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Mande Alexander

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 2 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by Mande Alexander on 06 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • t's about how much visual weight different parts of your design have.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      Have variety without overdoing it. The Yahoo example in the lesson was a great example of too much information that confuses the viewer.
  • Position — Where something is on a page clearly influences in what order the user sees it. Color — Using bold and subtle colors is a simple way to tell your user where to look. Contrast — Being different makes things stand out, while being the same makes them secondary. Size — Big takes precedence over little (unless everything is big, in which case little might stand out thanks to Contrast) Design Elements — if there is a gigantic arrow pointing at something, guess where the user will look?
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      I would suggest looking at websites that you like, ones that feel easy to navigate. Look at what they do and use it as a guide when starting out.
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      I think this is a smart idea. Our district is currently doing a redesign and started to discuss what the other UEN districts websites strengths and challenges.
    • Mande Alexander
      Mande Alexander on 13 Jun 18
       
      I would echo mirroring a site that you like. It's a perfect way to get ideas and then tweak as needed.
  • Web site is being unable to figure out where to go or where you are.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      Three click rule: If a user has to click on more than three links then they are most likely going to be frustrated and leave the site. Keep navigation simple!
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • So if there was a download button, for example, I would make a little download image. In the last year or so, I've switched to using CSS to make my buttons and have never looked back.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      This a good tip that I would like to try. I have always created buttons versus using CSS.
  • Consistency means making everything match. Heading sizes, font choices, coloring, button styles, spacing, design elements, illustration styles, photo choices, etc. Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      The best advice yet! It makes sites easier to navigate, especially for novice users.
  • Exercise.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 06 Jun 18
       
      This visual is very helpful. It also shows the power of an infographic to help a viewer understand the written content.
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      This layout helps visualize all of the definitions that were listed above.
  • But as a general rule, putting space between text and the rest of the world makes it infinitely more readable and pleasant. White Space
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      This makes sense so as not overwhelm the reader. It's about looking at other's use of white space and figuring out why it appeals to you.
    • jbuerman
      jbuerman on 15 Jun 18
       
      Too much run on makes it very confusing for the student - white space is essential!
  • Visual Hierarchy
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      Is the most important the largest?
  • Users don’t read, they scan.
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      With this in mind, how can we teach students to decide when scanning vs reading makes sense?
  • fter you’ve worked on a site for few weeks, you can’t observe it from a fresh perspective anymore.
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      This s is so true. We need new audiences to look at our work.
  • Example of Pulling it all together
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 10 Jun 18
       
      This visual does a great job putting all of the definitions in context.
  • Design is marketing. Design is your product and how it works.
    • Mande Alexander
      Mande Alexander on 13 Jun 18
       
      This is so important! Design is more than colors and fonts - this is your baby! Think about the user experience because design can truly make that experience negative.
  • Font Choices — Different types of fonts say different things about a design. Some look modern, some look retro. Make sure you are using the right tool for the job.
    • Mande Alexander
      Mande Alexander on 13 Jun 18
       
      Is any one else a font nerd like I am? The fact Google gives me unlimited choices in fonts is dangerous!
  • With so much information and interaction to be effected on a Web site, it's important that you, the designer, provide for it all. That means making your Web site design usable.
    • Mande Alexander
      Mande Alexander on 13 Jun 18
       
      Usability is crucial. So many educators and agencies have been under the microscope because we have continued to create things that are not ADA compliant and thus not usable to all end users.
  • Keeping your design crisp and sharp is super important in Web design. And when it comes to clarity, it's all about the pixels.
    • Mande Alexander
      Mande Alexander on 13 Jun 18
       
      YES! I will stop looking at a presentation or site if images are not crisp.
schreckkimberly

PLE Articles - 5 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

teacher and networked student

shared by schreckkimberly on 06 Jul 18 - No Cached
  • Students now have access to desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and game systems that connect them to free online tools that are always available.
    • dixieluna
      dixieluna on 06 Jul 18
       
      This is a shift in mindset for many teachers. Students have a a great resource (their cellphone) however, teachers/school do not allow students to use their phones. This would also require a certain amount of trust between the students and teacher.
    • ctinkham
      ctinkham on 06 Jul 18
       
      I allow cell phones at all times in my class (we just have a talk about what "within reason" means and how to use them in moderation) for exactly this reason---I have kids that prefer to type papers on their phones because it is faster for them. However, most of the other teachers in our school do not allow them out in class, so it's hard to be "that teacher" that throws off the routine for everyone else. Honestly, however, it's so much easier---I don't have to spend 5 minutes arguing with a kid about their phone.
  • Students engaging in networked learning have to learn to be more self-directed than in the typical classroom
    • dixieluna
      dixieluna on 06 Jul 18
       
      Some students have a difficult time being self-directed. Is it difficult for teachers to know when to step in and when to step back?
    • hinzmanna
      hinzmanna on 08 Jul 18
       
      I wonder the same thing, Dixie. I also wonder how much teacher direction is appropriate when setting up their PLE?
    • ctinkham
      ctinkham on 10 Jul 18
       
      or perhaps creating an exemplar for students, then maybe helping them get started, step by step, until they are a little more comfortable with the idea and process.
  • An eportfolio
    • dixieluna
      dixieluna on 06 Jul 18
       
      This is my "ah-ha" moment. As I began reading about Symbaloo, I was questioning the ways students would use this resource. I think it is a great and creative way to make an eportfolio.
    • ctinkham
      ctinkham on 10 Jul 18
       
      yes! A page in an e-portfolio or in an online resume to show interests or other resources.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • This encourages students to apply their learning in different venues which creates a culture of lifelong learning.
    • dixieluna
      dixieluna on 06 Jul 18
       
      Isn't this one of our ultimate goals?
    • hinzmanna
      hinzmanna on 08 Jul 18
       
      Right? No matter what approach one takes, I believe this is always an ultimate goal.
  • Personal Learning Environments (PLE) are not to be confused with Learning Management Systems (LMS) that are implemented and maintained by institutions. Here's a chart that outlines the differences:
    • ctinkham
      ctinkham on 06 Jul 18
       
      "Ah-ha" moment for me: so a PLE (a term with which I was previously unfamiliar) is basically a collection of resources that is organized and available to everyone, and one that everyone can contribute to? Great idea, as opposed to a teacher providing everything for the student.
    • trudicabrera
      trudicabrera on 10 Jul 18
       
      I also think PLE's could be useful for small/large group projects as far as sharing resources. Group participants can share articles and they could use Diigo to share thoughts and ideas! I wish I knew about these things when I was in college!
  • Below is a video that shows how a 7th grade student uses Symbaloo as a PLE in her science class:
    • ctinkham
      ctinkham on 06 Jul 18
       
      am I missing a link? I'd like to see this
  • PLEs place a large amount of responsibility on students and thus requires a high level of self-management and awareness. Not every student is ready for this responsibility, so teachers need to have strategies in place to guide and support these learners.
  • PLEs place a large amount of responsibility on students and thus requires a high level of self-management and awareness. Not every student is ready for this responsibility, so teachers need to have strategies in place to guide and support these learners.
  • they liked the clean, visual interface of Symbaloo
    • marthaschwind
      marthaschwind on 10 Jul 18
       
      I think Symbaloo will be easy for all students to use.
    • trudicabrera
      trudicabrera on 10 Jul 18
       
      When I have used it in the past it has been easier for students to use on Chromebooks than iPads (atleast in my experience). I am excited to learn more about Symbaloo and hopefully learn some helpful tips/tricks to help better my usage of it in the classroom.
  • nstead of a teacher providing resources that everyone uses, students can utilize their PLE to acquire information using preferred apps and resources such as blogs, YouTube, Pinterest, Ning or Delicious.
    • trudicabrera
      trudicabrera on 10 Jul 18
       
      I teach first grade and have used symbaloo previously, however I am not sure if my students would benefit from having their own PLE's via symbaloo. In the past I have logged into my symbaloo on their ipads so they can access the resources (kahoot, myOn, pbsKids, etc) I want them too. I need a major "make-over" to my symbaloo, it isn't very student friendly.
  • The idea of having one site to log into daily and then a pre-constructed  dashboard of all the learning tools and spaces available to us seemed appealing
    • trudicabrera
      trudicabrera on 10 Jul 18
       
      I think this is extremely appealing to students, you can have the symbaloo page set as the home screen on computers and all of the websites/resources that are approved would be right at the disposal for the students.
    • schreckkimberly
      schreckkimberly on 14 Jul 18
       
      Truly an empowering and exciting way to guide students to collect information and demonstrate their learning. My kids ask to get on their symbaloo pages at home after school to show me what they are learning. If parents have access to the symbaloo pages too, they can actively be a part of their child's learning for that class.
  • A collection of resources related to a problem-based learning challenge
    • ljurich
      ljurich on 11 Jul 18
       
      Another idea generated for me! As each student team is working on a particular Orbis project, I'm thinking each project could have it's own symbaloo dashboard.
  • The notion of a PLE for students, grounding them intentionally in an environment of information tools and productive applications, is a great way to seek, develop, and structure that balanced approach.  
    • ljurich
      ljurich on 11 Jul 18
       
      This is great reminder that while students are technology natives, we have a responsibility to teach them positive, professional behaviors.
  • I encouraged students to use their accounts as an information dashboard for “professional” or school interests as well as personal passions.
    • ljurich
      ljurich on 11 Jul 18
       
      This has generated an idea for me to use Symbaloo in Orbis as a way for students to create individual portfolios showcasing evidence of their growth in the 3 key outcomes of Orbis: collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.
  • Personal learning environments are beneficial because they support learning anywhere and allow learners to connect the diverse environments of school, home and play.
    • ljurich
      ljurich on 11 Jul 18
       
      I'm thinking about how valuable a resource like Symbaloo could be for students, especially as they contribute to it, for them to use it far beyond the scope of the classroom, after the class/course has ended.
    • schreckkimberly
      schreckkimberly on 14 Jul 18
       
      Agreed. This is how we continue to be learners as adults too. We all have our resources we regularly check in with to learn based on our interests and needs. Guiding students to learn to use technology in this way is truly opening the door to life-long learners.
  • are no longer the primary or even the best source of information available to students
    • schreckkimberly
      schreckkimberly on 14 Jul 18
       
      It is humbling and yet exciting to shift from the "sage at the stage" role to the "guide at the side". I feel that students will also feel a greater sense of support from teachers, whose job is to help them utilize tools to stretch their learning beyond what they alone can offer the student.
  • Study group resources
    • schreckkimberly
      schreckkimberly on 14 Jul 18
       
      I love that this is included as valuable-- sites that student groups can visit for peer collaboration. Important to remember that so many students are social learners and may acquire their deepest learning by collaborating with other students as opposed to individual exploration.
kmolitor

Ten Tips for Personalized Learning via Technology | Edutopia - 0 views

www.edutopia.org/ed-instruction-ten-key-lessons

shared by kmolitor on 13 Jun 17 - No Cached
  • Immediate Feedback
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Providing timely and helpful feedback has been a career-long struggle for me (especially as a high school writing teacher...those essays!) Kelly Gallagher's work on assessment and feedback has really helped me in my turning the feedback responsibilities back over to the students,which aids in more timely and authentic feedback. Now my challenge is using data to drive further personalization and instruction...so much to manage!!
    • ljurich
      ljurich on 10 Jul 18
       
