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As a higher level Spanish teacher, every year I am trying to incorporate a system or resources that can allow students to go to a deeper and higher level of their language learning. Some students want to go on to minor and become more fluent, while others just want the credit. I'm hoping that a PLE can reach those students to dig deeper to become more fluent and culturally aware!

I have created quite a few symbaloos and knew it was a cool tool but never knew how to incorporate those into my classes for students to use - I'm super excited to know how to set this up so that they can access my webpage see what they need to do on a daily/weekly basis and then have resources right there to help them do what they need to do. Can't wait to try for fall:)! 

Love the idea of creating a path for students... could there be a digital checklist also? Teacher could guide students for all class Kahoot game or other challenges. Students can also add a presentation/doc tile to prove their learning - love that, also. Great for project based, research and problem solving activities.  

I like the idea of the students having the resources to take responsibility of the learning, and they can review and learn at their own pace. It is like a one stop shop.

I am very unfamiliar with how to use news feeds and blogs with students - this would be something I would need an inservice for and how it can be put into a language classroom...

Me too! I would need training on how to implement in the classroom.

I can see my students setting up their own symbaloo (I can have them add my webmix to their account!) based on their skills needed to practice or go beyond for Spanish (vocabulary, grammar, culture, then speaking, writing, listening acts, readings)

in some cases will students become more proficient than their instructors, especially in the case of technology?

I am inspired by PLEs and what's happening with them in education. I worry about schools who are not 1:1 with technology and/or students who don't have personal devices of their own.

Teacher's are not experts in all areas. In PLEs they serve as facilitators. I love my ah-ha moments when I learn something new from a student.

The teacher's role in student learning looks very different in a PLE, which might be hard for teachers to adjust to.

Or if students do not have the skills to manage their PLEs.

I imagine there would need to be some prior (and ongoing) instruction for students in regards to internet safety and online ethics. My 3rd graders, who are probably much less connected with social media sites than older students, have had issues keeping their focus on the task at hand. Having access to online tools is great, but it can also be very distracting for my students. It is just too tempting for them to visit YouTube or another "fun" website rather than focusing on the task at hand. This is definitely a management issue that I have faced in the past couple of years.

Works great with elementary students. I have seen them in action creating webmixes.

I like this concept of PLE because it allows students to take ownership of their learning. It allows them to go as in depth as they want, and students are able to collaborate on their learning. I see this type of environment being very successful in an upper elementary to high school level classrooms. I worry, however, about lower elementary. I feel as educators we should take those early years to teach the skills needed to prepare students for this type of learning environment. Also to make it clear that learning can happen without technology. Technology is great tool for students to use and a great motivator, but I worry about the hands on experience and building of knowledge through the outside world. 

Could this open the window of opportunity for students to work with other students in another district on the same concept? Another district in their state, another state, or even country? 

I love this concept because it allows the teachers to give the students a starting point, but plenty of opportunity to organize it and add to it. Students could use this for projects to organize their findings. They wouldn't have to sit there and search through their history. I like the fact that students can access it from any computer. 

I could definitely see students using this as a way to visually organize their sources them find on a project. 

Symbaloo would be great for students. But how about teachers??? Couldn't we all use this to organize all those sites, blogs, etc. we use on a daily basis? Also couldn't we use this to connect to other teachers who are also trying to adapt their classrooms to this new way of learning? 

It is important to remember that, while many schools are working in a 1:1 environment, there are still many other schools that have limited access to technology. I would imagine that personalized learning would be much less challenging when there is ample access to technology, as well as professional development for teachers.

I wonder how you handle classes with a large range of student responsibility and awareness in regards of use of PLEs. I would think it would take a large amount of student training. 

That isn't surprising. Its new and could feel threatening.

I wonder if when initially doing self-assessment if some students would almost feel guilty about assessing themselves too positively....even if they feel they did a really fantastic job. That's where rubrics come in, right?

