EDLD+5364+Teaching+with+Technology+Week+4+Reflection


 * Reflection**

This weeks readings and videos focused on collaboration and the use of technology not only by students but by the teachers as well. I was very jealous of the teachers that were able to work together to create technology projects for their students. I wish I could do that at my school. Our school is so focused on TAKS results that it is difficult to work with our older students the way I would like. I teach PK so I would need older students to help with the use of techology. There is a 1st grade teacher who also uses a great deal of technology so I will now try to work with her. PK students do a great deal of learning during workstations (we have a structured on during the ELA block and free choice in the afternoon) and I do notice that my students collaborate quite a bit. I had made the decision to mix various academic levels of students in each group and found that to be a wise decision. The groups help each other because of their strengths in various areas which is how we learn in real life. In my circle of friends, peers and other associates, I have learned their strenghts and know who to turn to in order to find help when I need it. This is how learning should be achieved. Standardized tests would not allow this to happen even if it was allowed in a classroom.

“Technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing members of groups to communicate even if they are not working face to face." (Pitler 2007) My group did a great deal of collaboration during Week 4. I am lucky to have a diverse group of ladies to work with. This includes various grade levels, subject areas and specialties. Skype has allowed us to collaborate even though we are scattered across Texas. Our focus this week was the technology we would use in our lessons. We discovered that we had used eBooks, surveymonkey.com, powerpoints, videos, vodcasts and various web sites. We had also discussed that KWL, rubrics and teacher-created assessment could be viewed and accessed using Promethean AcivBoards where they could use the Activote system as another type of assessment. They only drawback I see in regards to technology use and collaboration would be the time needed to be able to collaborate with other teachers, create credible projects and create and offer professional development to teachers. Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.
 * Discussion**

"To be truly useful, assessments must evaluate the knowledge and skills relevant to students' goals and they must do so accurately." (Rose and Meyer, 2002) As the dreaded TAKS nears, I find this quote sad and funny. Most teachers would definitely agree with this quote in terms of what students need to know beyond their current grade level, into college and into the workplace. In the last 3 years, my school (PK-4) has been recognized once and exemplary twice. Unfortunately, I think all this means is that these students know how to use strategies. They do not know how to solve a problem on their own. As a matter of fact, our 3rd and 4th grade teachers have told me that problem solving is the main area where are students need the most help. I have watched these students freeze up, use the totally wrong strategies or use stragies that take the longest time when attempting to solve a problem. When they could use multiplication or rough estimates, they draw tally marks and count them one by one. I do not see our teachers teaching concepts that will help them in the future. How many times as an adult do you read a passage for work then underline who, what, when, where, circle the title, circle the picture or complete PLORE on the paper? The TAKS is an assessment of how well a student uses strategies - not the knowledge and skills that are relevant for a student to have in their adult lives. The TAKS test is only one of the useful tools a teacher can use to assess a students knowledge. Teachers can also use anecdotal notes, observations, assessments from the curriculum and teacher-made assessments among others.

Rose, David H., and Anne Meyer. Teaching every student in the Digital Age: universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA.: Association for supervision and Curriculum Development, 2002. Print.