      One thing we plan to try in Orbis this year (our project-based learning class where students are doing projects for the workforce) is to structure in a few days where we invite in experts from the workforce to provide feedback to students. For example, if a student team is working on a marketing project for a particular business, we will invite a marketing expert from a marketing firm to meet with the students and give them feedback on their work. I'm excited to see this in action! How could this look for your classroom?
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 05 Apr 19
       
      Immeadiate feedback is essential for learning but I do understand the struggles with this. Therefore using technology when appropriate to provide timely feedback is a essential.
  • Let Students Drive
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      I do this out of necessity! My high school students know so much more about technology than I do!
  • Why wait days or weeks to deliver and grade a quiz to find out which kids missed important concepts? Teachers here routinely use remote-response systems (clickers), colorful little gadgets that allow each child to enter her answer to a practice question so that the teacher can instantly see who got it right or wrong. Computer software programs, too, can give kids practice questions, quickly diagnose trouble spots, and allow teachers to customize subsequent lessons for each child's needs.
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 15 Feb 18
       
      This has been a challenge, especially as I moved to a district that is very rapidly growing and my student roster is upwards of 160 now. It seems impossible to give timely feedback (let alone IMMEDIATE) or meaningful feedback to every single student. I've had to enlist technology to help me deliver feedback on some of the lowest level skills so I could focus on giving feedback on the higher level and more complex skills. It's a journey!
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 17 Apr 19
       
      That is a great point! It can certainly get tricky! I like using some quick google forms exit cards too that allow some easy formative assessment to see where students are and where we need to go next.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • When they plan each unit of study, different members of each grade-level team design the activities for higher-skilled kids, lower-skilled kids, etc.
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 15 Feb 18
       
      Awesome idea! This is a benefit of teaching in a larger school -- many hands make light work! :)
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 17 Apr 19
       
      This makes sense for PLC teams to do. They could brainstorm ideas to help remediate or enrich!
  • Deliver Instruction through Multiple Forms of Media
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 20 Feb 18
       
      I think this helps engage students. Instead of the same old teaching the same way all day long it allows for some variety instead of boring them. As I have started some learning progressions I have found videos, songs, interactive games rather than just doing teacher led activities the normal practice routines.
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 05 Apr 19
       
      This has been very valuable for Physical Education teachers within my district to engage students. Although not all schools have the projectors mounted in the ceiling with screens on the wall. Those that do reap the benefits though.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 17 Apr 19
       
      We all still remember the abc's by singing them. Students can retain more information by doing that sitting and getting.
  • how to use the technology, what to do if you have a question, how to behave if Ms. Lowe isn't standing right there
  • Give Students Options
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 05 Apr 19
       
      I like this option idea as in PE not all students want to actually perform their skills for evaluation, some may want to write out the critical steps to perform a skill and others may even want to simply explain it to the teacher or a peer.
  • Pretest Students' Knowledge Before Each Unit
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 05 Apr 19
       
      I think this has great value for the teachers and students so that learning can meet the students where there at and the teachers can plan accordingly.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 17 Apr 19
       
      I agree! I think it could help even with PLC's and creating learning pathways to help students get to where we'd like them to be.
  • You know what? If something doesn't work, it's OK,
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 17 Apr 19
       
      I truly believe this is so important...it helps kids see us as problem solvers too. Just yesterday we were working with a group of 2nd graders and trying to use scratch...well apparently our ipads are too old to use scratch so we had to improvise and change the lesson so students used our model on the board and then they wrote out their answers on paper. At the end we discussed how it's ok when tech doesn't work and how can we keep working to do our job. Great discussion with these kids...they've grown up with all of this:-)
r kleinow

online1: Iowa Online Teaching Standards - 43 views

205.221.40.124/...view.php

shared by r kleinow on 05 Sep 10 - Cached
  • Proposed Online Teaching Standards
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 05 Sep 10
       
      These standards are non-evaluative. They are meant to provide guidance in nationally recognized best practices for teaching online.
    • ksteingr
      ksteingr on 15 Sep 10
       
      I'm getting ready to work with a group of teacher librarians and we are starting by looking at our guidelines from Dept. of Ed for school library program. I think each year, as we add new tools, strategies, we have to not lose sight of the progress we are making on any standards or guidelines. Seeing how close we are to best practice, only helps us focus on what work we have to do. So, they may be non-evaluative, but maybe also not "optional". Does that make sense? Kristin
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      I think that makes sense. There is a proper procedure (I'm assuming) inclusive of the BoEE, SAI, and ISEA on setting standards that would be evaluative... and therefore necessary for licensure. These haven't gone through that process. One of the best things about the standards is exactly what is being done on this page... they lead to good discussions about what is great teaching.
  • Knows and aligns instruction to the achievement goals of the local agency and the state, such as with the Iowa Core (Varvel I.A, ITS 1.f, ITS 3.a)
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 12 Sep 10
       
      This is not unique to the online teaching standards. It would seem prudent to align anything we teach to students and/or adults with the Iowa Core or the newly adopted Common Core Standards in reading and math.
    • bonnie smith
      bonnie smith on 19 Sep 10
       
      I agree; with so much to teach these days, the classroom time needs to be tightly tied your Content Area Standards (in my case Reading) and Technology. My students will be in a world quite different from mine, so more Technology use is needed. They are already experimenting with Online usage but without supervision and guidance. The Standards will help me as a teacher to focus on ethics for Internet use and help in guiding them into the best pratices.
    • Julie Townsend
      Julie Townsend on 18 Jan 11
       
      The teaching standards have always provided me with guidance when selecting content to teach my students. When I taught Art, Science or Social Studies. Technology knowledge is critical to everyone, including students in special education. I was unaware until taking this Moodle course, of the online teaching standards. I agree that it is a good tool for teaching.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I have always had a strong interest in knowing and aligning the instruction with the goals. It is very easy to fall in to the practice of doing things because: "they have always been done", because I found an exciting new tool, or it is the catch phrase of the month, I feel it is good practice to regularly revisit the desired goal to better assure the alignment of that goal and the instructional opportunities to achieve said goal. I am glad this is here and glad it is at the top, intended or not.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Aligning insturction with the goals is somethign I have always had an interest in. I think it is very easy to fall into the practice of: always having done it that way, or trying the new exciting tool, or jumping on the catch phrase of the month with out considering the learnign goal. I think it is very important to regualry revisit the learning and achievement goals to make cetian that the instruction is aligned to that goal. I am glad to see it mentioned here, and intendedl or not, glad to see it at the top.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree that aligning the instruction with the goal is an important and often over looked piece of instruction. Way to often instructional practice is done because; "that's the way it has always been done, or because we found a new exciting tool, or because of the catch phrase of the month. I am glad to see the 'goal-instructional alignment" piece mentioned and glad to see it at the top.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree and have always been a big fan of aligning instruction with the learning or achievement goals. Way to often I have used a particular instruction because 1. That's the way it was always done, 2. There was a new exciting tool or 3. There was a new or popular catch phrase going around. I am glad to see this listed, and intended or not, glad to see it at the top. I view it as very important to often revisit the goals to assess if the instruction is aligned to that goal.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree and have always been a big fan of aligning instruction with the learning or achievement goals. Way to often I have used a particular instruction because 1. That's the way it was always done, 2. There was a new exciting tool or 3. There was a new or popular catch phrase going around. I am glad to see this listed, and intended or not, glad to see it at the top. I view it as very important to often revisit the goals to assess if the instruction is aligned to that goal.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree and have always been a big fan of aligning instruction with the learning or achievement goals. Way to often I have used a particular instruction because 1. That's the way it was always done, 2. There was a new exciting tool or 3. There was a new or popular catch phrase going around. I am glad to see this listed, and intended or not, glad to see it at the top. I view it as very important to often revisit the goals to assess if the instruction is aligned to that goal.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jan 11
       
      Checking to see if this note goes through.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 21 Jan 11
       
      test
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 22 Jan 11
       
      I too was unaware of the online teaching standards, but they make perfect sense. If we expect to bring students into the 21st century classroom, then using standards to guide that work will help all stakeholders. Otherwise, there is really no way to measure our effectiveness in the online environment.
  • Is knowledgeable and has the ability to use computer programs required in online education to improve learning and teaching, including course management software (CMS) and synchronous/asynchronous communication tools (chat, email, web 2.0, videoconferencing, webinar, whiteboard, etc.) (SREB B.3, Varvel III.B)
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 12 Sep 10
       
      This one puts a bit of trepidation in my soul. I want to use technology well when I teach adult learners. However, I know that I still have a lot to learn in this realm.
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 13 Sep 10
       
      It's impossible to stay trained and current on all of the available tools. Just pick a few that work for you and work with incorporating those. You are better off knowing a lot about a few tools than knowing a little bit about hundreds of tools.
    • Leslie Roberts
      Leslie Roberts on 13 Sep 10
       
      I agree that it is impossible to stay current and trained on all available tools, but I don't think this is what the standard is saying. My interpretation is that it just encourages online educators to be lifelong learners and stay abreast of changes. I also agree that it is better to find the tools we like the best and learn to use and apply them to our course objectives.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 15 Sep 10
       
      I think this goes back to the discussion we had last week. Knowing what tool will work best in a particular learning situation is important. I try to stay current, but that really is almost impossible. Just in the first week, others in class referenced many online tools that I wasn't familar with, but wanted to learn more about. Using Diigo is another example. I've used this tool for awhile and that is evident by looking at my bookmarks. However, I have not utilized the group function nor have I used the discussion feature. I think this would be a wonderful tool to use in the online environment!
    • ksteingr
      ksteingr on 15 Sep 10
       
      I think the focus here makes a good point. An online class will be by definition part of synchronous and asynchronous communication. So instructors and students have to work with tools such as Skype, meebo, Adobe Connect for webinars, videoconferencing, etc. In the case of Skype, this morning I worked with a partner in South Carolina and we used Skype to share screens, send messages, but we didn't use the web camera because seeing each other for this meeting wasn't necessary. We only needed to hear each other and see items on our desktops. And secondly, (although you have it listed first), if you are online, you need a CMS - in this case, Moodle to tie it all together. Teachers need to practice in this environment - set up a meeting with someone to use Skype, register for a free webinar, etc. Expand your learning! :-)
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      I think the modifier "knowledgeable" and the "ability to use" instead of "has mastery of" is crucial. Those that wrote the national standards recognized what everyone here has said, that technology changes so much, mastery is not only impossible, but foolish to seek.
    • bonnie smith
      bonnie smith on 19 Sep 10
       
      As a Reading Teacher I expect myself to be knowledgeable and have the ability to use (though mastery would a goal), but are these Standards for the classroom teacher or the teacher of Technology?
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 20 Sep 10
       
      "has knowledge" is a beginning point. Some of our group members don't feel "knowledgeable" even though they have used many of the Web 2.0 tools. Those wise folks know exactly how big the "ocean" of technology is - that's why there is a bit of discomfort. When that discomfort or thirst for more knowledge leads one to a class like this, IT's a Very good end result!!!
    • Cheryl Mullenbach
      Cheryl Mullenbach on 20 Jan 11
       
      Like anything else, you can always find someone who is more knowledgeable, but you can always find someone is less knowledgeable than you are too!
    • Valerie Jergens
      Valerie Jergens on 21 Jan 11
       