I think that's why self-assessment really needs to be explained what it is and how it is going to be used. As students use this more, they will become more confident about assessing their progress.

My personal opinion: I don't feel this can take place in one class. This is a cultural norm that has to be set up over many years in school.

This is the life-long skill to develop!

Looking objectively at your own work isn't always easy. Sometimes the more work you put into it the more your think it becomes great and/or the more you struggle with it the more you think it isn't great. Sometimes how objective you are is subjective.

True. It is hard to separate the quality of the work itself, and the effort you put into the work.

These last sentences summarize the article.  Self-assessment does not have to equate with grading.  We need to teach people how to evaluate their own work so that they can make changes for improvement of their work. I feel that at times people are just after the grade.....pleasing the professor....not about learning. 

It's important to have a "predetermined list of criteria" that has been identified by the teacher. Followed by a practice peer assessment being completed as a group for practice. This will serve as a guide to the student(s) as they begin the peer assessment process for each other.

Developing good judgement skills of a student takes practice and time. Small group work of 4-5 members on a couple of sample assignments will help in learning how to identify and offer good peer assessment.

The idea of using some sample assignments as a way to help identify good peer assessment is a good recommendation. I don't think students are naturally good assessers, and this requires practice (and scaffolding).

I can see peer grading being low stakes in the beginning. However, as students start to become more proficient in their skills the teacher might consider giving them the opportunity to work on a high stakes assignment as well.

Interesting how the students see the value of the self assessment and prior to this class didn't put as much thought into their work.

I agree, I find when I include self-assessment regularly my students are more thoughtful about what they produce.  It is also helpful for me because self-assessment allows students to verbalize their processes.  

I agree that if a student knows how to effectively complete a self evaluation of their work then chances are they will be able to work more collaboratively in a group situation.

I think I agree here. I have found that for the most part students are usually honest in a self-reflection, especially if they have to provide specific evidence to support their claims rather than just a number. If the self-evaluation is just a number it is often inflated. 

Key elements of self-assessment to keep in mind.  

This sets the tone for the class and helps to avoid some of the disadvantages discussed above.  

I think that the steps given in this paragraph are crucial for this process to work.  It is teaching what is expected and guidance how to measure.

I have a lot of questions about his process.  Did he provide students with a rubric for grading? Were comments expected?  Maybe students didn't know what to comment on (organization, subject, editing, etc.)  There are a lot of variations that need to be considered.  Also, is this expectation set out at the beginning of the course?  

These are valid questions. The context could paint an entirely different picture. Hypothetically, though, I can see situations where he would be correct. Commenting can often be lacking, regardless of the strength of the guidelines, given a student's perceptions around how they should critique fellow students.

Depending on the type of class, peer feedback might not be an expectation of some learners.  For example, in an art course peer feedback is critical, but I wouldn't necessarily want (or expect to give) peer feedback in other courses I have taken.  

This is very true. Not only subject areas, but different contexts as well. It is harder to be critical when you are simply a classmate; much easier when you are a teammate on a Mock Trial team or a Basketball team, for example.

This is important to note- if makes the process clear and meaningful.

I feel a clear process and expectations would help with this.

It can. Though, the term "clear" is not very clear. I've seen peer assessment tasks that are very detailed, but it doesn't mean students can actually provide good assessment. Many see this as something that will potentially make them look bad if they are overly critical... it seems to go against the proverbial Sunday School Lesson of being nice to everyone.

Absolutely!

This is key!

As long as it is valuable to the learners I think it should be worth the time;)

Interesting!

It would be difficult, when you are so used to teachers evaluating your work, to truly assess your own work without thinking about what the teacher might want.

That teachers share their expectations really makes it self-assessment, not self-grading.

I think this is a good skill not only for the current time and place, but also a skill students can use throughout their life. If they can learn how to effectively and objectively look at their work, they will become better and better at it in all areas of their life.

I think this is a good case in support of using rubrics- if written correctly, it's a good tool to guide self refelction in a measurable way.

