Part 1: Assessment Technology
Assessment Technology
The assessment tool that I choose was Kahootit! . You will need a computer to view the assessment and a hand held wifi device, like an iPod, cell phone or tablet for choosing your answers. On the handheld device, use the browser provided and go to kahoot.it. After your computer browser shows you your code to input on your handheld device, launch the test. From there pick your answer to each choice with your handheld device, each question is timed at thirty seconds for each answer. Each choice is a colored shape, to make this simple for any grade. This is a tool that could work in classrooms to see general class knowledge, a whole class could do it at the same time provided that the school bandwith can support such an activity. Using a tool like this would be helpful in finding out the summative assessment before starting on new classroom work to help divide the class into smaller groups according to the knowledge base shown about the information shared.
The California Gold Rush Answer Key 1. Sutter’s Mill Coloma, California 2. James Wilson Marshall 3. 49’ers 4. 20, 000 5. Two options can be selected, By Covered Wagon and A six month trip by ship 6. All four options can be selected, Chinese, French, German and Irish 7. Foreign Miners Tax 8. John Sutter 9. Settlements 10. Panama Transcontinental Railroad 11. Pots or utensils 12. 81 million Part 2: Blog Post Introduction: Utilizing software to support assessment is important, not because it is easier but because it can make the overall testing experience exciting for students. Instead of dreading and upcoming test students know this can be relatively painless, bubbles are not staring at you waiting to be filled in with the correct answer. Instead you use an internet capable device, that is more interactive and though provoking. Some portions of these tests even include project based group work, which encourages students to work together. What technology can do for students and teachers is give back almost instant feedback to both parties on the strength of their knowledge content. Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning Technology can facilitate an easier relationship between teacher and students by letting technology be the bridge. Technology can be used to enhance learning for students, even in an assessment. Approaching an assessment with the idea of “What do I need to work on” mentality can only strengthen what kind of information a student can learn, even more important with technology as the platform, feedback in some cases can come back to students and teachers instantaneously. Teachers will find that some students desire this result more so than what they anticipate from students (LinkIt!) This software is available to schools across the United States to help with whole class or individual testing for student learning. This can be used in the beginning of a school year to assess what knowledge a student retained over the summer or at the end of the school year to assess how much as student learned over the course of a year. “With both paper and online administration options, these assessments can be adapted to meet a wide variety of needs and use cases where capturing relevant data in real-time is of paramount importance.(LinkIt!, 2012)” What can be applied to this type of testing is “One perspective is of the formative/educative process – learning from the feedback information provided by an assessment process. Another perspective focuses on formative results for instructional adaptation – the decision to make improvements based on an interpretation of evidence from assessment.(Webb et al, 2013).” (Scantron) Scantron by edperformance is another good option for school, teachers and students where the option to get assessment information comes back almost instantly. This too can be used in individual testing situations but also in small group settings. “Since Performance Series assessments are entirely web-based, they do not require extra hardware or software.(Scantron Corporation, 2014)”. This type of testing answers the need to schools who are budget conscious but need to find appropriate testing modules for students. While integrating technology with comprehensive assessment for students this type of platform offers the flexibility that both students and teachers crave for a better testing environment in hopes of better scores (ExamN) ExamN by Schooleffects is a K-12 platform that can be used by school districts across the board for all schools in varying grades. Teachers will have the ability to create, schedule, grade and analyze. This testing system also offers the traditional fill-in-the-bubble test paper for those students who need it. However, most intriguing is tests can also be “self-created and common assessment tests can easily be administered online and set to a specific time allotment. Along with each test, teachers can assign a grading rubric that they themselves have created. (Schooleffects, 2014)” For teachers, and districts this gives them two ways to use this platform, as both summative and formative testing..) (Formative and Summative Assessments) Summative and Formative assessments are two different types of testing. Summative assessments are used to find out what a student is in their educational knowledge, where their weak spots are and what type of support a student will need. In that the Formative assessment is different, Formative assessments are used to find out what a student absolutely knows. Both can be used hand in hand together in the best interest of students to give them the opportunity to put their best foot forward in their own education. ExamN could be used for teachers who need to create individualized tests for any type of learning style, for any type of student – perhaps a SPED student or a student that has text anxiety. These tests can created individually and catered to that particular student for their needs. This would be the best of both worlds, for students and teachers who need fast and accurate results (Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment) There is always the debate as to whether online testing is effective and can it do the same job as the old fill-in-the-bubble test did. Another question that is raised is if students feel more pressured by online testing versus the old school methods. “Successful changes to assessment will also require equally challenging revisions to standards, curriculum, instruction, and teacher training. (Tucker, 2009)” There will have to a “stepping up to the plate” for software designers to make sure that all tests are above and beyond the highest of expectations while at the same time holding the attention of students in their