      Too bad these standards are for online course teachers only. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were moving to blended classes everywhere? It would be for me-I'd like to see a lot more use of online resources. There are so many simulations, games, virtual environments that students could be exxperiencing. And, then having conversation about outside of the classroom. Wouldn't that be an improvement on a worksheet for homework?
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 22 Jan 11
       
      This is a rather daunting standard at first glance. Keeping up with technology is not an occasional event. What it does say to me is that we have to be willing to make this an ongoing effort and not become complacent with learning just one or two tools, but to stay open to trying new tools. I think the key is matching the technology to the learning goal.
    • Jeny Schoenhard
      Jeny Schoenhard on 24 Jan 11
       
      I was wondering the same think as Bonnie, are these standards for the classroom teacher or the teacher of Technology. I feel that we should have some basic knowledge of a tool before introducing it into a classroom full of students, however being that we are all lifelong learnings it is a given that the students will find things within that tool that we didn't know about and be able to teach us something. I just feel that if I wait to master something before bringing it to my students they will never experience it.
  • ...53 more annotations...
  • Understands and uses data from assessments to guide instruction
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 12 Sep 10
       
      Is this speaking to formative assesment/assessment for learning? How can we be sure that all readers of this document have the same definition of "assessement"? Lack of a common vocabulary sometimes leads to misconceptions and misunderstaindings.
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 17 Sep 10
       
      That's a very critical issue! There are way too many assessments "given" that are not used! And then who gets to decide which assessments should be privileged over others. Reliability and validity do need to count as major players in the decisions!
    • Kim Wise
      Kim Wise on 18 Jan 11
       
      Good points. Lots going on in this short sentence. I would hope that the intent would be around student learning and not just completion of tasks. This would lead the instructor to be a critical consumer of what data would help him/her accomplish teaching for understanding.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree this is an important and, for me, challenging aspect. I am guessing this is implied but I think it is crucial to use data from valid and reliable assessments (whatever that means) as many times I hear of decisions being made based on data that has little to do with the actual skills and abilities we would like the learner to have. Finding easy to use assessments that can provide meaningful data to guide instruction has been a challenge for me but one that I think can help to be addressed by the influx of technolgy tools and their ability to collect and provide graphic representations to aid in analysis of the data. On the simpler side I think it speaks to the importance of the instructor learner relationship. If learning is going to be advanced the instructor must have and use information of where the learner currently is and then instruct accordingly.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Using data to guide intruction is another area that I have a great deal of interest in. I am a fimr beleiver that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is to find out what the learn knows, figure that out then instruct accordingly, and this would need to be an ongoing process. The challenge, for me, is to find assessments that can efficiently provide that information but I think technolgy tools can can certainly help in that area with alll that can be doen to collect and organize data for easier analysis. A key piece to that being certain that I am collecting data that is well aligned with what the learner needs to know and be able to do, as I often see decisions that seem to be made based on data that seems to have little to do with what we really want learns to know and be able to do.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      I would agree that this is a key piece. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows and then to teach accordingly. Collecting and using that information is an important part of any learning process.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Again this is something I am glad to see. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows. Then to take that information and teach accordingly. I think this standard speaks to the importance of that and the ongoing process that should be taking place with any quality instruction.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Again this is something I am glad to see. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows. Then to take that information and teach accordingly. I think this standard speaks to the importance of that and the ongoing process that should be taking place with any quality instruction.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Again this is something I am glad to see. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows. Then to take that information and teach accordingly. I think this standard speaks to the importance of that and the ongoing process that should be taking place with any quality instruction.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Again this is something I am glad to see. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows. Then to take that information and teach accordingly. I think this standard speaks to the importance of that and the ongoing process that should be taking place with any quality instruction.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 20 Jan 11
       
      Again this is something I am glad to see. I am a believer that the single most important thing a teacher needs to know is what the learner already knows. Then to take that information and teach accordingly. I think this standard speaks to the importance of that and the ongoing process that should be taking place with any quality instruction.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jan 11
       
      I'd reiterate what Denise said... it is a critical question to ask!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jan 11
       
      This is a valuable question to ask, Denise!
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 21 Jan 11
       
      Kim, you said, "I would hope that the intent would be around student learning and not just completion of tasks." I couldn't agree more! This is assessment FOR learning (formative assessment) as we know it in the Iowa Core characteristics of effective instruction. (I think denise mentioned it in an earlier sticky note, now that I look back at it...). Effective instruction in a face-to-face environment seems to be similar to an online environment, too...to some degree.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jan 11
       
      This is a good question you posed, Denise!
  • Utilizes a course evaluation and student feedback data to improve the course (Varvel VI.F)
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 13 Sep 10
       
      This step is crucial. It's very tempting to set up a course and never touch it again. Given the constantly changing online environment, it is even more necessary to stay current with a regularily-scheduled course review process.
    • Leslie Roberts
      Leslie Roberts on 13 Sep 10
       
      I have been in online classes where the instructor has taken a course and just "refried it" from offering to offering. Links are no longer valid, dates are incorrect, technologies have changed, etc.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 15 Sep 10
       
      That would be terrible. I'm spending so much time putting together my course. I want to be positive everything is in top working condition so participants won't face any frustration.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      "Refried it". I've never heard that term before... it's now part of my lexicon! Denise, what you mention is so true. There is a bit of pride involved in a course, whether online or F2F (at least I should say you can tell the teachers who take pride in their work very quickly). On the other hand, links expire without notice very quickly, and updates are made to Moodle servers behind your back that all of a sudden change the way your course looks. It's tough to keep up sometimes.
    • bonnie smith
      bonnie smith on 19 Sep 10
       
      Each year I have had the students reflect on units covered this year...It has always been for my benefit...interesting to see it as a proposed Standard now.
    • Sara Youngers
      Sara Youngers on 16 Jan 11
       
      I think "Refried" courses happen whether they are online or in the classroom. This standard should be for all courses, not just online ones.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 17 Jan 11
       
      I agree, Sara. Our AEA has an online evaluation for courses with participants responding to Likert scale items and given the chance to add comments. Much depends on the instructor's willingness to honestly examine that feedback, consider patterns in the responses, and make adjustments that improve the course.
  • • Assists students with technology used in the course (Varvel III.C)
    • Leslie Roberts
      Leslie Roberts on 13 Sep 10
       
      I feel that assisting online learners in a course is very important to keep them from being frustrated and spending too much on the technology and not enough time on the learning. I find that I have to deliver one-on-one help in my online class to teachers who are not as tech savvy as others.
    • Gale Zellweger
      Gale Zellweger on 14 Sep 10
       
      Leslie, I have been on the student side of this standard and totally agree with you!
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 15 Sep 10
       
      Leslie: I agree as well. If possible, I think it would be a good idea to have some F2F time. This might work well at the beginning of the class so participants will feel comfortable with the interface. I also think this might alleviate fears learners might have and consequently content will become primary and the technology secondary.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 18 Sep 10
       
      Great point about the content remaining the primary focus and the technology secondary. I know I appreciate the tutorials in this course and in others I have taken when it has been provided. If I have to find my own online tutorial or read about it, it takes way too much time and I'm totally stressed before I even begin the actual assignment.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 28 Sep 10
       
      Staying focused on the content is critical in reaching the overall goals of a course. When I first stated taking online courses I would often find myself double checking what I did to make sure a post occurred or paper uploaded. The more online courses I have participated in has yielded a comfort level with the technology tool and thus the focus can be on the content.
    • charles krueger
      charles krueger on 20 Jan 11
       
      I can strongly relate to this, I'm one of those less than tech savvy teachers. There are so many new and potentially very useful tools that it is hard to know which will be useful to me.
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      I agree with that helping with the technology takes the stress off. I think that tutorials over the technology being used is a great way to help both student and teacher save time. This way if something is forgotten you can go back and see what the next step is.
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      I know that when I have something that has to be done using technology I can get frustrated really easily. Having a tutorial like I have for the class I am in right now has been very helpful and that way if I feel like I am lost I can go back and watch the tutorial to see if what I need to do next.
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      I agree with the comments. I know that when I have anything dealing with technology I sometimes get a little worked up. The more I am comfortable with what I am doing the better I do. I really like to the online class I am in right now because the tutorials really help me with the assignments. They allow me to learn the technology before I have to use it.
    • Gale Zellweger
      Gale Zellweger on 14 Sep 10
       
      This sounds like "super teacher!"
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      Standards have a way of sounding like that, don't they?
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 20 Sep 10
       
      But high expectations are really good for all learners! And if we aren't life-long learners as teachers, how will our students ever be life-long learners? (It's in most of our 35 school districts' mission statements!)
    • Mike Bevelacqua
      Mike Bevelacqua on 18 Jan 11
       
      Content knowledge is one factor that is very highly correlated with student achievement. At least in Math Eduction research...
  • • Maintains an online social presence that is available, approachable, positive, interactive, and sincere (SREB C.3, Varvel VII.A)
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 18 Sep 10
       
      I know this is one thing I need to work on in my classes. Because I take online classes as well as teach them, it's easy to forget to check in with the classes I teach, as I'm so worried about deadlines for my own assignments.
    • Tony Amsler
      Tony Amsler on 20 Sep 10
       
      I've really try to maintain an online social presence by.... 1. weekly "check-in's" to post tips and suggestions, 2. to setup a calendar that will attempt to keep students "on pace" between due dates, rather posting an email that everything is due tomorrow. 3. always responed to student's posting with discussion forum. I know I could do more.... always looking for innovative ways to do it... even considered meeting in Second Life (keep in mind I teach college students online ;-)
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 20 Sep 10
       
      I think it's also important to think about the " positive and the interactive" that are built in through "community building". I've been in some on-line classes where many folks are working at the "minimum" level of participation and really don't even add much more than a sentence in response to a comment. (YES, worse than the kids when they want to know How Much they need to write!)
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 17 Jan 11
       
      Does this also mean actively participating in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter?
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      I sure hope it doesn't. As much as I am tied to the computer at both work and home, I have avoided the social networking sites with diligence. I don't have a problem interacting with others regarding work related items, etc., but I have a real hesitation to 'share my personal life and thoughts' with the cyber-world. Even the ability to select those 'friends' doesn't really give me any reassurance that a link can be made to those that I don't select.
    • Steve Van Gundy
      Steve Van Gundy on 19 Jan 11
       
      I have to believe it means some type of professional site, and not Facebook/Twitter. I've avoided social networking sites like the plague, mostly because I like to be off the computer if I'm not working. And I agree with Eldon, I don't necessarily want to put my personal life out there for all to read. But I have no problem maintaining a "professional" online presence.
    • Steve Van Gundy
      Steve Van Gundy on 20 Jan 11
       
      I have to believe it's not including Facebook/Twitter or whatever else is out there. I've avoided those like the plague, mainly probably because I don't like being glued to the computer when I'm not working.
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 21 Jan 11
       
      I'm wondering what it *does* mean then...any ideas, Eldon?
  • Identifies and communicates learning outcomes and expectations through a course overview/orientation (Varvel IV.A, ITS 3.b)
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 15 Sep 10
       