While this seems obvious and upfront, I can recall some experiences in my undergraduate work where we were expected to complete a peer assessment and this was not at all clear.  It left our conversations to be very dull and not meaningful.  We focused on very superficial things and tried not to say things that would hurt the other's feelings.  If the expectations had been clear it would have made the process much more meaningful.

I think the word "clear" isn't clear. That may be a bit glib, but it is a throwaway statement to say "Your expectations should be clear". Well, no doubt. But how do you know they are clear? Clear to whom? Luckily, the author backs this up with some other paragraphs below... usually authors leave it at that.

I see more and more reference to portfolios as students and schools move toward a 1:1 computing environment.  However, often I find that the purpose has not been clearly articulated, and the portfolio essentially becomes a collection of student work similar to the scrapbook that my mother made of my school work while growing up.  Placing the focus of the portfolio on either a self assessment of the process or product helps to provide a context and purpose for the practice.

I feel that self assessment done well can be extremely valuable for our students.  It focuses the the process of self reflection and forces the student to constantly look back at the criteria listed for the work to be completed.

Unfortunately, this statement rings very true in my personal experience.  The focus of the professors often seems to be to protect their standing as the expert and power holder.  I often wonder if the constructivist centered work that is starting to take place in our K-12 institutions is impacting what is happening at the next level.

With the growth of MOOCs as well as other online learning options I see this as an area that will certainly continue to change and grow over time.  While both peer and self assessment may offer specific challenges in the online course world, I do believe they can have a place in assessment.

I think this is a crucial point in the process of self-assessment.  the purpose must be viewed as a process for improvement.  If the objective is complete upon grading, the self - assessment will be of little value.

I agree that this is a crucial point. It is about the process for improvement. I take classes now for the knowledge not the grade. It puts a whole new spin on the learning and wanting to improvement my practices, etc.

This is so true. I hate to admit it, but I think I was too focused on making sure that the assessment took into account each member's contribution more so than did each student meet the target or goal. I wonder if it's because I was always one of the heavy lifters in all projects. I wanted to be sure that my grade didn't suffer because of those that didn't care. I suspect my approach to assessing group work was influenced unduly by my past experiences as a student than sound pedagogy.  

Question: Couldn't the teacher "see" who has participated in the group work by using the instructor's tools for the online platform?  Why use peer assessment for a grade?

I see the reasoning behind this peer assessment but I never liked it as a student and I have had a hard time even giving part of a grade on group projects based on peer evaluations so I have generally steered clear of using them in this way.

I agree. I have never been satisfied with efforts at peer assessment. I love the idea of it, but I never got the desired results. I suspect I did not do enough modeling. 

I have to agree here. This has more of a punitive feel to it rather than providing an incentive for positive behavior. 

A well-written rubric provides guidance for what the end result should be, but it doesn't do much to ensure that the group works well together to accomplish this goal. Often, it just indicates what the heavy lifters have to do.

More than anything else I have learned this through this course...that well-written rubrics are so important! I thought that before, but now as we look at self and peer assessment I see it as absolutely critical.

Deb, you really have a good point. Rubrics for group work in of themselves do not ensure that everyone is doing their part.

I have found that the more students practice assessing other pieces of writing, the better informed they are as to the what quality work looks like. They are better able to assess it in others' work as well as their own. However, often there doesn't seem to be enough time to devote to this process. It is so worthwhile but very time consuming. 

I agree with you Deb. It is so worthwhile but it takes time. In order to get better they need practice and guidance. I do think student engagement and responsibility for own learning will outweigh the time involvement in the long run.

This is an important part of career readiness, being able to self-assess. In my work career I am constantly reflecting on my own work, what I need to know more about and how I can improve the process and/or the final product.

If we want students to be engaged and responsible for their learning, self-assessment is a great start. Students monitor their progress and contribute to their learning goals.