educational quest for accurate assessments. The cons that are also prominent are that not all students are able to test with an online format, and they can get text anxiety even worse from this type of testing. There is also the worry that teachers will not be prepared enough to engage their students in online testing, much less be able to teach them how to do it. Fletcher (2012), adds that he thinks there should be a “Teacher Readiness Program” so that teachers will have the right knowledge content and that districts, administrators and technology are all on the same page when it comes common core assessment testing. (“Should a teacher only use technology to assess student learning? Why or why not?”) For individual student success teachers need to do what is best for each individual student, if that means testing online or on a fill-in-the-bubble paper then it needs to be done. Student success if first and foremost the most important part of teaching. Efforts should always be made to encourage any student to succeed in assessment testing in any type of situation. What is the importance of assessment technology in connection with the ISTE standards? The importance of assessment technology brings in the standards of ISTE because ISTE is about bringing technology into classrooms. Giving students and teachers goals together to bring them both into an educational field that a teacher and guide a student into who did not know about technology before. Teachers will be the “guide” for students to take their knowledge of technology further. Giving their students the inspiration to move forward in their learning career. To not just use it for a toy, but to also use it as a tool for life skills such as typing or applying real life data to science projects. Students will learn that technology goes hand in hand collaboration, from their local classrooms to globally Concluding Paragraph for Software to Support Assessment It is the year 2014, times have changed and they change even faster than they did in the “90’s”, information moves at warp speed faster than the old bean can telephone game ever did. Which means that sometimes, information falls through the cracks and at other times it comes across straight as it was intended. The hope is that for students, online support assessments are exactly that – the supporting role that both teachers and students need in order to move effectively into the new age of education. Still learning at their own rate of capability, but retaining more through summative assessments to strengthen their ending formative testing in test subjects. References http://www.edperformance.com/ Fletcher, G. H. (2012). It's the Teacher, Stupid. T H E Journal, 39(8), 26-29. http://www.linkit.com/ http://www.schooleffects.com/examn Tucker, B. (2009). The next generation of testing. Educational Leadership, 67(3), 48-53 Webb, M. M., Gibson, D. D., & Forkosh-Baruch, A. A. (2013). Challenges for information technology supporting educational assessment. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(5), 451-462. doi:10.1111/jcal.12033">https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/744de476-805e-474f-8bdd-7f6807ae0c25. You will need a computer to view the assessment and a hand held wifi device, like an iPod, cell phone or tablet for choosing your answers. On the handheld device, use the browser provided and go to kahoot.it. After your computer browser shows you your code to input on your handheld device, launch the test. From there pick your answer to each choice with your handheld device, each question is timed at thirty seconds for each answer. Each choice is a colored shape, to make this simple for any grade. This is a tool that could work in classrooms to see general class knowledge, a whole class could do it at the same time provided that the school bandwith can support such an activity. Using a tool like this would be helpful in finding out the summative assessment before starting on new classroom work to help divide the class into smaller groups according to the knowledge base shown about the information shared.
The California Gold Rush Answer Key
1. Sutter’s Mill Coloma, California
2. James Wilson Marshall
3. 49’ers
4. 20, 000
5. Two options can be selected, By Covered Wagon and A six month trip by ship
6. All four options can be selected, Chinese, French, German and Irish
7. Foreign Miners Tax
8. John Sutter
9. Settlements
10. Panama Transcontinental Railroad
11. Pots or utensils
12. 81 million
Part 2: Blog Post
Introduction:
Utilizing software to support assessment is important, not because it is easier but because it can make the overall testing experience exciting for students. Instead of dreading and upcoming test students know this can be relatively painless, bubbles are not staring at you waiting to be filled in with the correct answer. Instead you use an internet capable device, that is more interactive and though provoking. Some portions of these tests even include project based group work, which encourages students to work together. What technology can do for students and teachers is give back almost instant feedback to both parties on the strength of their knowledge content.
Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning
Technology can facilitate an easier relationship between teacher and students by letting technology be the bridge. Technology can be used to enhance learning for students, even in an assessment. Approaching an assessment with the idea of “What do I need to work on” mentality can only strengthen what kind of information a student can learn, even more important with technology as the platform, feedback in some cases can come back to students and teachers instantaneously. Teachers will find that some students desire this result more so than what they anticipate from students
(LinkIt!) This software is available to schools across the United States to help with whole class or individual testing for student learning. This can be used in the beginning of a school year to assess what knowledge a student retained over the summer or at the end of the school year to assess how much as student learned over the course of a year. “With both paper and online administration options, these assessments can be adapted to meet a wide variety of needs and use cases where capturing relevant data in real-time is of paramount importance.(LinkIt!, 2012)” What can be applied to this type of testing is “One perspective is of the formative/educative process – learning from the feedback information provided by an assessment process. Another perspective focuses on formative results for instructional adaptation – the decision to make improvements based on an interpretation of evidence from assessment.(Webb et al, 2013).”
