Assessing Meaningful Learning

There are so many ways that technology learning can be assessed and this week we learned about a few of those in class. I think that my favorite way of assessing learning is the rubric. The technology rubric allows students to have an idea of what is expected of them, and what kind of work qualifies for each grade level. The student easily knows that if they meet all the requirements under one level, they will get that grade, and etc. Students have a better idea why they got a certain grade from the teacher, with less confusion. Another form of assessment that we learned about is the clicker assessment tools. This type of tool is probably the most interactive compared to a grading rubric. Students can use the clicker to answer questions, and the information is then processed and can be reviewed by the teacher. This type of assessment is interactive for the learner, and a game like a quiz show can even be incorporated into the curriculum, making learning fun! I like this assessment because the results can be much more confidential for the student while still allowing the teacher to know if the student is grasping the concept. The last form of assessment is Kidspiration, and this is the most interactive of all. Kids can use the computer to create interesting and meaningful ways of strengthening their reading and writing skills.

So,  my reflection of this course so far? I have learned so many interesting and new things that can be used in my classroom! But above all, I have learned that I am not nearly as technically savvy as I thought I was. While I am more than adept at using technology, I can benefit from learning more. I think that this is the most important thing for me to remember as a teacher. Technology is always changing, and therefore I need to constantly prepare myself for this change by learning just as the students do. One of my favorite things about this class is how interactive it has been. I have learned that as a teacher, I can make learning much more interactive for students by incorporating technology. I love the idea of using voice threads to learn about other places on earth, cultures, as well as interacting with said cultures! Making a prezi was interesting, and I can see myself using that in the classroom. I honestly think that I would like to try to use all the technology I learned about this semester. Each technology application can only help me as a teacher to keep my students engaged, and provide a fun and stimulating learning environment.