The main point of teaching a lesson is to make sure that at the end the students grasped what you were teaching. Assessment is very important because it lets the teacher know whether or not they can move on to another subject. Some students may need extra help understanding what is going on but without a quiz or a paper the teacher won’t know that. The same way a traditional lesson is assessed is the same way a technology rich lesson should be. Of course there will be differences, like making sure the technology was used efficiently and if the student was supposed to learn how to use technology as part of the lesson that it was learned.
As a student, I like to see rubric’s before I start an assignment because it helps me complete it. I am aware of what the teacher is looking for in an exemplary completion so I can do it without wondering if I’m doing the right thing. When I presented my WebQuest to the 3rd grade class I told them what will get them a bad grade and what will get them a good grade. All of the students did a nice job but I don’t think that would have happened if I didn’t explain the rubric.
As far as testing goes, I like taking tests on a computer depending on the subject. The information is clear, I don’t have to worry about understanding the teachers hand writing, and I may get immediate responses to my answers. For something like writing an essay I would prefer to write it out on paper but for early childhood students, this may not be the best choice. Of course students still must learn traditionally even though technology is everywhere, but using the computer is very important. Some children may have illegible handwriting and I may not understand everything they write but on a computer I am able to understand every word. Giving a test on a computer that gives immediate feedback which gives the teacher more time to plan other things. I remember in public school when we were supposed to have a quiz back on a certain day but it didn’t happen because the teacher said she was overwhelmed with work. That can be eliminated if more tests were given on the computer. Another thing that happened was the teacher would grade so many papers that after a while they began to mark right answers wrong and vice versa. That won’t happen on a computer.
Spreadsheets are an excellent way to keep records of students and grades. It’s neater and it does all the work for you, all you have to do is type a name or number and it goes in its place. This saves so much time and headaches. You don’t have to worry about forgetting the book at home or somebody taking it. Portfolios are great too. If a teacher starts a portfolio on a student when they first enter school, it will be beneficial in the evaluation of that student in their last year of school. Portfolios can be passed on so each teacher can add on to it. They also can be read by a new teacher so they can get a sense of who the student is. Books can get lost or damaged but portfolios and spreadsheets have a better chance of staying in good shape.
E-Portfolios allow children to be creative, just like multimedia presentations. This can be the one place they are free to be themselves. It is also an assessment tool because a student can look at what they did in their e-portfolio 2 years ago and notice the change. I like working on e-portfolio. I've heard about it before but never accessed it until this class. I have full control over what people can see and what I want to put on there. I like that I make the tabs and I don't have to be told what to put on my e-portfolio. Any form of technology can be useful to both teachers and students if it is used properly.
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