Organizing Data

The link for my Organized Assessment data can be found at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SuDfW872UIYy0fSt3ZYv4rXPpfyf29_ciPVY45s3iVU/edit?usp=sharing

For this assignment, I decided to use Google Sheets because it is a program that I'm familiar with.  I think one big strength of using Google sheets was that the layout of my information is neat, and easy to read.  For me, a big weakness is I had to do a lot of organizing and number crunching on my own.  The whole process, at least for how I organized my data, proved to be a bit tedious.  It would have been nice to have found some program that would organize the information for me, but it's my hope that if I did end up compiling information like this for a teacher, that it would be beneficial for them and they'd use it.  It was interesting for me to have to organize assessment data, because I've always either been handed data sheets from a higher up, or I've used an assessment program that does it for me.  It was good for me to see how much work can go into it.

Adding color to my tables definitely helped see how individual students did.  I think color would have helped me out a lot more if I had organized the students test information differently.  I saw a couple different solutions on different classmates blog posts.  It would have been beneficial for me to put all of the individual student information on one table instead of twelve individual ones, by having students going down the y-axis and questions going along the x-axis.  This not only would have saved me some time, but would have let me look at every student at once instead of having to scroll down.

When giving the teacher back the information, I would have them take a quick look at the individual student results on the left (paying attention to red answers), but to focus more on the two tables on the right.  I would want the teacher to take a look at the student scores.  I included the average student score (60%) above the table.  In my opinion, as an educator, a red flag goes up when the average student score of an assessment is 60%.  To me this is a signal that the teacher must go back a reteach certain areas.  Based purely off of individual student scores, I would group Zoran B., Zyntar C., Zub C., Zancy D., Zhield H., and Zamsung K. in a small group to work on skills they have been taught leading up to this assessment as they all score 60% or lower.

In the second table on the right, I organized how many students (out of the 12) got each question correct, what percent that was, and put what the most given wrong answer was. The teacher should use the "Most Given Wrong Answer" information to explore reteaching opportunities and to explore possible student misconceptions. I feel that out of all of the information in the tables, this is the most useful because the teacher can take a different approach with reteaching their students by going at misconceptions head on.

There were also three different areas I would suggest the teacher reteach based off having a lower percent correct overall in the class:

M:01:NO:6.4 (S) (Question 6) Accurately solves problems involving single or multiple operations on fractions (proper, improper, and mixed), or decimals; and addition or subtraction of integers; percent of a whole; or problems involving greatest common factor or least common multiple.

M:02:GM:6.6 (S) (Question 3) Demonstrates conceptual understanding of perimeter of polygons, the area of quadrilaterals or triangles, and the volume of rectangular prisms by using models, formulas, or by solving problems; and demonstrates understanding of the relationships of circle measures (radius to diameter and diameter to circumference) by solving related problems. Expresses all measures using appropriate units.

M:03:FA:6.1 (S) (Question 5) Identifies and extends to specific cases a variety of patterns (linear and nonlinear) represented in models, tables, sequences, graphs, or in problem situations; or writes a rule in words or symbols for finding specific cases of a linear relationship; or writes a rule in words or symbols for finding specific cases of a nonlinear relationship; and writes an expression or equation using words or symbols to express the generalization of a linear relationship (e.g., twice the term number plus 1 or 2n + 1).

Presentation for Implementing Technology

Here is my presentation using powtoon on implementing technology in the classroom:
http://www.powtoon.com/show/dvcGAcokZ3x/technology-in-classrooms/#/

Survey for Teacher Technology Needs

Click the link for my survey for teacher technology needs that I made using Google Forms:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AaqGH8pOmzCBvO-zIqDuOjbnnbRk0cw8smwz9517Rcs/viewform?usp=send_form

TPACK

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework that describes the knowledge that a teacher needs for effective pedagogical practice of having technology in the classroom.  TPACK’s main idea is the inclusion of technology in the classroom of any core curricular subject by having knowledge of what kinds of technology can be implemented in certain subjects.  In order to do this, teachers need to have strong content knowledge, knowledge of who their students are as learners and knowledge of how technology and subjects can be tied together.  

Teachers would go about implementing TPACK first through assessing their own content knowledge and technological knowledge and abilities.  They need to be motivated to strengthen their content knowledge and their technological knowledge.  Ideally a teacher would research different types of technology and how it can be used in different lessons in their classrooms to improve their lesson.  Assessing oneself is never an easy task, and asking someone else to assess them may be a good way to have an outside point of view.  Teachers should communicate with colleagues for new ideas of what types of technology to look into for their classroom and also find resources online.

