Now Go Forth and Teach (with Technology)

You were an amazing class, and lots of fun!

You will make great teachers.

I am wondering whether the stuff we learned in here will expand your creativity. Try to remember what you were thinking of this class way back in Week 1, and reflect on what you've learned or realized.

Did the course meet expectations? Will technology play an important role in your future classroom more or less than you had assumed it would?

Take this opportunity to think about, as a student, how technology has helped you to prepare for greatness on the other side of the lectern. 

Adding Value to Data

Critics of standardized testing have often pointed to what they call an obvious flaw; to wit, that achievement data is skewed by how well prepared students are. This new collection method satisfies that:

Value added is designed to account for demographic differences. It looks at the same test results (no new tests are given) but with an eye on how much a student’s performance improved each year. ["School evaluation gets a new tool," Times New Leader]

School reformers are obsessed with data; they say it is the only thing that will tell them what works.

In fact, some educational leaders and key decision makers gather rather mundane data to help them improve their schools. One firm visits classrooms for mere minutes to tally "Critical Teaching Attributes," or behaviors that they say teachers should display. They then quantify those data across the school, month, or year.

What sorts of data would you like to acquire and measure in your classroom? What makes the most sense? What will help you make the most effective instructional decisions?

Death by PowerPoint

(This is a repeat) You may have heard the phrase.

If you are in the Armed Forces, you have definitely experienced it.

Here's another one: "with great power comes great responsibility." (Who said it? If you know, just shout it out. You'll impress your classmates, and that's what college is all about, right?)

PowerPoint fits the theme, and is a metaphor for how we use many technologies. We shouldn't wield a technology without learning how to use it appropriately. A jackhammer doesn't do well for tapping in picture nails.

Sure, the technology we study in here is supposed to make teaching more efficient, but our paramount consideration is that it make learning more effective.

Read this article, inspired by too many clumsily-delivered PowerPoint presentations.

Which techniques suit your style the most?

The Beginning of a Beautiful Adventure

Beginnings are always exciting for me.

Spring semester is one of those things that has me pretty enthused, not only because it gives me the chance to share some really interesting things, but because I'll also get the opportunity to learn some new stuff.

Technology, in a way, represents constant beginning. With new ways of doing stuff, we can always start over. Of course, we would be wise to keep doing things that work, but in our age, we have choices.

What are some things you will begin this semester? What opportunities will you take advantage of in this class?