline and morale almost always follow. Also if grading policies are changed and student failures are decreased not only does student behavior improve but faculty morale is better, the funding needed for students to take remedial or repeat course are reduced and resources that can be invested in electives and advanced courses can be increased.

            After reading this article I was shocked at how teachers grading practices can vary. After I had thought about my own experience in school I can understand better because all of my teachers dealt with missing assignments differently. The differences frustrated me because I was the type of student who completed everything on time but many of my classmates did not. To me it seemed there was no punishment for that, and in my head I thought they deserved a zero. After reading this article, and seeing how zero is not an effective punishment, and looking at the mathematical flaw of using zeros on a 100-point scale I realized that is not an effective grading practice. Instead I believe students should have to complete the assignment on their own time, like, for example during lunch.

            One other conclusion that I came too after reading this article is that it was difficult to take on an entire grading system but I can make a difference in my own class with my own grading system. I need to ensure that I am grading students’ work and not behavior. I can do this by making sure students complete the work assigned. I can also ensure that I limit the use of the ineffective grading policies that were mentioned in this article.

Reference:

Reeves, D. J. (2008). Effective Grading Practices. Educational Leadership, 65, 85-87. Retrieved January 21, 2010 

Multimedia in the Classroom!

            Wow it has been a couple weeks since I blogged but this week we had the exciting and interesting topic of multimedia in the classroom. The videoconference with the Royal Tyrrell Museum as well as all the readings blew my mind on all the different possibilities that exist of using this type of technology in a classroom. Gone are the days where we are isolated in a classroom. We now have the opportunity to bring the world into our class. Before our videoconference I had no idea of all the content providers that exist and how easy it is to have these programs be brought into our class. After the videoconference I went onto cilc.org and just browsed through all of the different programs that are available. This opened my eyes to all the different opportunities that we have for our students. We are no longer confined to the four walls of our class but can use video conferencing to explore the world. On cilc.org I did a quick search using the key word ‘culture’ and I came up with over 300 results. One of the results that came up was about exploring Ancient Egypt. When I clicked on this to look more about the program one of the things that students would be able to do was to analyze Egyptian art and objects, discuss the use of symbolism in Egyptian culture and learn about the two mummies in the museums collection. When I was a student we could have learned about this only through looking at books. Now we can have our students actually looking at the real art and discussing it with an expert of the subject. This format is more engaging and will help students learn and retain more of the information. I know from my own experience with the Royal Tyrrell Museum that I have retained so much more of the information because it was interesting and engaging.

            From the readings on the website one of the other projects that really caught my attention was ePals. Gone are the days of sitting down and writing a letter to a pen pal. With 21^st century learners the old format will not engage them. I explored the ePals website and was shocked at how easy it is to communicate with a school in a place that many of the students may never have heard of. This format really intrigued me. Looking at some of the projects that educators from all over the place have posted amazed me about how easy it is to interact with people from all over the world. This is something that students will be more engaged and interested in. By implementing these types of projects I think that it will get them excited to learn and excited to be at school. These types of projects will get students interacting with students from all over and it will provide many cross-curricular opportunities. We can teach students’ proper etiquette and protocol for communicating with others, we will teach them about online safety and broaden their horizons. The way the world is going students are going to be communicating with others online and we cannot turn a blind eye to this but must teach students about this very critical skill.

            Through the videoconference this week and all the readings my eyes were opened about all of the opportunities for bringing technology into the classroom. By looking at many of these options they are relatively low in cost and will engage students at a level that was never before possible. 

            

Web Awareness

Hello All!

            This week our assignment was all about web awareness. Before reading all the information and creating the concept map I knew we had to be careful of what was online but the information presented made me see it in a whole new light. I was taught early about web awareness but now I may have to teach my students about these issues. I need to inform myself of all the dangers out there, and there are many.

            One of the big issues that caught my attention was copyrighting and plagiarism. I know about these issues but throughout my schooling these were not stressed as much as should have been. I know that copy and pasting of websites was acceptable. We were never told to watch were the pictures we used came from. This is something that I need to be aware of and watch for and not allow in my classroom. I will need to educate students about the copyright law and what is and is not allowed.

            Another issue I need to be aware of is the authentic information on the web. I need to ensure that the websites that I use are authentic and reliable. I need to guarantee that my students know how to determine reliable and authentic information on the web. The checklists that were provided in the readings are a good place to start. 

Searching the net assignment.

This week our assignment was to select a grade and subject that we could see ourselves teaching and create an activity based on resources that we found on internet. During class we were given some hints on how to do an effective internet search which made the assignment that much easier.

Title of Activity

Cretaceous Crime Scene

Reference
Layton, J. (2010). How Crime Scene Investigation Works. Retrieved from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/csi.htm

Royal Tyrrell Museum. (2006). Cretaceous Crime Scene. Retrieved from: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/seccs/index.html

Grade Level

 Grade 6 Science Topic D: Evidence and Investigation

Description of activity

            The first website is a overview of what crime scene investigators do. It outlines the process. The second website is an interactive website that allows students to go on and complete an investigation. This activity can be used at the end of the unit to integrate everything they have learned. This is a comprehensive site that allows students to go on look at and analyze evidence, eliminate suspects and finally make an arrest. Students will have to record their observations as they go along and come up with a motive.