Obstacles teachers may face to implement TPACK into their classroom would most likely be not having enough knowledge about technology that can be implemented into their lessons.  Teachers need to be motivated and open to learning new things and changing the way they teach.  Sometimes research on your own is not enough, and teachers may want to take professional development.

After looking over the sample activities from: http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net/file/view/HarrisHofer-TPACKActivityTypes.pdf, I think that most of these options could be integrated into any core subject.  For example:

View Presentation: Students gain information from teachers, guest speakers, and peers; synchronous/asynchronous, oral or multimedia.  Presentations are something that could be used in any subject to explain subject matter and to engage students.

Group Discussion In small to large groups, students engage in dialogue with their peers; synchronous/asynchronous.  Group discussion on blogs can give students opportunities to discuss topics in any subject over time.  Students can give ideas, comment, and make revisions to theories and ideas.

Draw a Cartoon Students create a drawing or caricature using a paper and pencil or digital format on something like Comic Creator, DFILM video, or digital cameras.  They could do this on any topic to show understanding and create original artifacts that can give opportunities for different types of learners.

Research Students gather, analyze, and synthesize information using print-based and digital sources.  Students can research any topic in any core subject to gather information and to come up with and answer ideas on their own.

Resources:

Harris, J., & Hofer, M. (2009). Instructional planning activity types as vehicles for curriculum-based

TPACK development. In C. D. Maddux, (Ed.). Research highlights in technology and teacher

education 2009 (pp. 99-108). Chesapeake, VA: Society for Information Technology in

Teacher Education (SITE) Retrieved 12/3/14

Hats of the Technology Integration Specialist

We are in an age where technology is used in just about everyone’s daily life, at home, at work, in school.  Because of the rise of everyday technology use, there has become a bigger and bigger need to be implementing technology into classrooms not only to keep students engaged, but to help keep them well versed in new technologies that become available.  To think every teacher is going to go off on their own and learn all of these new tools is an unrealistic goal.  Enter: the technology integrator.  Technology integrators need to work with teachers before, during, and after lessons to stay in the loop with how specific technological tools are working in a classroom.  They need to communicate with administrators about the types of technology and professional development is needed; sometimes they even are the ones doing the training and professional development.  Technology integrators research and stay up to date in the latest technologies that can be used in education.  They also test out new technologies and help problem solve with educators when their are issues.

To help best implement technology into schools, schools need to have good professional development. “Teachers attending a workshop or training on a new curriculum or behavior-management technique begin the day with a strong command of the vocabulary of teaching and dealing with children and considerable classroom experience.  This in not the case, however, when beginning a workshop on learning how to use newly purchased software or how to integrate computers into the classroom.  Many teachers do not have that knowledge base.” (Meltzer, 2012, p. 3)  Professional development regarding technology needs to begin with computing basics.  A teacher must feel comfortable around computers before teaching others how to use them.  Picture me trying to teach high school spanish when my only exposure is watching Dora The Explorer with my daughter; sure I know a few things, but they’ll only get me so far.  Teachers can’t teach students how to blog when all they know is how to log on and check your email.

A big challenge for technology integrators is “The intricate relationship between technology and pedagogy has not been adequately explored.” (Okojie, 2014)  Most teachers just haven’t taken the time to look into what types of technology can be effectively implemented in lessons, and how technology can fit in with learning on a daily basis.  The technology integrator needs to take on this challenge head on.  They need to present ideas to teachers for which technological tools match up with current lessons, and show them how they work.  Waiting for teachers to come to them isn’t enough, they need to seek out technological opportunities in all classrooms.

Another challenge that schools face while trying to implement technology in the classroom is how decisions on technology are made.  Many administrators do not talk with teachers regarding making decisions on purchasing technology, when the teachers are the ones that are to be implementing technology into lesson. “Technology should be implemented in the classroom only if its role in a given instruction is determined along with pedagogical issues related to a given instructional task. The role of technology in education can only be determined if teachers who implement technology at the classroom level are involved in technology decision- making because teachers have the responsibility of facilitating instruction.” (Okojie, 2014)  Technology integrators fit into this problem as someone who can keep an open line of communication up with teachers so they know what types of technology teachers want to be using in their classrooms, and they can advocate to administration for them.

References:

Meltzer, S. T. (2012).  Step-by-step professional development in technology.  Larchmont, NY: Eye

    on Education.

Okojie, M., Olimzock, A., & Okojie-Boulder, T. (2014). The pedagogy of technology integration.

     The Journal of Technology Studies.  Retrieved from  

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/v32/v32n2/okojie.html