This week:
Technology is a tool that is constantly helping smart educators up the ante. It has become the go to piece for delivering quality learning and offering a diverse environment to learners. Technology provides the foundation for a learner-centered environment. This week though took a look at instruction and the review of instruction with technology, with a little assessment sprinkled in for good taste.
Pitler (2005) stated that “technology professional development does not occur in a vacuum” (p. 2). This I brought up in my discussion for the week but it is a key point for the week. Pitler was the author of a technology initiative article that brought in technology professional development to a district. It was very well done and showcased what needed to be done in any district looking to beef up technology. One way that this was accomplished was through a mentoring program. Pitler (2005) described the purpose of his mentoring program as a way for teachers in the program the first year to be come mentors the second year. This mentality closely resembles that of the principal standards that we started with in the first course of our learning about creating a professional learning community. The goal of any community is to grow the mentees into the mentors.
Secondly, Rose and Meyer (2002) discussed assessment in a 21st century classroom. This echoed UDL techniques described about flexibility in presentation and allowing supports to exist that are not typically included in the assessment. Teachers have mixed feelings about this, as the current testing norms are how the teacher experienced their schooling. There are benefits to changing the way that the teacher assesses the students. In particularly, teachers should be concerned with teaching the material and if the students really got it. All to often the focus is on the test itself on not on the students. Rose and Meyer do a great job of relating assessment to the real world. They utilize a sports example what shows understanding of physics, but not an academic knowledge of the subject. I found their points interesting, but with standardized testing being the norm I am not too interested in deviating too much from the standard. Overall, their ideas are student centered and really help to reflect the needs of a 21st century classroom.
Finally, the last piece of the week is the integration of technology in the classroom itself. Multiple tools were looked at this week, and each of the reading contributed to a vast array of tools that can be used for technology. There are a lot of benefits in using these tools, but too hasty adaptation without the proper support is potentially disastrous.
References:
Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report(Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED486685&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED486685
Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Chapter 7. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/
Technology is a tool that is constantly helping smart educators up the ante. It has become the go to piece for delivering quality learning and offering a diverse environment to learners. Technology provides the foundation for a learner-centered environment. This week though took a look at instruction and the review of instruction with technology, with a little assessment sprinkled in for good taste.
Pitler (2005) stated that “technology professional development does not occur in a vacuum” (p. 2). This I brought up in my discussion for the week but it is a key point for the week. Pitler was the author of a technology initiative article that brought in technology professional development to a district. It was very well done and showcased what needed to be done in any district looking to beef up technology. One way that this was accomplished was through a mentoring program. Pitler (2005) described the purpose of his mentoring program as a way for teachers in the program the first year to be come mentors the second year. This mentality closely resembles that of the principal standards that we started with in the first course of our learning about creating a professional learning community. The goal of any community is to grow the mentees into the mentors.
Secondly, Rose and Meyer (2002) discussed assessment in a 21st century classroom. This echoed UDL techniques described about flexibility in presentation and allowing supports to exist that are not typically included in the assessment. Teachers have mixed feelings about this, as the current testing norms are how the teacher experienced their schooling. There are benefits to changing the way that the teacher assesses the students. In particularly, teachers should be concerned with teaching the material and if the students really got it. All to often the focus is on the test itself on not on the students. Rose and Meyer do a great job of relating assessment to the real world. They utilize a sports example what shows understanding of physics, but not an academic knowledge of the subject. I found their points interesting, but with standardized testing being the norm I am not too interested in deviating too much from the standard. Overall, their ideas are student centered and really help to reflect the needs of a 21st century classroom.
Finally, the last piece of the week is the integration of technology in the classroom itself. Multiple tools were looked at this week, and each of the reading contributed to a vast array of tools that can be used for technology. There are a lot of benefits in using these tools, but too hasty adaptation without the proper support is potentially disastrous.
References:
Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report(Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED486685&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED486685
Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Chapter 7. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/