      I took the instructional design class this past summer. One of the things we needed to do was to create an overview/orientation for our learners. Before I took the class, I already had my course somewhat organized, but had neglected to include this feature in my course. Now, I realize how really important this is. One of my colleagues at work often uses the phrase, "go slow to go fast." I think that's so applicable here. It takes time to create the overview and you're really not having students learn content. However, by providing the necessary guidelines and instructions immediately, things will go much smoother in the class.
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 17 Sep 10
       
      I, too, like the "go slow to go fast"! because teachers need time to absorb the learning. That means that we have to begin with the end in mind or we won't make it to our learning destination. I often compare that to heading to Des Moines but ending up in Detroit, Michigan. They are both DM towns so that would be OK? It gives a "light-hearted" view of the necessity for the overview as you said Pam.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 28 Sep 10
       
      How very true to "go slow to go fast". I would be one of those individuals who "absorbs the learning". I want to make sure that my skills are to a level that will benefit the learner and not cause confusion.
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 21 Jan 11
       
      I often struggle with the phrase 'go slow to go fast' as I am not quite sure how 'fast' benefits any kind of learning. And I don't mean to equate fast to speed; but rather to equate fast to skimming the surface. In the experiences I have had with online courses for adult learners I find using a landscape post to reflect back some of their own quotes helps them think more deeply about the essential question to which they are responding. That deep thinking results in much more conceptual understanding (and dare I say paradigm shifting).
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student
    • ksteingr
      ksteingr on 15 Sep 10
       
      You know this is interesting. We most likely teach as we were taught, but in reality, we need to be teaching very differently today than in the past. Our students are motivated by different things. So taking an online class is a very good idea, but I think "living" and "working" more like our students is as helpful. If they are texting their friends to set something up, are we texting our students? That is their world. Something to think about maybe!
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 17 Sep 10
       
      I can remember not being happy with elementary teachers who had taught my father some 30 years earlier. These times have changed. That ship has sailed! Lectures and standing in front of a group delivering knowledge are not helpful in promoting learning that leads to application and creation!!!
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 18 Sep 10
       
      I think this is an important benchmark! I know I was very appreciative of what I had learned from the many online classes I had taken before I was asked to teach one. I "borrowed" the ideas that I really liked--especially organizational ideas, and embedded them in my classes.
    • Jenny Sinclair
      Jenny Sinclair on 19 Sep 10
       
      I heard a quote recently about this exact thing and it really made me think. It was a young student speaking. He said, "Don't prepare us for your world, prepare us for ours."
    • Tony Amsler
      Tony Amsler on 20 Sep 10
       
      As I jumped into online teacher over a year ago, all the material and books on the subject stressed this very point... to teach an online class it is best to experience it from the student perspective. This certainly was helpful when it came to design and implementation of my own course. I have recently join a peer review group called Learning Triangles - 3 instructors all enroll in each other's class for the purpose of furthering improve our instruction.
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 17 Jan 11
       
      This standard is certainly a big reason why I'm participating in this course. Trying to prepare to teach an online course through "traditional" methods seems a little like trying to learn to swim by reading a book.
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      Once again - Jason speaks the right words! We think of how we offer PD - one of the critical pieces of teaching a new strategy or concept is to put the teacher in the student desk and allow them to experience the learning. As always - the best way to learn is by doing. "Sit and git" just doesn't make it!
    • Cheryl Mullenbach
      Cheryl Mullenbach on 20 Jan 11
       
      I think everyone who teaches online should first have taken an online course. You really need to see it from both sides.
  • Selects and understands how to evaluate learning materials and resources that align with the context and enhance learning
    • ksteingr
      ksteingr on 15 Sep 10
       
      Is this the only place where we mention resources? I think the type of resources works with differentiation, motivation and learning in general. Are we adding content to our classes - digital video, access to print - online, online databases? This is very important, I think.
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 16 Sep 10
       
      Yes, selection of quality resources would be important. Online resources today are vast, and we want to have our students using resources that are age appropriate, MCGF, authoritative, differentiated for learning styles, and that will advance the learning goals of the class. Students should be evaluating the resources that they find online as to validity and usefullness. Lots of opportunities for teacher librarians to work with teachers designing online opportunities for their students in the area of resources!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      In answer to your question, Kristin, this is primarily it for the teaching standards and resources, as utilizing resources in online teaching heavily falls in the instructional design process (std. 3). Specific applications of resources are more heavily identified in the course standards.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques (SREB C.14, Varvel V.F)
    • Leslie Roberts
      Leslie Roberts on 15 Sep 10
       
      I feel that course design and presentation are very important. Using good desing techniques helps the student to become more focused on content and better able to organize thoughts. If a site is too hard to follow visually, it can be confusing, distracting and frustrating, especially for novice online learners or technology learners.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      It's funny how something like the design of your Moodle site seems so non-academic (or non-Iowa Core-ish), and yet you are exactly right.
    • Jenny Sinclair
      Jenny Sinclair on 19 Sep 10
       
      At times I have questioned if I have addressed all of the course requirements, completed the assignments, etc. Taking a course yourself is a good reminder that someone else is going to have to follow your train of thought and act upon it. If my students are confused by the structure, it will take away from their ability to comprehend the material. I am experimenting with color on my Moodle site to see if it helps younger students. For example, all assignments that have to be completed have blue text. Additional resources, tutorials, etc. have red text. Hope that helps them...
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 20 Sep 10
       
      I really like your color coding idea, Jenny. I have been shocked at how "un-linear" I have been in this class as I start in one place and don't necessarily go through the list. I have liked anything that says "you are done!" So anything you do to make those tasks more visible for students will be helpful!
    • Drinda Williams
      Drinda Williams on 16 Jan 11
       
      I agree--color coding sounds like a good idea! Might the Heartland Moodle consider some consistent colors? So as participants move from class to class, they colors stay the same?
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 17 Jan 11
       
      Leslie, I couldn't agree more with your thoughts on course design and presentation. I completed a hybrid online/f2f graduate program a few years ago at one of IA's regents institutions. One of the courses in the sequence was perceived by several in the cohort to be very poorly done. Why? The design, layout and navigation were much different (and perhaps less linear) than the rest of the courses.
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds, and students with special needs or whom are language learners
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 16 Sep 10
       
      Online tools provide lots of opportunites to diferentiate instruction, everything from providing resources at varying reading levels, text to speech capabilities, language translations, visual resources; technology can really be "assistive" for all learners.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      That's one benefit of online learning that is not mentioned enough. We stress flexibility in terms of time, pace, and place, but the flexibility of access to content using online tools is such an untapped benefit for students with different needs.
    • Carla Lee
      Carla Lee on 17 Jan 11
       
      We also should talk about student engagement. Many students are much more engaged in on-line learning than in the old traditional mode. So this meets that engagement piece as well. I would also agree with both of you as far as access to different types of resouces.
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      Possibly one of the biggest hurdles to this is also the primary reason we use online instruction. The logistics of face-to-face are difficult to overcome, so we go online. We can offer many scenarios, but do we really know without the personal interaction how the participants are reacting to the instruction. Is there enough feedback opportunities to vary the instruction as needed? I don't want to seem too negative - just appears to be one of those difficulties without the f2f.
    • Tera Schechinger
      Tera Schechinger on 19 Jan 11
       
      Tailoring instruction online seems like it is much easier than fce to face. Purposeful planning is always difficult but an online environment allows the teacher to support those who need it when they need it and push those students to go beyond what they ever imagined they could do. I agree with cheryl that online tools provide teacher with many resources to differentiate for each and every student based on their needs.
    • Phyllis Anderson
      Phyllis Anderson on 20 Jan 11
       
      Even if instruction isn't designed for specific students' needs, it can be varied in ways that allow different avenues for students to gain understanding. The tenants of Universal Design for Learning fit in here beautifully.
  • Understands and uses course content that complies with intellectual property rights and fair use, and assists students in complying as well
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 16 Sep 10
       
      We just held a workshop at our AEA this past week on Digital Citizenship for Today's Schools that addressed this topic. Our presenter emphasized the importance ot teaching students about ethical use of technology. It becomes especially important as student work moves outside of the 4 walls of the classroom and out on to the Internet and social media. This topic ties directly into the 21 Century Tech Literacy part of the Iowa Core - Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility.
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 17 Sep 10
       
      And ethical use of technology needs to be DEMONSTRATED by all staff, all the time. It's hard to "condemn" students for plagiarizing when the teacher never gives proper credit for visuals or text that may or may not be in the public domain!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 18 Sep 10
       
      Very well said, Fran. I've been guilty of that myself.
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 17 Jan 11
       
      This is a convicting criteria. I did not do a very good job as a f2f teacher citing my sources - even more important in an online environment!
  • Selects and uses technologies appropriate to the content that enhance learning (SREB M.3, Varvel IV.D, ITS 3.e, ITS 4.f)
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 17 Sep 10
       
      We spent time discussing this in last weeks forum. How do you select the best technology to use in your class? How many different tools do you need in your toolbox so you have an adequate selection? In order to meet this criteria, I think we need to do our best to stay current. Obviously, that can't mean we are familiar with everything, because that would be impossible. We do need to be aware, however, about the different catagories of tools..wikis, blogs, screencasts, etc. This class will certainly help us in that endeavor.
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 17 Jan 11
       
      When I read this criteria, I thought of the TPACK framework and some of the work done on learning activity types: http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net/ When does it make the most sense to use a blog rather than a wiki? My guess is that an effective online teacher can answer these types of questions effectively.
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      Ditto Ditto! I was very impressed, but also overwhelmed at all the tools available online. Being a 'dabbler' by nature, I have to force myself to pick a few and try to become proficient at those rather than be less than adequate at a large number of tools. A good carpenter is necessarily a good plumber!
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies (
    • bonnie smith
      bonnie smith on 19 Sep 10
       
      How will this be measured?
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Sep 10
       
      Some districts use a skills checklist or Atomic Learning-style skill inventories as a requirement for teachers (they post these in their portfolio). Others would include completion of a class, although the skeptic could say that's not necessarily showing growth. There is the actual lessons or technological artifacts produced from technology work (if you saw a copy of this class from 2 years ago to a copy of it today, you'd definitely see how I've grown in this area).
    • Kim Wise
      Kim Wise on 18 Jan 11
       
      My family's district had both students and parents fill out a technology skills survey. I'm not sure how it matched up to the skills of our teachers (we're a one to one district) but it was informing for me. My 7th grader was unsure of lots of the terms which indicated to me she wasn't using that technology.
  • student self-assessment and pre-assessment
    • fgmcveigh
      fgmcveigh on 20 Sep 10
       
      Wow! Student ownership for self-assessment and pre-assessment so it's not the teacher who is always doing the "assessing". It seems like the learner is often "left out" of a lot of assessment systems!
    • Drinda Williams
      Drinda Williams on 16 Jan 11
       
      This aligns well with the Iowa Core's characteristics of effective instruction--being more student centered and using assessment for learning. Yeah!
    • Phyllis Anderson
      Phyllis Anderson on 20 Jan 11
       
      Peer and self assessment are important attributes of Assessment for Learning. They can help students develop life-long learning skills.
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 21 Jan 11
       
      Drinda, I agree that this one reflects the research about the benefits of assessment for learning lying in the students' owning the assessment process through peer and self assessment. Do you find that students you have worked with are reflective and skilled peer and self assessors of their learning?
    • Valerie Jergens
      Valerie Jergens on 21 Jan 11
       
