Assessing Meaningful Learning With Technology & Inspiration/Kidspiration

I believe that technology based rubrics are an excellent tool that teachers could utilize in every content area and on every grade level throughout the elementary years.  Rubrics give the students the requirements of an assignment and tells them exactly what they are being graded on, point for point.  Teachers are held more accountable for their grading practices, also.  There are no questions as to what grade to give a student, because they are in print for all to see and understand.  In my classroom, I would use rubrics for projects, like a book report or science project.  I would list the required components and the range of points given for each required element. 

I believe that the student remote response systems, or clickers, could benefit a classroom of students who were above second grade.  With this device, teachers are able to assess student knowledge in an instant.  Students are able to respond quickly and efficiently, as well.  In my classroom, I would use this to assess knowledge in a multiple choice situation.  This would prepare the students for standardized tests.

Kidspiration is a great tool that allows students to learn in a visual way.  This program builds their skills in Reading and Writing, Math, Science and Social Studies.  Because I am a visual learner, I really liked this program and could see myself using it in my classroom in the future.  I loved the graphic organizers and images that could be used to brainstorm ideas and prepare for writing.  I would use this program to introduce and reinforce new ideas in Math, as well.  The geometric figures, fraction and counting tiles were easy to manipulate and seemed like they would be very helpful for students to grasp.  I believe that this program would be helpful in all Elementary classrooms.

Visualizing With Technologies

“Digital Storytelling” is an activity that allows students to create a desktop video from start to finish.  Students start with an idea and sketch out the story on storyboards.  They, then, begin videotaping and finish with editing their videos on the computer.  This activity allows the students to work with and understand all of the components and processes of how to create and edit video, but it also encourages the usage of critical thinking skills (Jonassen, 2008).

I believe that “digital storytelling” would enhance any classroom.  As an early elementary teacher, I could use this activity to assess the student’s knowledge on any given subject area.  Students could use this activity to explain the water cycle in Science, to teach the difference between shapes and figures in Math, and to create a dramatization of a favorite story or book in English/Language Arts.  Even the young children in Kindergarten or First grade could use these programs with some assistance and create well throughout videos that were developed using their ideas and critical thinking skills. 

Mathematics does come alive through the use of visual tools.  The book suggests the use of graphing calculators, which allow the students the opportunity to visualize linear relationships and make connections between the various mathematical relationships (Jonassen, 2008).  Table Tops and TinkerPlots allow students to see data that has been gathered and their patterns and clusters (Jonassen, 2008).  Geometric Supposer is another program that allows students to play with geometric objects and to prove relationships between them.  These programs all allow students to extend their thinking and expand their learning in Mathematics (Jonassen, 2008).

I do believe that one could learn from TV alone.  Is it the best approach to learning? No.  It is better to have an experienced teacher guiding you throughout the process.  But, it is possible.

References:

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D.  (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology (3rd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:  Pearson Education, Inc.