EDLD+5370+Reading+Reflection+for+Technology+Facilitator+Standard+IV

The ISTE's standard IV requires educational technology facilitators to apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The good is that we as teachers can get immediate results on student performance. The bad is that some may try and use technology just as a means to improve score performance as opposed to the way it was meant to be used. This reminds me of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Many teachers have gotten so caught up in the end result that they teach the test and not the subject. If not done properly, computer based testing will head down the same road.

During this past year I learned of computer-based testing (CBT). I though that it would be a very good tool for me to use in my classroom as a way to instantly assess my students. What I did not know until I read this chapter is that there are CBT programs that will adjust the questions based on how the student is performing. The better their performance, the more challenging the questions become. This is a fantastic concept. As teachers we are always concerned with how to constantly challenge those students that are on a different level academically. We don't want to make the material so difficult that we lose those that may be struggling, but at the same time we don't want to make it so easy that we don't challenge our better performing students.

The Kaiser Report reveals that America's youth average 44.5 hours a week (or 6.35 hours a day) using media (Kaiser Foundation, 2005). I have always wondered how different would the testing results of students if they were allowed to take the test on a computer as opposed to the traditional paper and pencil method. This would put them in a environment that they are comfortable in. CBT gives students something that they are accustomed to getting from the media they use on a daily basis, instant feedback. This is what they are not getting from the lectures and practices that take place in most of the classrooms in school districts across America. I took all this information into account when implementing my field-based activities.

In one of my field activities I incorporated the use of a student response system. I used this system when reviewing for an upcoming exam that my students were going to take. This is when I fell in love with this system. It gave me instant feedback about my students and where their weak areas were. The student response system also allowed every student to be engaged. In the past when performing traditional reviews, not all students would participate. This could have been due to a fear of embarrassment or the fact of just not knowing the material. With the student response system, everyone made an attempt to answer questions because their identity was protected.

As a learner, I learn by doing and trying. There are times when I am reluctant to speak out or make an attempt to answer because I am unsure. There are many others that are the same as I am. This is where the confidentiality of the student response system is of a great benefit. Students do not have to feel embarrassed about being wrong because the entire class does not see that they were wrong. It gives them more confidence to make an effort. "Teachers can use student response data to assess student mastery of content, stimulate class discussion, and identify misconceptions" (Williamson & Redish, 2009).

I will continue to use this system and CBT. They are valuable resources in the classroom. I shared my results with other colleagues and they are all enthusiastic about the idea. My concern is will they take the time to actually implement these systems. They are time consuming because you have to type in all your questions into the system initially. Time seems to be the biggest obstacle when it comes to implementing technology. This is why I want to make better use of our staff development hours. Staff development is a perfect time to reach the majority of teachers and start getting these things implemented. We have tools that are not being used to build our students. According to Williamson and Redish (2009), "although there is certainly an increased recognition of technology's potential role in the new era of accountability, a substantial gap between promise and implementation remains".

References:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, p. 58

Kaiser Foundation. (2005). //Generation M: Media in the lives of 8-18-year-olds//. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Generation-M-Media-in-the-Lives-of-8-18-Year-olds.pdf

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, p.80