      I was seeing the connection between this statement and the CEI as well. I think metacognition is woven throughout the attributes of the CEI. If you can do self-assessment well you can have a real start on teaching with CEI.
  • Creates or selects multiple assessment instruments
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 20 Jan 11
       
      How often are we so guilty of using the 'easiest' assessment to grade/evaluate, but it is not the most appropriate for the content and the student? Even less often do we have multiple assessment for different learners.
  • Communicates assessment criteria and standards to students, including rubrics for student performances and participation
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 28 Sep 10
       
      Students need to be made aware of the criteria established for assessment. The rubric provided should clearly identify what is considered to be above, below or meeting standards. Students will then be held accountable for the level or depth of individual learning.
    • Philip Giltner
      Philip Giltner on 19 Jan 11
       
      I agree. Rubrics provides a tool for students to compare their work against the acceptance criteria allowing them to better assess there work prior to submitting it.
  • Promotes learning through online collaboration group work that is goal-oriented and focused
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 28 Sep 10
       
      Collaboration among students in an online learning environment needs to occur early in the course. Just we were asked to complete a profile that provided information as to position, interest, etc...the same hold true for other online courses. Students need to feel as contributing member on the group and fellow students need to be observant in responding to all over time so no single individual is omitted from feedback on their viewpoint of a question, etc...Successful collobration among students may lead to a richer discussion and depth of learning.
    • Carla Lee
      Carla Lee on 17 Jan 11
       
      No kidding. Working on line would be very important for students to get to know the other students in the classroom. Especially if they are to work together. I also think this is the way of the future and getting students prepared for the work place. Many corporations use on line meetings to cut expenses etc. If we don't start teaching this way, how can we justify that we are getting students ready for work place?
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      These would be good for teachers to use to see if the students can explain some things in a way to peers that may help in the classroom. There discussions online could really help them see diffenrent ways the material was seen online or in the class.
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 21 Jan 11
       
      I particulary appreciate the opportunity to 'see' a photo image of the other learners as well as to 'hear' their voices through the threaded discussions when I am collaborating with others on a common online assignment/task/product.
  • Provides and communicates evidence of learning and course data to students and colleagues
    • Sara Youngers
      Sara Youngers on 16 Jan 11
       
      This is right in line with collecting formative assessments. Not only do we need to collect this information, we need to share it with class participants.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 19 Jan 11
       
      We are collecting so much data on students now but it's very important to communicate that data to the students too! I think we sometimes forget that they can learn a lot about themselves through the data too.
    • Martha Condon
      Martha Condon on 19 Jan 11
       
      This first standard (in it's entirity) really sticks out to me as crucial for effective learning. Formative assessment and data-based decision making is the only way for students and teachers to make changes to improve learning outcomes. Online learning adds a new element, in that the instructor must be incredibly purposeful in how data and feedback is provided. With no nonverbals to assist in our feedback to learners, online teachers must become very effective "words-only" communicators.
    • Sue Runyon
      Sue Runyon on 21 Jan 11
       
      I agree that this is formative assessment that not only informs our instruction but informs students about their learning and what they can do to improve their learning
  • Creates a safe environment, managing conflict
    • Sara Youngers
      Sara Youngers on 16 Jan 11
       
      This safe environment is crucial for learners who may struggle. It needs to be a learning environment free from ridicule.
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 17 Jan 11
       
      Handling conflict in an online environment - that could be an entire course in itself! I'm interested to learn more about this one.
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 17 Jan 11
       
      Hopefully this is addressed in the course expectations - I'm noticing quite a bit of overlap between the teaching standards and the course expectations...I guess I shouldn't be surprised since the course design is so closely tied to how the course will be taught.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 19 Jan 11
       
      I've heard college students complain about some on-line classes they took and conflict between participants was one of their main concerns. Instructors need to monitor conversations very closely but this can be hard to do when you have 25-50 participants and lots of discussions going on at once!
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 21 Jan 11
       
      It would seem this is why the community building as part of the course intro is so important - to reinforce that real people - not avatars - are on the receiving end. The illusion (and often the reality) of anonymity causes some people to lose all sense of propriety and decency in online discussions. Just looking at comments on news sites and blogs is evidence. I would agree with Matt: teaching this could be its own course.
    • Valerie Jergens
      Valerie Jergens on 21 Jan 11
       
      Handling conflict like this could be a whole new skill set for instructors. Before I read this statement, I would have assumed that this doesn't happen-that there is respect for everyone and their ideas-guess I need to be prepared and learn more.
  • Demonstrates ethical conduct as defined by state law and local policies or procedures
    • Drinda Williams
      Drinda Williams on 16 Jan 11
       
      This needs to be a constant conversation. We recently debated for several days the difference between sharing something online in a webinar, and posting something online. What permissions did we have? Did the originator actually understand what permission we were seeking? What precedent would be set?
  • Applies research, knowledge, and skills from professional growth to improve practice
    • Drinda Williams
      Drinda Williams on 16 Jan 11
       
      Part of this becomes bringing along your students, clients, and participants. Sometimes taking a risk with something online does not go as well as you'd like. Have you let them know what to expect? Have you asked them for feedback to improve your skills? It's not just about the teacher trying new things, it's about teachers and students as a community trying new things.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 19 Jan 11
       
      This phrase reminds me of a phrase from the Iowa teaching standards. Very important to use research based strategies as we make decisions that directly effect the students.
  • Has knowledge of learning theory appropriate to online learning,
    • Drinda Williams
      Drinda Williams on 16 Jan 11
       
      This is where I feel I am floundering. I am so glad to have OLLIE to begin developing these skills.
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 18 Jan 11
       
      Drinda, I'm right there with you. Online learning is a whole new world for me. It is definitely different teaching online than it is face-to-face.
    • charles krueger
      charles krueger on 20 Jan 11
       
      It is very difficult to know if a student "has knowledge" about anything, especially in an online venue. Best a student can do is give appropriate responses
  • Meets the professional teaching standards established by a state-licensing agency, or has the academic credentials in the field in which he or she is teaching
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 16 Jan 11
       
      This criteria may stifle innovation a bit, but at the same time could make the standards more credible. What does everyone else think?
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 21 Jan 11
       
      Matt, would you elaborate on how you feel this criteria could "stifle innovation"?
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 21 Jan 11
       
      "meeting a standard," in my mind indicates aiming for a baseline proficiency. If moving towards the status quo is the end result (rather than above and beyond), it may be setting the bar too low and in turn stifling innovation. I think I'm overanalyzing it a bit, but that was my gut reaction.
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 17 Jan 11
       
      This understanding is certainly enhanced by 7.1 - "Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student" Having taken an online class, I am more aware of challenges students might face and have a greater appreciation of how skillful instructors anticipate and address potential challenges.
    • Julie Foltz
      Julie Foltz on 21 Jan 11
       
      I agree with you, Mary, that having had meaningful learning online is helpful to an instructor in both designing and facilitating an online course!
  • Provides substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 17 Jan 11
       
      Not meeting this standard is one of the biggest criticisms I hear about online classes. When instructors and students are not in the same room at the same time, the nature and timeliness of feedback takes on a whole new dimension.
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      I know that sometimes we need to get immediate feedback and this can't always be the case with online classes. We have to find a happy medium so that questions and feedback gets back in a matter that it's still important to the students.
  • Demonstrates techniques for dealing with issues arising from inappropriate student technological use
    • Carla Lee
      Carla Lee on 17 Jan 11
       
      I would be interested in understanding how some of this might be dealt with. This would be something very new to me. Dealing with behavior is one thing...dealing with inappropriate behavior in an on-line class...if it's written down, students certainly can't deny it, can they?
    • Greg Sleep
      Greg Sleep on 20 Jan 11
       
      We have went to one-one laptops in our school. We are in our second year of having laptops for our 6-12 students. We have boot camp for all new students that come into our district. In that boot camp we address appropriate use. We now have a page in our handbook dealing with our laptops. It is still new and our policies will be forever evolving with technology. We do have a scripted policy for inappropriate use and the consequences.
    • Sue Runyon
      Sue Runyon on 21 Jan 11
       
      I think that one of the issues is that what is written down is there and can't be erased! I think this addresses "bullying" - am I right or is that addressed somewhere else?
  • effective instructional strategies
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 18 Jan 11
       
      When I see "effective instructional strategies" I think of the Characteristics of Effective Instruction from the Iowa Core.
    • Valerie Jergens
      Valerie Jergens on 21 Jan 11
       
      That is what I have been thinking of lately as well, but I have to wonder what role specific strategies in literacy, math, science, ... will continue to have for Iowa educators. I am worried that this leads to a pendulum swing to only focusing on these and possibly neglecting subject specific things.
  • connectivism
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 18 Jan 11
       
      Our Professional Learning Team at Heartland AEA is studying the idea of "connectivism" and how we might use connectivism in our work. I'm trying to wrap my brain around this whole idea of "connectivism."
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies
    • Kim Wise
      Kim Wise on 18 Jan 11
       
      I think we often use data to judge student achievement but often fail to use it to look at the effectiveness of instructional strategies. I think that may be a belief system change for some teachers--what I DO may have to be changed instead of "I taught it, they just didn't get it."
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      I think you really nailed one of the real problems in education today - teachers expect the students to learn how they learned and how they teach. It is very difficult for them to believe that much of the problem is the effectiveness of the instruction that is delivered. I don't think this is any different that f2f instructional needs.
    • Jeremy Nally
      Jeremy Nally on 20 Jan 11
       
      I agree with both of you. I have heard a lot of people say well they they just don't get. Well maybe it's not them that's not getting it, maybe they just need to try to deliver the material a different way. I know that sometimes I can get my mind set that my way is the only way and that I need to remember that students learn a variety of ways.
    • Valerie Jergens
      Valerie Jergens on 21 Jan 11
       
      I think the information we use to judge the effectiveness of our instructional strateiges is often misaligned. We may be using a test of pure content knowledge to judge the effectiveness of our science instruction, when Inquiry instruction has so many more goals than content attainment.
    • r kleinow
      r kleinow on 21 Jan 11
       
      test
  • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
    • Mike Bevelacqua
      Mike Bevelacqua on 18 Jan 11
       
      Diggo goes much further with the Social Networking capabilities than other Social Bookmarking tools that I have looked at previously. Seems that the use of Diigo as a teaching practice has the potential of exposing students to this standard.
  • understands how to teach the content to students
    • Mike Bevelacqua
      Mike Bevelacqua on 18 Jan 11
       
      This is important because we are always talking about content with standards...here this document is talking about how we teach...what have proven practices produce results.
    • Martha Condon
      Martha Condon on 19 Jan 11
       
      I think this is truly essential for online learning (for all learning, really). We've all been in classrooms, presentations, etc. in which the teacher/presenter was highly knowledgeable in the content but did not know how to teach the content to others. I believe online teaching requires additional precision in the "how" to teach. We must be cautious in the tools, methods, applications, etc. we utilize to best enhance participants' learning.
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 21 Jan 11
       
      Mike, I am curious if you see a difference in the pedagogical content knowledge a facilitator must have in a face to face classroom environment and that required in an online classroom environment?
    • Matt Townsley
      Matt Townsley on 21 Jan 11
       
      good point, Mike. we can't forget the "how." This is why I like the Iowa Core framework...both "what" and "how."
  • engage students
    • Eldon Bird
      Eldon Bird on 19 Jan 11
       