These last sentences summarize the article.  Self-assessment does not have to equate with grading.  We need to teach people how to evaluate their own work so that they can make changes to improve their work. I feel that at times people are just after the grade.....pleasing the professor....not about learning. 

Question: Couldn't the teacher "see" who has participated in the group work by using the instructor's tools for the online platform or asking for entrance into the google doc process?

Personally, I like self-evaluation better than peer- assessment.  With peer-assessment, other participants may not know why a peer has not contributed at all or minimally to a group project. Maybe there was a good reason.  Also, I still don't like a group grade. What I have seen is that a few people carry the load of the work.

I agree with this statement.  When I am paying for a graduate course, I want feedback from the person who knows more than I know about the subject. Peer review is fine, too, but the instructor needs to step in when information/insight needs to be added to the discussion.

This is exactly what needs to happen in order for assessment to be outlined explicitly in a class. It's crucial to teach these steps to students in order for the assessmets (both peer and self) are done well.

I think that the steps given in this paragraph are crucial for this process to work.  It is teaching what is expected and guidance how to measure.

Highly important when having students evaluate themselves or others!

This also helps students know what is expected of them.

I completely agree with this - if it is not an environment of mutual respect, you can't expect that they will give each other honest open feedback. Students will be guarded and not open to others opinions.

I remember doing these in school and while it is a way for students to consider setting goals, it makes me wonder if it's the best idea because shouldn't all students be aiming for an A?

Some students come by this naturally but most need very specific examples and guided practice. There are many students who have never "failed" at anything so wouldn't be able to accurately assess themselves.

In working with the special education population of teachers and students, this is a key point. If we don't explicitly teach the objectives we hope to achieve, there's a strong correlation for failure.

I like the use of portfolios if they are truly a story of the students' work showing growth over time and not just items selected by the teacher to showcase what they think parents want to see.

A picture is worth a thousand words. It's time we tap into the power of the emotional connection in our presentations. Students and colleagues will remember major points because they are connected to an emotionally charged visual image.

I love this example. It does a good job of emphasizing the importance of using stories. The story in this example was much more effective than a memo because it struck a chord with the listener who was able to visualize the consequences of not heeding the warning.

I really enjoy the push for storytelling in this article.  I find the lack of storytelling in our school system one of the great demises.  Everyone craves a good story, everyone needs a good story.  Many cultures thrive on storytelling as one of their main forms of education.

So they are saying that we assume that our audience understands background knowledge at the same level that we do. Isn't it true that we don't want to bore people with information that they already know? Seems like a fine line...

Absolutely true!  Our whole lives are a series of stories, with universal truths and we not only reveal ourselves through sharing our stories, we help others feel understood, too.  Wrap a difficult, abstract concept in a story, and you've just created a connecting experience for the audience.  It takes discernment, however, to recognize the stories that communicate our message the very best.

In addition, we need to make sure these stories are relevant and concise as possible so we don't lose our audience in the details.

A master at this is author and speaker Patrick Lencioni.  His presentations are filled with creative visuals and funny, informative, research-based content that make a person think in new ways.

I love this!  It is both a gift and an art to be able to successfully help people understand "why you're excited, sad, etc."  And it can't be manufactured--it has to be at least somewhat organic in that the presenter truly has to believe in what he/she is communicating, and see purpose driving it. The audience can perceive inauthenticity quickly.

I would add that some people, depending on their personality, "buy in" easier than others.  Some are intrinsically skeptical at first--and it's a slower process to form a connection with the speaker. Our history also has something to do with this.  If we're used to long-winded, uninteresting speakers, we may form a initial resistance against any presenter.  That makes the presenter's job an even more complex (but fascinating!) challenge.  

This is a challenge!  When I'm working with elementary students on writing lessons, I've used real rough drafts of some of my picture book manuscripts to show the evolution from rough draft to finished picture book.  Lots of text, with me reading. If I'm most honest, it's also the time in the presentation when I feel like I'm losing their attention.  I amp up my theatrics, but that's not enough.  There has to be a better way to show visually  how making changes to a rough draft can dramatically improve the text.  