General Learner Expectations

6-8 Apply observation and inference skills to recognize and interpret patterns and to distinguish a specific pattern from a group of similar patterns.  

6-9 Apply knowledge of the properties and interactions of materials to the investigation and identification of a material sample.

Specific Learner Expectations

2. Observe a set of footprints, and infer the direction and speed of travel.

3. Recognize that evidence found at the scene of an activity may have unique characteristics that allow an investigator to make inferences about the participants and the nature of the activity, and give examples of how specific evidence may be used.

4. Investigate evidence and link it to a possible source; e.g., by:

classifying footprints, tire prints and soil samples from a variety of locations

analyzing the ink from different pens, using paper chromatography

analyzing handwriting samples to identify the handwriting of a specific person

comparing samples of fabric

    classifying fingerprints collected from a variety of surfaces.

List of the most relevant ICT outcomes

C.1 - Students will access, use and communicate information from a variety of technologies.

            2.1 access and retrieve appropriate information from the Internet by using a specific search path or from given uniform resource locations (URLs)

F.2 - Students will understand the role of technology as it applies to self, work and society.

2.2            identify the role technology plays in a variety of careers

Rationale for computer integration

            I have chosen this activity because it is interactive. The first website will allow students to get a sense of putting all the pieces of the unit together. After students have gone through what a real crime scene looks like they will be able to go onto the second website where they will complete an investigation. It will be fun and engaging and will allow students to use the knowledge they have gained during the unit. Students will be able to see some of what is needed when completing an investigation. They will look at the technology involved in being a crime scene analyst. This is a good website because it relates to dinosaurs and not a gruesome crime scene.

Effective Technology Integration for 21st Century Learners

Hey!

Again I am sitting here working on my blog after learning a great deal about presentations. Our topic this week was what is effective technology integration for 21^st century learners. For me there are a few main points in effective technology integration. They are appropriate technology use, technology that is easy to use, using technology to enhance learning, using a variety of techniques and using technology that is engaging and that supports curriculum

            Appropriate technology use is important in effective technology integration. Teachers must make sure that is appropriate for the students to use. It would not be appropriate to get a grade one student to use a blog. This is something that they are not familiar with and do not have the skills to use. It would not be beneficial or appropriate for them to use. It would be more appropriate to have a grade eleven class use a blog. This is something that the students have the skills to master.

            For technology integration to be effective it has to be easy to use. If it is not easy to use or easy to figure out students will get frustrated and not want to try. This is different than before. 21^st century learners are much more technology literate and have the skills to be able to figure new technology out. It must also not be too easy. If technology is too easy to use the students will also not want to try.

Effective technology integration is using technology to enhance student learning. It is important because when we are integrating technology we as teachers must make sure that the students will get something out of it. If the students can do something with a pen and paper why make them use technology. When integrating technology there must be a purpose. We cannot use technology just to use technology.

For technology integration to be effective it has to be engaging. 21^st century learners are used to a variety of technology. They are continually bombarded by it. For it to be effective in a class teachers must come up with new ways to keep the students engaged. This means that a teacher cannot use the same technique over and over again for every assignment. If a teacher has their students do PowerPoint over and over again they will get board with this and it will not be an effective use of technology.

A fifth way for technology integration to be effective is if the technology supports curriculum.  There is a lot a teacher must convey to students and to effectively integrate technology they must support the curriculum. Students may become more engaged with the material that is being presented if they are able to use technology. 21^st century learners like to use technology. They will learn more if they are able to use what they like and what they know to enhance what they have to learn.

To go along with this post part of our assignment was to create a presentation based on what is effective technology integration. So here is a link to my PowerPoint. Hope you enjoy!           

What is Effective Technology Integration for 21st Century Learners.

View more presentations from jess1394.

My First Post

Welcome! My name is Jessica and this is my first post on my first blog. I am a fourth year student taking a combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education with my major in General Science.

Before starting this class I barely even knew what a blog was and had not even thought of the possibilities of using one in a classroom. After reading the 21^st Century Skills website and the ICT outcomes I have come to realize how critical being able to integrate technology in a classroom is. On the Learn NC site it outlined some easy ways that blogs can be used in a classroom. As a teacher we can use a blog like an online syllabus where students and parents can access the blog to see where the class is. The teacher can also post links on this site for students to check out. By posting links that direct students to other web pages the students will have to critically evaluate the sources. The students will also be able to respond to a post with questions that they may have and communicate with other students in the class if they are having problems. All of these uses of a blog correspond to achieving specific outcomes like the C1, C3, C6, F4, P4, and P6 that are outlined in the ICT curriculum.  By exploring the uses of a blog I have come to see the many benefits of using a blog in a classroom setting.