      Important here that we not only engage their "doing" but also engage their "thinking".
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 20 Jan 11
       
      Glad you brought this up as I can often see the 'thinking' in the online venue; but struggle to see the 'doing'. This is where we want to learn to upload videos as evidence.
    • Greg Sleep
      Greg Sleep on 20 Jan 11
       
      I feel that motivation of students through online teaching is somewhat of a different animal then direct contact instruction. How do you really know what motivates some when it is impersonal to some extinct.
  • appropriate
    • Philip Giltner
      Philip Giltner on 19 Jan 11
       
      I think that "appropriate" is a very key word to consider for online learning. The technologies introduced need to make sense and have a purpose. For example, just because so many people have ipods and they are "cool", the use of ipods would need to make educational sense and not just because they are cool. I was a computer programmer in the corporate world and I all too often saw applications that had eye capturing "bells & whistles" but did not contribute to the objective of the application. All too often these things were added because they could be done, not because they served a purpose. So the question that needs to be asked when introducing a technology is does it serve its purpose?
  •  Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies (SREB B.5)
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies (SREB B.5)
  • • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies (SREB B.5)
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies (SREB B.5)
  • • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies
  • 7Has experienced onl in e learning from the perspective of a student
  • cognitivism
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 20 Jan 11
       
      I was curiuos about this term...so I looked it up and found; "Cognitivism often takes a computer information processing model. Learning is viewed as a process of inputs, managed in short term memory, and coded for long-term recall. Cindy Buell details this process: "In cognitive theories, knowledge is viewed as symbolic mental constructs in the learner's mind, and the learning process is the means by which these symbolic representations are committed to memory."
  • models clear expectations for appropriate behavior and proper interaction (SREB D.6, ITS 6.b)
    • Erica Larson
      Erica Larson on 20 Jan 11
       
      My experience with facilitating online courses in the past indicates that this criteria, when done effectively, can be the reason learners 'stick with' an online course.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jan 11
       
      Sticky note - OLLIE
  • Establishes standards for student behavior that are designed to ensure academic integrity
    • Steve Van Gundy
      Steve Van Gundy on 21 Jan 11
       
      I'm guessing it's pretty easy for students to copy and paste from a website and thus end up plagerizing something. I think that is what this is addressing. I taught math and didn't have my students write papers, but I'm wondering what kinds of standards (and penalties) other teachers have when a student has obviously plagerized something.
  • Networks with others involved in online education for the purpose of professional growth
    • Julie Foltz
      Julie Foltz on 21 Jan 11
       
      I find it takes networking with others at times to learn the 'buttonology' as well as the content!
  • appropriate for online learning
    • Julie Foltz
      Julie Foltz on 21 Jan 11
       
      Throughout this document "appropriate for online learning" appears. To me this means that most are a good practice in any instruction but may need adaptations to improve efficacy online.
  • techniques
    • Julie Foltz
      Julie Foltz on 21 Jan 11
       
      A couple years ago I (and my team) took a course for online facilitation. In that course we learned about the importance of online 'voice'. The tone of online communication with students is critical and words must be chosen carefully so that communication is clear and succinct.
  • Understands student motivation
  • Knows the content of the subject to be taught
  • written communication
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jan 11
       
      Sample note
  • University of Illinois (Virgil Varvel)
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jan 11
       
      Sample note
  • Eldon Bird on 20 Jan 11
     
    self-assessment and pre-assessment within courses Participant self-assessment is so critical at mulitple points - summative assessments are definitely not FOR learning
  • bdowney on 01 Nov 17
     
    Technology is contstantly changing. How can a teacher stay current and teach with fidelity?
annott

Implementation in a Secondary Classroom (Articles) - 0 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by annott on 16 Apr 19 - No Cached
  • choice serves as a motivator
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      When I give some of my kids choices on what they want to do, they have a tendency to ask me for suggestions. I would think the students would need experience with choices to feel confident enough to go make their own.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Apr 19
       
      I have found this as well, in language arts/my writing classes. Giving them an umbrella topic- How-To Essay, and the world at their finger tips, they'll try to take one of my simple examples (how to tie your shoes) instead of choosing their own. I wonder a good way to teach students how to make choices- seems like a valuable lesson!
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I've also witnessed this in many things.Most the time I try to put a similar assignment on paper as on chromebook and allow the students the choice on how they would even like to do the assignment for that day.
  • You have to have a principal who understands that when he walks into a room and it’s not silent, it’s okay.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      I have to get over this at times. We do a lot of collaborative work and if a visitor came into my room they would probably say it is noisier than most classrooms. Once they sit in there for awhile they see the students working together and learning from each other. It is a great thing to experience.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I had a principal that once told me he loved when he'd walk into a classroom where the noise was coming from the students working together. Learning can be noisy and people need to understand that, whether that is in a library or a classroom.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Apr 19
       
      It kind of bothers me nowadays when I walk into a room where students aren't talking. It can be hard to get students to know the difference between just 'socializing' and working together, but I often see the most learning happening in my classroom when the students (rather than just me) are discussing.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I used to always get nervous when an administrator would come into my room, and it wasn't quiet. Now that I've been teaching for a couple of years I have figured out most learning seems to be occurring when students are talking.
  • One of the things I had to learn recently was to let go and allow the kids to experience the consequences of their choices. And maybe there’s a failure. Maybe a kid was trying to do a vodcast and he couldn’t get the video to work correctly on the computer. That’s a learning opportunity for that child. Because it was his choice, he’s going to try to figure out a way to make it work—sometimes with the help of a fellow student.”
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      Such a real life skill. Learning to fail and work through a situation is such great lesson to learn. As teachers it is difficult to watch a student struggle. Knowing that it is part of the process of becoming better at something gives us a little more patience.
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 19 Apr 19
       
      This is a difficult thing to convince parents about in my school. They are looking for perfect scores and don't like it when we "let the kids fail". It will take time to make this shift in thought in our community. I agree that this is a very real life skill that is important for kids to learn how to work through.
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • Eighth grade math teacher Julie Ison describes a project her classes worked on that involved graphing. Working with Excel, the students went to a few websites (preselected by the teacher) and picked data about whatever they were interested in—flavors of ice cream, baseball statistics, basketball statistics, whatever they wanted. They sucked in all the information, put it in Excel, manipulated it, made graphs out of it, and figured out what graphs went with that data, what graphs didn’t go with that data
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      Neat idea. I have a unit on statistics and probability coming up. This is an activity that I might steal. Great way to incorporate personalized learning with graphing real life data.
  • We use Schoology as a learning management system, which many students access on their own phones if there aren’t enough devices to go around.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      I heard this is a great program. My school is looking to adopt this as our LMS.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I know often people think it's important for all teachers to use the same LMS is that true? Does it hurt students to have some teachers using one and some using another?
  • This flipped learning setup frees up my students to use classtime to practice their skills.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      One of my goals before the end of the school year is to do a flipped lesson. I'm excited to try it.
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 19 Apr 19
       
      Given that we only see our students twice a week in PE, the use of blended learning is very beneficial to making the best use of face to face class time.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I think we need to do more flipping as it would also help parents, especially in math. Often times I hear parents say well I can't help them with their math, so this way they could see how the teacher was doing the problem and help their child easier.
  • fantasy football stats during class, their motivation began to soar.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 16 Apr 19
       
      I've used the curriculum Fantasy Math and Sports by Dan Flockhart. The students who love sports love this program. It's great way to learn math and is aligned with the common core.
  • The more meaningful an activity is to the person engaging in it, the more likely he or she will be motivated to continue doing it.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 17 Apr 19
       
      This is definitely the case in History/Social Studies. Some students will come in and out of interest based on the time period/unit/activity. Finding a way to keep interest would help.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 18 Apr 19
       
      I was thinking the same exact thing about my Social Studies classes. Some time periods/events are more exciting then others but if you can relate it to current day things or to how it still impacts students today they seem more interested in the topic.
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      This is a very valid point. Technology does give way for more student engagement.
  • But when the teacher started to use the students’ questions rather than her own to frame discussions, motivation began to rise.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 17 Apr 19
       
      I have found success and better serving students in the last few years by continually asking them what is and isn't working.
  • They became more motivated and less fidgety when the teacher allowed them to find a comfortable place to read.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 17 Apr 19
       
      I have loosened up on this as well the last few years. I wouldn't want to read on the dusty floor but some really enjoy it.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      Our school is moving to more flexible seating in most classrooms. I think in some cases it works well, in others I think it can be an issue. I think it's important to at least allow students to stand up as opposed to staying seated as they literally sit all day.
  • Certainly, giving choice to students often means that teachers need to allow students to make their own decisions, and it can be difficult to give up this control.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 17 Apr 19
       
      In the end just allowing students to have and make choices at the minimum gives them the sense that their opinion matters, counts, and they can make decisions.
  • While choice can be a powerful motivator, on some occasions it can also have an adverse effect
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 18 Apr 19
       
      I've given kids freedom to choose topics/ideas in my class and many times I have a handful of kids coming up and asking me what they should do, what would be a good one, what would be an easy one to do.
  • However, if tasks are perceived to be too difficult, motivation is likely to suffer.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 18 Apr 19
       
      I feel like this is kind of a catch 22. If you make the project challenging for the students they are more likely to lose interest in doing it. So should we make easy projects to keep them motivated. I don't think thats the solution.
  • For example, when a teacher assigns a research project, some students will prefer to have a broad range of topics, others will prefer a small list of options, and yet others will prefer to be told what to do. Giving students a short list of topics with an option to create their own topic, with the teacher’s approval, often works well.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 18 Apr 19
       
      This just described just about every class I have ever taught. Some kids like endless options, some want a few, and some want to be told their only option.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I agree Tom, but I think it's because they have lacked choice before they get to HS and then once they get to HS they worry about grades and want to know how to get an A.
  • Not every program lends itself to choice
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 19 Apr 19
       
      This is something that is important to remember. It doesn't always have to be choice in the topic or the process of learning, it can be choice in the presentation.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      Right, I think that is sometimes easily forgotten. Just any choice along the way can be good.
  • So far the teachers have talked about choice in terms of curriculum, but choice can also, surprisingly, come into play in relation to discipline
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 19 Apr 19
       
      This is so true! I have started using this in my classes, "these are your options....you choose" Many times I have used, "Would you like me to help with the situation or do you think you can settle it yourselves?" Sometimes they do actually want my help to settle a conflict and other times they are able to do it on their own. This of course is for small disagreements, not big blow outs. I think it is important though to give them the chance to sort things out on their own if they feel they can do so. Most of the time they can and it is a good skill to practice.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      We have done a lot of PBIS training recently, and this is one of the big things they tell us.
  • They could be two ‘bad’ choices
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 19 Apr 19
       
      There are consequences for actions and the teacher is still in charge of those consequences, even when students are getting choice in the disciplinary action.
  • Show us what you’ve learned,
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 19 Apr 19
       
      I think that choice in assessment is the harder one to implement. Choice in what you learn about seems more common place. (ie what dinosaur to study, which event to study, etc.)
  • differentiation of instruction, assessment and expression of learning as well as the collection of student data.
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 19 Apr 19
       
      I think that automating what you can in these categories makes teachers more effective.
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 19 Apr 19
       