I'm excited to learn more about this. 

With the abundance of district-led presentations we must suffer through each year, it seems that this class should be part of every administrative credential program.

This is crucial. I've rarely been moved by an all-staff presentation. A few times, at national conferences with polished speakers, I've had moments of emotional connection. But it is too rare. 

First things first. Create emotion to engage the brain.

Exactly.  Emotion creates connection and this promotes retention.

Last year, in the course "Examing: Teaching with the Brain in Mind," we learned this was not true. We were told the brain is not divided into hemispheres as previously thought. The entire brain is working together at the same time. It was a great class, and it is having a profound impact on my teaching (and learning!). 

I love this!

This is so risky! I love people who take risks!

Good to know.  I always thought this helped keep the interest of my audience.  I guess the interest would be on the transition and not on what I'm trying to get them to learn.

This gets to the root of making information stick.  We must appeal to emotion.  

This is a key point I think presenters, including myself, often forget.

It is difficult to develop assessment tools that show this kind of learning growth with technology without it being more of a lab setting with a control group. I haven't found anything real practical yet that is reliable.

I think that classroom teachers are still struggling with this. We are improving our teaching styles to meet the needs and different learning styles of students, but we aren't quite there yet. My son, for example, is an auditory learner. I'd like for him to be able to have tests read to him without filling out a 504 or IEP. It should just be something that every classroom is quipped to do and the teacher is willing to do it.

This is always a challenge. We have done training on this for years.

This one grabbed my attention. I'm currently helping two students with special learning needs take an on-line math class for credit recovery. It has been a very frustrating experience for them in multiple capacities. They not only struggle with content, but with technology issues - the two combined are sometimes more than the students can handle. On a positive note, I've seen some really cool things you can do within an on-line class to tailor the instruction to better meet their needs. I think in some respects you could perhaps more easily tailor on-line learning to meet the needs of a more diverse set of learners?

I think these online learning tools, if used properly, can help all students, but especially thoses with special needs (including TAG, ELL, etc.). I think the ability to move at their own pace would help some greatly!

Ashely took my comments! She is dead on though. Online learning tools can be an amazing assest to students with special needs, if used appropriately. In Mary's example, podcasting or some other type of online audio program could be used to assist auditory learners.

I am a huge fan of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence model. As I have been searching through the "Cool Tools for School" website, I am constantly thinking of ways I could apply these newly discovered tools to my curriculum to reach all of the eight intelligences to some degree. I really think it will be vital to offer more options in an on-line course, since the face-to-face interaction will be less, perhaps making it more difficult to get to know students and their unique personalities.

I think one way to address this is to do a hybrid course with some online aspects and other face to face. I think anytime we can have variety in our assignments, presentations and assessments, we are more likely to reach a greater number of students with at least some part of our class.

I like the hybrid concept. Our students are diverse in the way they learn and this allows each student to maximize and individual their learning.

Again, moderation in all things is key for learning and building relationships.

Providing feedback to students in any type of course is extremely important in order for students to continue to progress. When not meeting face to face with the instructor communication and course feedback is imperative.

Rob, I think that feedback, when given constructively to students prior to any type of evaluation, can be one of the most effective teaching tools a teacher can use!

I think the use of technology will enhance feedback opportunities. I also think that the peer feedback opportunities could be a very enriching experience for students, in addition to teach feedback.

I struggle with feedback within my language arts classroom when it comes to writing assignments. By the time I get them all graded and handed back, the kids look at their grade and many recycle them on their way out. Did they really benefit from all the time I spent making comments and giving them feedback?

I think that supplementing our face-to-face classrooms with online environments (ex. Moodle) will enrich the student experience and provide the teacher with a quicker response method.

