What are some benefits and limitations of incorporating technology into a teachers' instructional day?
Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in schools and it is a large part of the world today. Technology seemingly makes activities easier for people, and in school it's role is the same. Teachers can use a variety of technology, from CD players and televisions to Smart Boards and lap-tops. It is important for students today to acknowledge these technological tools and learn how to use them properly.
Technology in schools has many benefits. As previously said, it is important for students to learn how to use the new technological tools in order to have an understanding of the world around them and to better their future. Technology also provides teachers with different strategies of teaching. If the students in the early grades become restless, the teachers may need to turn on song and dance music for a brief moment. In some of the older grades, students gain much information from watching documentaries and movies on historical events. By using a Smart Board, teachers can provide students with thousands of different ways of learning, such as with games, word puzzles, concept maps, and any activities on the web. Technology can also be more time efficient. Today, assessments can be completed by the students and graded by the teachers by the use of computers. This provides organization for the teachers and fast feedback for the students.
Along with benefits, technology also has limitations. Technology is fast and provides students with easy access to all sorts of information, but students should not be taught to rely on the use of computers. If students become accustomed to looking up information on the computer because it is the easiest way, the students may not have the proper education to look up information in an encyclopedia. It is the same way for calculators. If students learn to do math on calculators, they may never properly learn how to do math on paper or in their minds. Technology can also be a distraction in the classroom. In my Kindergarten classroom at my PDS when the students are at different stations, the students not at the computers are always interested in what is going on at the computers. Although computers are fun and interesting for the students, they often distract the students from other learning activities.
Peer Question:
What types of technological tools are present in your PDS and do you think the benefits of technology are greater than the limitations?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Describe at least 3 types of assessment practices that you as a student/learner have experienced throughout your own schooling and explain the benefits or limitations of each type of assessment.
During the chapter readings for Education 400 I was introduced to three primary assessment strategies for teachers. As a child, I thought of assessments as only tools for grading for the teacher and ways to stress me out as a student. The chapter on assessments made me realize that I have experienced, first hand, all three of the different assessments. I realized that assessments are used very often and that they have a greater purpose than I ever imagined as a child.
The form of assessment that I remember being more prevalent in the primary grades was diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is used primarily for the teacher to determine the students' prior knowledge before beginning a lesson. I can remember in Kindergarten being asked to count as high as I could and I believe this is a form of diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is very beneficial for the teacher, but can also have limitations. If a teacher were to produce a diagnostic assessment and the students' abilities varied greatly, it may be difficult for the teacher to know where to begin with the instruction.
The second form of assessment, formative assessment, was used very often throughout all years of school. For me, these tests usually consisted of quizzes or spelling tests. Sometimes these tests had a large impact on my life, but most of the time they did not. This type of assessment is used for both the student and the teacher. It provides the student with an idea of what needs to be worked on and provides the teacher with an idea of how he/she can continue with the instruction. This form of assessment is very beneficial for that reason alone, but also because it provides more grades for the students. One large limitation of this form of assessment is that these assessments may sometimes be too difficult for the students and if graded too often, can hinder a students grade.
The last type of assessment that I remember the most is summative assessment. These assessments were usually unit tests or tests on books and stories. I can remember these tests the most because I studied for them often and most of my grade was dependent on these assessments. This type of assessment is more about the students and with early feedback, can be very beneficial in a student's learning. The limitations on this assessment would have the most to do with the information on the assessment. I believe it would be difficult as a teacher to decide how much information to put on a test.
I'm very glad I spent a lot of time on this chapter because I would not have realized that all of the tests I took as a child were also beneficial to my teacher. As a teacher, I will now be more prepared and understand how to grade each different assessment. I will make my students feel comfortable when testing and will use the tests often to determine what I need to do as a teacher.
Peer:
What are some examples of assessments you can remember as a child and how, as a teacher, will your grading depend on each type of assessment?
During the chapter readings for Education 400 I was introduced to three primary assessment strategies for teachers. As a child, I thought of assessments as only tools for grading for the teacher and ways to stress me out as a student. The chapter on assessments made me realize that I have experienced, first hand, all three of the different assessments. I realized that assessments are used very often and that they have a greater purpose than I ever imagined as a child.
The form of assessment that I remember being more prevalent in the primary grades was diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is used primarily for the teacher to determine the students' prior knowledge before beginning a lesson. I can remember in Kindergarten being asked to count as high as I could and I believe this is a form of diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is very beneficial for the teacher, but can also have limitations. If a teacher were to produce a diagnostic assessment and the students' abilities varied greatly, it may be difficult for the teacher to know where to begin with the instruction.
The second form of assessment, formative assessment, was used very often throughout all years of school. For me, these tests usually consisted of quizzes or spelling tests. Sometimes these tests had a large impact on my life, but most of the time they did not. This type of assessment is used for both the student and the teacher. It provides the student with an idea of what needs to be worked on and provides the teacher with an idea of how he/she can continue with the instruction. This form of assessment is very beneficial for that reason alone, but also because it provides more grades for the students. One large limitation of this form of assessment is that these assessments may sometimes be too difficult for the students and if graded too often, can hinder a students grade.
The last type of assessment that I remember the most is summative assessment. These assessments were usually unit tests or tests on books and stories. I can remember these tests the most because I studied for them often and most of my grade was dependent on these assessments. This type of assessment is more about the students and with early feedback, can be very beneficial in a student's learning. The limitations on this assessment would have the most to do with the information on the assessment. I believe it would be difficult as a teacher to decide how much information to put on a test.
I'm very glad I spent a lot of time on this chapter because I would not have realized that all of the tests I took as a child were also beneficial to my teacher. As a teacher, I will now be more prepared and understand how to grade each different assessment. I will make my students feel comfortable when testing and will use the tests often to determine what I need to do as a teacher.
Peer:
What are some examples of assessments you can remember as a child and how, as a teacher, will your grading depend on each type of assessment?
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