      This is key to the Physical Education world especially as they tend to have twice as many students than other teachers.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Apr 19
       
      Pretty much anything that gives you more data is brilliant in my book- particularly if it's a technology that gives the student data that they can reflect on as well!
  • Now they have access to the full unit from the beginning
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 19 Apr 19
       
      Having a unit ready to go from day 1 of the unit is tough. When students see that though, I think they have confidence because that means the expectations are all set out at the beginning. They just have to navigate each expectation. It is the difference in running a race and knowing where the finish line is and running a race and not knowing where the finish line is.
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 19 Apr 19
       
      I am thinking this is the way to go but I worry that if changes need to me made midstream how that will affect the students who may moved ahead.
  • Your class is easy. I don’t mean simple — I mean it is easy for me to learn because I can pick assignments that let me do my best work.
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 19 Apr 19
       
      I love this quote. Easy vs. simple.
  • It is the purposeful design of instruction to combine face-to-face teaching, technology-assisted instruction and collaboration to leverage each student’s learning style and interests for deeper learning.
    • rhoadsb_
      rhoadsb_ on 19 Apr 19
       
      There is so much to be learned about the design of instruction for all teachers as we move forward. All teachers need more PD on this to get us into the 21st Century of Learning and beyond. There are so many exciting things that can happen when this is done well for students. I really think that our students would be more motivated to come to school if we would move out of the industrial era!
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I totally agree. We need to change the way school is structured so we can motivate students.
  • require students to work in groups
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I think we need to work on getting students to collaborate with different people but they tend to want to be with friend groups especially in MS. I like the idea of giving one "buddy" in their group.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Apr 19
       
      My system of group selection works as follows- I draw names randomly, and students jump into groups as they are called. It very rarely happens that an entire group of friends gets together, as some other students will jump in. For this to work, though, there usually has to be a topic set up beforehand, so they know what they're getting into.
  • “One of you needs to move. You decide.”
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Apr 19
       
      I'm surprised I haven't heard much/seen much on this fairly simple concept. Maybe it doesn't work as well as they mention here? I could forsee, if I have two students causing issues, and I ask one of them to decide who moves- they would just get in another fight and/or both refuse to move. Nice in principle though!
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I feel the same as you. It seems like when you give two or more students a choice they start arguing about it.
  • The journey from old school to new learning paradigm was bumpy at first.
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      I would agree, it has been bumpy, but it's definitely better!
  • And our classroom is often noisy and active as we play a round of Kahoot
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      Some of my students love to play it and others don't . But its great for a change of pace.
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      Learning doesn't have to be quiet.
  • This year I create experiences to expose my students to a range of real-world issues, review the fundamentals of research and help them discover authentic ways to research their issues using a wide variety of digital tools.
  • When it is time to take the standardized tests at the end of the year, your teachers use your project portfolio to help you identify the standards you have already met and rehearse the test with you but don’t otherwise find it necessary to do extensive test prep.
  • Here’s a list of choices. Choose one. As long as you follow the steps in my rubric, you’re fine.’”
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      I would agree that giving options is much better for student learning. When they are part of the planning and designing it natural makes it more engaging.
  • As a result, instead of lecturing to students and showing them a PowerPoint during classtime, I give them screencasts or videos to watch at home.
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      We have to let go of the idea that every student must watch every minute of our videos. Good point that they can fast forward, that does make it adaptive.
  • Just three short years ago, my AP students would each have produced their own 10-page research paper. This year, they will select social justice issues that they will research with a team. Each team will collaborate to create a presentation for the board of a philanthropic organization in competition for a hypothetical grant that will be awarded to the program or event most likely to deliver real change. I will bring in administrators and community members to serve as the “board” and choose a winner.  The students won’t get a real grant, but they will receive public recognition for the winning project.
    • annott
      annott on 30 Apr 19
       
      I love this idea, what a great way to get higher order thinking along with collaboration, and an authentic audience.
carlarwall

Implementation in an Elementary Classroom (Articles) - 1 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by carlarwall on 12 Apr 18 - No Cached
  • observing or engaging in an event,
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Apr 18
       
      Love the idea of engagement and observing...not just talking about it but doing it!
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 14 Apr 18
       
      Tactile and kinesthetic learners thrive in engaging with a concept… not just reading about it or hearing a lecture on the topic.
  • Inquiry-based instruction
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Apr 18
       
      my favorite way to teach. I want them to explore and learn about the topic their way. and present their learning their way
  • The first thing we do is begin an ‘I see — I wonder’ exercise,”
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Apr 18
       
      Love this idea...seeing what they want to learn and developing activities from there. Very personalized. Great idea
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 14 Apr 18
       
      Each of my students were given a clipboard to do this activity during every field trip. If I was coordinating field trips today I would give choice between writing it out with a clipboard or using a mobile device.  The field trip then because a true educational experience with expectations of sharing their experience/learning with classmates, blogs, and/or school social sites.
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • one of two key benefits of playing: promoting academic learning. The building of social emotional skills is the other. Play is, after all, the way children are wired to learn
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Apr 18
       
      If only we promoted this more and allowed the littler kids to play and learn and develop at their own pace. Sorting on their own by just playing is great. My daughter does the same thing at 3 years old and I am amazed by things she knows...just from playing and watching...
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 14 Apr 18
       
      Early childhood classrooms usually include a discovery zone. Theme of items are changed out weekly, giving children exposure and ways to manipulate sand, water, snow, etc. It's amazing to watch their understanding of the world around them develop when given opportunities to explore.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 21 Apr 18
       
      Play time is a great place for kids to also get away from using a device all of the time. They have to think for themselves, learn to communicate and use their imagination. All of the things that they might not be getting at home.
  • Start a faculty book club
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 14 Apr 18
       
      I have done this in different ways based on staff choice.  Meeting in person once a week (during lunch, prep, or outside of school) with one specific title of a book for fun; professional development book; or everyone sharing about the book they read individually.  Some staff have little to no time to meet outside of school so I created a staff book club on Google Classroom.
  • A modern educational tool Ms. Moore considers indispensable for effective inquiry-based instruction is the set of graphic organizers known as Thinking Maps, which help children categorize information in visually coherent ways. “Many teachers mistakenly assume kids know how to think,” she say
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 16 Apr 18
       
      Thinking maps are a great way for children and adults to categorize information. I agree with the statement that teachers mistakenly assume that kids know how to think. Thinking is a very complex task that requires practice. Children need guidance in how to stay focused and concentrate on categorizing information.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      And through modeling and scaffolding with students, they will eventually learn how to do this skill more independently.
  • “Giving them directions all the time takes away from the creative process and imagination, which a lot of my kids are lacking,” she says, “because they’re so used to being spoon-fed information that they can barely critically think.”
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 17 Apr 18
       
      This is such a powerful statement that I agree with wholeheartedly! I have noticed it more this year than in the past. Kids don't know how to think or interact well with each other. They need more time to play and less time on instruction and technology.
  • Incorporating free play, guided play or something in between may require some creativity on the part of educators, but the academic and social emotional learning benefits inherent in play are too vital to overlook.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 17 Apr 18
       
      Integrating play into personalized learning gives learners of all ages an opportunity to be creative and make better connections to current knowledge. It also allows students the chance to be in control of their own learning.
  • Introduce one new tech tool. Digital tools -- such as video cameras, drawing software, or Web applications like Google Earth -- can really expand students' options for learning and showing their knowledge (here's what this looks like at Forest Lake). Pick just one new thing at a time, and experiment with it for yourself before introducing it in class.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 17 Apr 18
       
      Learning new tech tools can be an overwhelming task especially if one grew up before the technology revolution. Picking one digital tool and focusing on that for awhile will help both the teacher and students become more confident and comfortable with using technology for personal learning.
  • They started small, and they've grown and honed their strategies each year.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 21 Apr 18
       
      I think that this is important. How many times do we have a "new" program that we jump into with both feet and try to make it perfect over night. Things like this take time and if we want kids to be successful we have to take our time and learn as we go as well.
  • Stay current. Keep the discussion alive with colleagues in your school and in social networks (such as Twitter, Edutopia, and others) to find fresh ideas and avoid stagnating.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 21 Apr 18
       
      This is key and we need more time to learn from each other. Some of the best in-services or meetings are the ones where we come away with something new to try the next day.
  • Free or unguided play is the most natural way to forge these connections.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 21 Apr 18
       
      I just had my students complete a project using "play" time on their chrome books. Sometimes with technology the best way to learn is by playing. Kids love when they can show the teacher something new that they have learned.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 22 Apr 18
       
      So true! My students always love it when they can teach me something!
  • Free or unguided play is the most natural way to forge these connections.
  • but opportunities to provide those benefits are on the decline.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 22 Apr 18
       
      Sad but true. With our school schedule this year, there is no wiggle room for anything like play...other than their 10 minute recess. It's no wonder that I have so many behavior issues (over the silliest things), students haven't learned how to work things out on their own.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      I completely agree! Sometimes the most important skills of collaboration can be practiced and applied in play.
  • In 5 minutes you can
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 22 Apr 18
       
      Great quick tips for how to differentiate!
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      I love these ideas! They can also be reassuring for teachers who think they are not doing any differentiation in the classroom and they probably have already started.
  • Make a scaffolding toolkit.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 22 Apr 18
       
      Easier said than done (simply because it takes time to actually set up and maintain), but it is a great idea and would end up being a wonderful resource...especially to share resources with other teachers!
  • A Stage One PLE is teacher-centered with learner voice and choice
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 23 Apr 18
       
      This is a great way for new teachers to get started in PLE. Sometimes they are already doing these basic elements and don't even realize it.
  • how to unpack the Common Core State Standards with your learners,
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 23 Apr 18
       
      I LOVE how this talks about the standards and making the standards a part of the process of PLE. The standards should always be our main focus.
  • Expert learners and assessment as learning is the key for learners taking responsibility for their learning.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      Just another example of how and why assessment is so important in all types of teaching scenarios.
  • In terms of the tenets of inquiry-based instruction, she explains, when she answers students’ questions straightforwardly instead of asking questions to help the students find the answers themselves, she’s actually interfering with the learning process.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      This is such a hard thing to do, even as parents, it is sometimes easier to just answer questions for our children rather than letting them problem solve. It is such a good skill to have going into adulthood.
  • Practice procedures for independent and collaborative work
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 24 Apr 18
       
      Super important! Teachers can give up and quit something they have tried because they think it didn't work. Sometimes things do not work because students need more time to learn the procedure.
edgerlyj1

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 1 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by edgerlyj1 on 11 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      This is such a true point. We emphasize wanting to produce independent critical thinkers, but most of our whole educational system is aimed at producing compliant students who have all mastered the same things.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      Do we have a need for students in society that haven't mastered the basics? I just feel we need both worlds. We need a traditional classroom with traditional standards and we need personal learning aspects to benefit the individual.
    • crystalseier
      crystalseier on 17 Feb 18
       
      As teachers, we think of adding choice or creativity is a simple way to differentiate and personalize learning for students. Yet, we are still in the mindset of assigning grades. How do you grade someone on creativity and innovation?
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 23 Feb 18
       