Sherri, I wonder if students would take more time reading feedback if the feedback was on some form of online feedback. I agree many times students are just interested only in the grade as oposed to how to improve or what they can learn from the feedback. I said many times, nothing gets in the way of learning more, than the almighty grade!

I model feedback after the Boy's town Model. Constructive feedback starts with a powerful statement of praise AND supporting details. We also have a consideration statement...NO buts...for example: I truly appreciate the aesthetic details that your writing creates within my mind due to your word choice and the emotions created. You might consider looking at us more by becomeing more familiar with your writing so that eye contact is given to your audience. I have found that many students appreciate oral feedback and most look forward to it. Naturally, I always end the feedback session after the students go. What's really neat is when students have done such a good job with feedback that it's difficult for me to add more...

Once again, it's the relationship piece that is needed within the feedback piece. I believe we need to show students improvement through building the relationship.

This could be difficult for an animated personality, where actions speak as loud as words.

I can definitely see the benefits to teaching online, but it would be a sad foreign language class if all of the material was taught this way. There has to be social, face-to-face interactions. That's where fluency can be built.

I totally agree. I keep trying to add more technology to my classes all the time, but I really try to caution myself to add it because it is an improvement and not just simply adding technology.

This standard seems very vague to me. How do you determine if the instructor knows the difference between face to face and online learning? I guess I am still sorting out and determining that myself what the difference is, so may be why it is difficult for me to discern.

It's the relationship variable.....do we care enough to reach out?

I currently use numreous programs: from powerpoint and gradebook to email, smartboard, blogging, etc. In four weeks I will either be much more technologically advanced or I will be ready to give up.

I must agree. It is starting to get out of hand

Yes, I know, but I'm willing to give it a good shot. If I fail, I fail, but I think I'll learn something useful. I guess "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" applies here very well.

This standard will have to be updated a lot. Technology seems to change very frequently. What is advanced today may very well be obsolete tomorrow. More importantly, the variety of technology out there makes this a nightmare. You might be in one district that utilizes one type of application then go to another district that uses a totally different platform for the same task.

I'm with you all on this. It's called information overload. Moderation in all things is GOOD. Too much drink, we know what it does. Too much food, we know what that does. Too much technology, oh nooooo what could that do. Moderation in all things will bring a balance

I definitely need to work on this standard. Everything seems so new and unfamiliar. I hope I can learn through this course which tools are appropriate for my students and curriculum.

Ashley, it is very difficult to determine what strategy or technology is best to use when, especially, when there are so many different options out there for an instructor to use online. I guess we just need to keep an open mind and adjust accordingly because new technology is always being developed.

This is also something I need to work on. There are so many online tools that are available to use, but I feel overwhelmed by the number available to us.

I am currently using Moodle for several of my classes. I don't use the "tools" to make my classes more engaging. My goal is to use the Moodle as more than a homework repository. I think we all have good intentions on adding technology , but we get bogged down in the routines. This class is a great way to explore new "tools". :)

Technology is such a difficult thing because it is ever changing, and it seems that by the time we get it loaded on our machines, life has moved on without us. The other issue is the amount of tools that are available for use because time to explore is rather limited.

I have not yet figured out what technology is fun, and what technology is actually useful in teaching.

I believe a lot of teachers (myself included) are stuck in using technology as an add-on to learning. For example, my 6th grade students are currently creating Google presentations about extraterrestrial locations. The presentations are very nice and the practice of making and presenting them will help communication skills, but the creation of the presentation itself will not enhance their learning of the science content. I have simply integrated a different media for presentation. We need to use technology in pedagogy not a superficial add-on.

Critical piece when working with young adults in this media age!

I would agree, and add that teachers also, to be reminded of what is appropriate. You see all too often where a teacher is being accused of inappropriate behavior while use social media sites.

It is so important to teach them media literacy. I know this is a fear that my fellow teachers have about moving to online learning, but academic integrity should be part of the curriculum!

Academic integrity is necessary when learning online! One also needs to teach students how to filter through all the information to find the accurate sources.