I feel like I have expanded my knowledge beyond I have ever thought possible in a week’s time. One of my goals, this year, was to work with the district integrators on increasing our knowledge of web 2.0 tools and how we can impact student achievement using those tools. This class has given me the ability to share with the district what I have learned. I look forward to using many of the tools taught professionally and integrationally (if such a word).
Final Project
August 3rd, 2007 by whiteb · 6 Comments · Final Project
Project Description
I have created a wiki (untanglingnweadata.wikispaces.com) that guides administration through the process of NWEA testing. It includes various websites, documentation and collaborative assessment ideas to interpret student results.
1. WHY are you choosing this project and how is it related to Technology and Assessment?
My main purpose for choosing this topic is to create a central pathway for data assessment resources within our district.
2. Within that purpose, WHAT will your project look like? (Audience, participants, timeline)
I’m going to begin with only having administrators access this site. Then, hopefully, if this seems to be a valid resource I will move onto adding MEA informational resources and district based assessment information for teachers and specialist for next year.
3. HOW will you use technology to support understanding and assessment?
Using either Drupal (a web-based content package) or a wiki admin will be able to access these resources anytime anywhere and share them with their staff as well as gain a better understanding of data and how to use it to assess student achievement.
Final Project Description
August 1st, 2007 by whiteb · 4 Comments · Project
1. WHY are you choosing this project and how is it related to Technology and Assessment?
My ultimate goal is for my district administrators to have a central location to access information on NWEA data including but not limited to online documentation, data manipulation techniques, and online resources. I’ll eventually add all types of data; making this a Data Decision Making website including MEA’s, DRA’s and other district assessments.
2. Within that purpose, WHAT will your project look like? (Audience, participants, timeline)Throughout the year, within our ad team meetings, we discuss NWEA data, interpret the data and make programmatic decisions based upon the results. Through the meeting, I will be able to assess their knowledge based upon the discussions, comments and decisions that have been made based upon the data and the manipulation of it.
3. HOW will you use technology to support understanding and assessment?
The technology used comes from online resources through NWEA and documentation as well as using spreadsheet software to manipulate the data.
Two Day Reflection
July 31st, 2007 by whiteb · 1 Comment · Reflections
What has worked well for you?
My job consists of two parts; Data Coordination and Technology Integration K-12. The focus of my last year’s work as been all about data driven decision making. I liked that I had the opportunity to catch up on new integration initiatives and learn web 2.0 tools.
What has not worked well for you?
This is a double edge sword… As much as I have enjoyed learning new tools and resources, (which I will definitely share and use this year) I’m eager to learn assessment techniques using these tools.
What do you need tomorrow?
Time to digest, review and research resources for my project.
Educational Technology Professional Development
July 31st, 2007 by whiteb · No Comments · Classwork
One thing I found out when searching for blogs that related to professional development in the realm of technology is that there are not too many people blogging about this topic. However, from the blogs that I did find (2) prefaced the importance that teachers need to allow themselves to be learners and not a teachers.
RSS and Readers
July 31st, 2007 by whiteb · 2 Comments · Classwork
RSS (which is short for Really Simple Syndication) feed is a way of using a reader to receive new information from your favorite websites. It’s a way for you to check up on your favorite websites without actually going to them, saving you tons of time catching up on your favs. The new information comes to you. In order for this to happen you will need to complete two steps…
1. You need to create a home which the new information, from your favorite sites, is delivered. In order to do this you will need to use a reader (readers below).
2. You need to set up connection between the reader and your favorite websites by subscribing to the reader.
You are now on your way to saving time and useless searching and navigating to your favorite sites!
Wikipedia definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)
Readers:
My Yahoo
Blog Resources:
http://eltnotes.blogspot.com/2007/01/rss-digestion-too-much-to-read.html
Monday’s Article Assignment
July 30th, 2007 by whiteb · 1 Comment · Classwork
What would it look like if you were to use technology to do new things in new ways?
I recently read an article that stated how schools are still functioning as in the industrial revolution days and that we need to adapt to the child’s needs and prepare them for jobs that are not yet defined for them. What a concept to digest…meeting child’s needs …preparing them for life after education (isn’t that what we think we do now). We have failed our students in regards to creating an adaptable environment for which they learn in. The advances in technology present options for teaching and learning that we could have never imagined could happen in the industrial revolution days.
We always can use technology to do new things in new ways. Teachers can educate children on their alphabet by using the interactive whiteboards, they can introduce new math concepts using geometry sketchpad and create collaborative-communicative learning environments using web 2.0 tools. As a district data coordinator, I can use web 2.0 tools to assess student progress using Google apps for collaborating with principals and teachers, blogs for sharing and collaborating on assessment needs and wiki’s for teachers and administration to collaborate on different assessments.
