Sunday, March 1, 2015

Data and the Digital Age Learner

If I asked you to design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, could you do it?  It can be done, but it takes a lot of time, work and forethought. 
If I were to rank my abilities on the ISTE Standards for Teachers Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments sub-standards  B-D, they would be as follows.

1. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

2. C Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

3. B Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress

I would say the D is my strongest sub-standard.  I use varied types of assessments through out my day with my kids.  I am trying to use not just the exit tickets, white board or teacher observations that I'm used to.  I recently got my kids on Google Classroom, so I'm trying to be more digital age with my assessments.  I made a few Google Forms and also an assessment in Google Docs they will have to read 2 stories and write their responses.  For those who finish early I'm going to have them try to make a Venn Diagram in the drawing program.  I am going to just let them create and see what happens. I also use DIBELS data all the time to guide my teaching.  From that data I see who needs interventions with me, who needs enrichment and who I need to pull a little bit more above that line.

I think my use of DIBELS falls in sub-standard C as well.  I can customize what they need by using that data.  I also use Front Row Math and the kids work at their level in whatever standard we are working on at the time.  (I had a sub on Friday afternoon and they were going to go to the computer lab to work on FRM.  I told them they could work on any standard we had already covered and I got a unanimous "Yesss" from the whole class.  I usually take that as a good sign. :-))  I have heard of Newsela and I want to get my kids on this site. From what I know it has customized stories for them at their reading level, which is fantastic. 

Now, for sub-standard B, I really feel like we do this but not at the level we could be at.  I have Data Folders for everyone and they look at them every week.  I have put our "I Can" 4th grade standards in these folders and we look at those standards all the time.  I would love to take this to the next level having the standards in a Google Doc or something where they can put checks next to the ones we have covered or rank their level of proficiency.  I also want them to create a spreadsheet with data from their multiplication tests, Lexile Levels, DIBELS data and anything else we can track.  I think these are great things to learn and do with the kids, but on the flip side I think they will take some time to get up and running.  Most kids are very capable of completing these task with out my help, but there are quite a few I will have to help extensively.   It's a time factor and also a device factor.  When I do get these devices, is this the best use of my time with them?

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