(Scantron) Scantron by edperformance is another good option for school, teachers and students where the option to get assessment information comes back almost instantly. This too can be used in individual testing situations but also in small group settings. “Since Performance Series assessments are entirely web-based, they do not require extra hardware or software.(Scantron Corporation, 2014)”. This type of testing answers the need to schools who are budget conscious but need to find appropriate testing modules for students. While integrating technology with comprehensive assessment for students this type of platform offers the flexibility that both students and teachers crave for a better testing environment in hopes of better scores
(ExamN) ExamN by Schooleffects is a K-12 platform that can be used by school districts across the board for all schools in varying grades. Teachers will have the ability to create, schedule, grade and analyze. This testing system also offers the traditional fill-in-the-bubble test paper for those students who need it. However, most intriguing is tests can also be “self-created and common assessment tests can easily be administered online and set to a specific time allotment. Along with each test, teachers can assign a grading rubric that they themselves have created. (Schooleffects, 2014)” For teachers, and districts this gives them two ways to use this platform, as both summative and formative testing..)
(Formative and Summative Assessments) Summative and Formative assessments are two different types of testing. Summative assessments are used to find out what a student is in their educational knowledge, where their weak spots are and what type of support a student will need. In that the Formative assessment is different, Formative assessments are used to find out what a student absolutely knows. Both can be used hand in hand together in the best interest of students to give them the opportunity to put their best foot forward in their own education. ExamN could be used for teachers who need to create individualized tests for any type of learning style, for any type of student – perhaps a SPED student or a student that has text anxiety. These tests can created individually and catered to that particular student for their needs. This would be the best of both worlds, for students and teachers who need fast and accurate results
(Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment) There is always the debate as to whether online testing is effective and can it do the same job as the old fill-in-the-bubble test did. Another question that is raised is if students feel more pressured by online testing versus the old school methods. “Successful changes to assessment will also require equally challenging revisions to standards, curriculum, instruction, and teacher training. (Tucker, 2009)” There will have to a “stepping up to the plate” for software designers to make sure that all tests are above and beyond the highest of expectations while at the same time holding the attention of students in their educational quest for accurate assessments. The cons that are also prominent are that not all students are able to test with an online format, and they can get text anxiety even worse from this type of testing. There is also the worry that teachers will not be prepared enough to engage their students in online testing, much less be able to teach them how to do it. Fletcher (2012), adds that he thinks there should be a “Teacher Readiness Program” so that teachers will have the right knowledge content and that districts, administrators and technology are all on the same page when it comes common core assessment testing.
(“Should a teacher only use technology to assess student learning? Why or why not?”)
For individual student success teachers need to do what is best for each individual student, if that means testing online or on a fill-in-the-bubble paper then it needs to be done. Student success if first and foremost the most important part of teaching. Efforts should always be made to encourage any student to succeed in assessment testing in any type of situation.
What is the importance of assessment technology in connection with the ISTE standards?
The importance of assessment technology brings in the standards of ISTE because ISTE is about bringing technology into classrooms. Giving students and teachers goals together to bring them both into an educational field that a teacher and guide a student into who did not know about technology before. Teachers will be the “guide” for students to take their knowledge of technology further. Giving their students the inspiration to move forward in their learning career. To not just use it for a toy, but to also use it as a tool for life skills such as typing or applying real life data to science projects. Students will learn that technology goes hand in hand collaboration, from their local classrooms to globally
Concluding Paragraph for Software to Support Assessment
It is the year 2014, times have changed and they change even faster than they did in the “90’s”, information moves at warp speed faster than the old bean can telephone game ever did. Which means that sometimes, information falls through the cracks and at other times it comes across straight as it was intended. The hope is that for students, online support assessments are exactly that – the supporting role that both teachers and students need in order to move effectively into the new age of education. Still learning at their own rate of capability, but retaining more through summative assessments to strengthen their ending formative testing in test subjects.
References
http://www.edperformance.com/
Fletcher, G. H. (2012). It's the Teacher, Stupid. T H E Journal, 39(8), 26-29.
http://www.linkit.com/
http://www.schooleffects.com/examn
Tucker, B. (2009). The next generation of testing. Educational Leadership, 67(3), 48-53
Webb, M. M., Gibson, D. D., & Forkosh-Baruch, A. A. (2013). Challenges for information technology supporting educational assessment. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(5), 451-462. doi:10.1111/jcal.12033