      I think it is difficult for teachers to offer a more personalized approach to learning when the state demands rigorous and frequent assessments on our students.
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 03 Mar 18
       
      crystalseier: "Yet, we are still in the mindset of assigning grades." I agree 100%. The realm of personalized learning is hindered by the current reality that we have to grade students. I see progress in this area because some schools are going away from class rank and some are even getting rid of GPAs. I think standards-based grading is progress towards being able to have more flexibility in the classroom and not being restricted by grades, both as a teacher and also in the minds of students (and parents!)
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises. For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      This may not be "personalized learning" based on the definition, but I feel this is a common stepping stone for most teachers to move in that direction. I feel it would be very hard to move from traditional teaching to completely PL based on how it is defined.
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 23 Feb 18
       
      I think there can be a place for these tools in a classroom. However, they are definitely not personalized. My first graders use a math program like this. It adjusts instruction based on students' answers. I use it as part of my math stations, but I do not see it as the entire instruction by any means. I also do not see it as personalized learning. Students do not get to choose interest areas. It does not even really allow for solving math problems in unconventional ways. However, I do find it to be a useful resource for a small part of the school day.
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem. A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 11 Feb 18
       
      This particular section revealed some real fears I thought I didn't have about relinquishing control.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      It seems like technology will be controlling the classroom instead of the teacher.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 17 Feb 18
       
      When teaching very young students, how can the make an authentic choice to tackle a problem?
    • crystalseier
      crystalseier on 17 Feb 18
       
      Facilitating opportunities for 'authentic choice' for each student for every concept is an overwhelming thought. Students need to have the skill of being self-motivated.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 19 Feb 18
       
      I love the idea of personal learning and kids would be more engaged in authentic work. But how do we give them the skills we are still required to teach while allowing this type of environment.
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • However, in order to navigate the system of accountability in the U.S. educational system, many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      It seems that the older generation is more reluctant to change the way students learn. I feel that a large percentage of people that have been in education for quite awhile want standardized tests, data, etc. That is what they know. Changing to a personal way of learning is going to take many years for everyone to buy into that concept...in my opinion.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. I think even the new generation of teachers out there are behind the pace of what students need nowadays because the conventional ways of education have been so slow to change.
    • edgerlyj1
      edgerlyj1 on 03 Mar 18
       
      Yes, it's going to be slow change.... I think what complicates this is the rate at which technology changes things. We just can't keep up!
  • From what I’ve seen, flipping doesn’t do much for helping kids become better learners in the sense of being able to drive their own education.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      I had a friend that taught HS English/French for over 30 years. She retired last year because she said her school was using more and more technology. Her exact words were "I have no desire to learn all that new technology." My first thought was "that's too bad. Maybe she would have really enjoyed the new changes."
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      Her style of learning was having the students read the material at night and discuss the material during class.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 13 Feb 18
       
      It really is a shame at what some of these teachers that are near retirement age are missing out on. I understand that change is not always fun at first. However, when we see the engagement and joy in the students' eyes with these new and exciting resources we have to offer them, that's when our jobs are most rewarding!
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      That can be true, but I know students who feel the opposite. In some foreign language classes, they are being inundated with technology (videos, interactive sites, music), but they hate the courses because they aren't learning anything! No grammar, no sentence structure, no parsing, just parroting sounds pretending technology is giving them an education. Sometimes too many resources can be detrimental.
  • Certain forms of technology can be used to support progressive education, but meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology.
  • Therefore, if an idea like personalization is presented from the start as entailing software or a screen, we ought to be extremely skeptical about who really benefits.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      It seems we can't do anything without technology. Does anyone think technology has went too far? I struggle with that question.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 13 Feb 18
       
      I also struggle with that question. Is technology great? Yes. Is technology changing the way we think and teach at times? Yes. Should technology always be the main focus of our teaching/learning. I don't necessarily think so. I feel students need foundation skills (reading from print books, basic mathematics understandings, etc.) before they have the potential to be distracted by technology. Can a child learn to read on an iPad-of course! Can a child learn their numbers on an iPad-of course! But there is something about a child holding a book in their hand and flipping the pages as they are learning to read. There is also something about a child using counters and manipulating them to help them get a better sense of numbers.
    • bennettfr
      bennettfr on 14 Feb 18
       
      I think we need to think in terms of what works best for the student. I have students that hate getting on computers to do their work and would prefer just to work out of a workbook or have a worksheet with manipulatives. Part of personal learning is letting the students choose how to do the work, at a minimum.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 15 Feb 18
       
      I agree that we need to think about what works best for each student. Even in preschool we have technology requirements and I have students that could care less if they ever had tablet time. I feel bad trying to force technology on them when the information could be learned a different way.
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 23 Feb 18
       
      I agree with you mogrena. Looking at education through a developmental lens, I do not feel that allowing young children large amounts of technology use is appropriate. Young students need to manipulate objects. It can't be done exclusively with a software program.
  • I’m not sure we as a community are spending enough time digging to parse what those words really mean, especially in the context of what deep learning now requires in a connected world.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      Put 20 people into a room and you'll have 20 different answers for those words.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      Agreed, "deep learning" can mean varying degrees of effort, time, and rigor depending on who is talking.
  • In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • agoeser
      agoeser on 12 Feb 18
       
      We talk about personal learning for our children. What about the learning for our educators? Should we incorporate this in the college setting?
  • pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 13 Feb 18
       
      I found this analogy very intriguing and have never thought of education in this way. However, now that I read this, it totally makes sense to me.
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      It's a good thing to keep in mind as teachers, definitely. I have a senior doing her senior thesis on the failings of the Industrialized Education System, and it's hard to argue against her.
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 13 Feb 18
       
      As educators and the rise of technology, I feel this is typically listed as one of the top 5 ways to engage students today. They are used to technology. However, it is our job to make the content engaging without ALWAYS having technology at our finger tips.
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      We will never be able to keep up with the kids' access to latest technologies, so we just embarrass ourselves when we try to impress them with technology. We should focus on teaching them how to use it - kids don't know how to indent papers or format block quotations anymore!
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way.
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      That strikes me as a crucial point. Why are we embarrassed to say "take your library card to the library and personalize your learning in there for a few hours a day"? Is reading books old fashioned and not "real learning" anymore? Surely with all the brain research coming in about the deleterious effects of starting at screens all day, we can't continue to advocate technology as the only solution for "real" education.
  • Finally, it seems like everything is being “flipped” these days
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      Not every subject lends itself well to "flipping" - mathematics springs quickly to mind. Often when students are told to teach themselves the lesson at home without initial direct instruction and guided practice by the teacher, the result seems to be frustration and tears not learning and mastery.
  • f the point is to dump a load of facts into children, then it may be necessary to adjust the style and rate of dumping – and to help teachers become more efficient at it.
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      But is this not, at least in part, what is actually meant by "education"? Are we saying a third grader does not need to learn multiplication skills or division skills if he'd prefer a personal learning path of video games and potato chips all day? I'm bemused by the embarrassment over the history of human learning as if someone it is wrong for us to pass it on to the next generation. (Would we allow our children to create their own personal eating plan simply because their hearts tell them to seek out ice cream and tootsie rolls instead of vegetables and fruit?) Someone help me understand this, please.
  • kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another.
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      Some of the best "test answers" I've gotten over the years are from group tests, in which students are wresting collaborative ideas and interactions with the material out of each other in a much more engaged way than they would individually. And surely quality interaction with ideas is the goal? at least one of them?
    • bennettfr
      bennettfr on 14 Feb 18
       
      Some of my best days in my career have been days when my students are working with partners on a topic and I get to see them helping/teaching each other and fixing each others misconceptions!
  • The main objective is just to raise test scores
    • christopherrush
      christopherrush on 14 Feb 18
       
      But when the Administration and the Board declare this is the only objective (to use the adjective) way we have to measure classroom "success" ... how do teachers counter that? Especially when SAT averages and college acceptance lists are the main selling points on the promotional material?
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      Agreed with the premise that there are some serious issues in what counts as "success" in our school systems. Risk taking is fine, encouraged even, as long as the research behind it says it will help scores go up.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 19 Feb 18
       
      This is a sad truth in teaching today. As a reading interventionist Fast score have a large influence in what I am to be working towards and what is considered success. However, my success is when students are becoming better readers. Good readers is a much larger picture than how fast they read. Are they monitoring their reading, do they understand it? These are skills that matter greatly as well.
  • You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • bennettfr
      bennettfr on 14 Feb 18
       
      I truly do want to engage my students, but am fearful of giving up control and putting the responsibility in their hands. Especially with all the buzz about teacher accountability for student growth.
  • the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it
    • bennettfr
      bennettfr on 14 Feb 18
       
      I would agree that the best thing we can do for students is empower kids to realize that education isn't a spectator sport, they have to participate and take responsibility for their own learning, but so many kids have learned helplessness and are fearful of failure.
  • new dispositions to take advantage of it for learning.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      How do we teach these new dispositions. Now that it's easy to find "facts" about stuff and just pull up a video of someone else explaining..how do we help students understand that learning encompasses more than just the ability to find out stuff?
  • The idea of personalized learning is seductive
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      #1 Are my classmates seeing this? #2 Given that it is Valentine's Day and I'm bust annotating, I'm going to press pretty hard against the idea that PL is seductive. Curiosity building, full of potential, even rabbit hole-like, but definitely not seductive.
  • Follow the money” is apt advice in many sectors of education
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      and to some degree, all sectors of education.
  • Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated skills-based exercises based on students’ test scores.   It requires the purchase of software from one of those companies that can afford full-page ads in Education Week.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 15 Feb 18
       
      But these tools the companies sell can be used as measuring stick to ensure some levels of competency are reached, right?
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 23 Feb 18
       
      That is a challenge of personalized learning. There needs to be some accountability that students are meeting standards.
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 15 Feb 18
       
      As a former special education teacher, I am very familiar with personalized learning. I'm just beginning to learn how personal learning is different.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 15 Feb 18
       
      I agree, I too have been a special education teacher and feel that all I have done is personalized learning, but am on board with you that I am just learning about personal learning, about how it really includes the student, where my IEP's, although tailored to the student, didn't involve the student in decisions.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 19 Feb 18
       
      As a reading interventionist I feel we are always giving personalized goals for our students and working towards them. Personal learning sounds exciting but will take a great shift in mindset. How do we allow for personal learning while still meeting kids goals in areas they need support in?
  • Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 15 Feb 18
       
      I think this is true- so many times it feels like we are using technology just to use technology. We should start with what we want to learn and then decide what technology will work best.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 15 Feb 18
       
      I think teachers who aren't comfortable or well versed in all the latest technology feel incompetent, which is sad, because we can engage students without technology, but the current drive is to use technology all the time! If you're not using it, you're an old dog that can't learn new tricks.
  • Education is about the transmission of bits of information, not the construction of meaning.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 15 Feb 18
       
      "Learning" through rote memory is not learning. Students must understand the principles behind what they are learning to actually learn.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 15 Feb 18
       
      A professor of mine in college called this "binge and purge" teaching, where the students "binge" on the content the night before a test, then "purge" it back out for the test, and then it's gone, not thought of again! 
  • most of the content knowledge that, as we know from experience, never gets applied in real life.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 15 Feb 18
       
      Yes!  I have thought so many times that all this content knowledge is just purged out for testing purposes, then forgotten!  I've never known a content area well enough to teach it without the aid of teacher's guides and other resources.  
  • that all children don’t learn the same way and personalization seems to honor those differences.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Feb 18
       
      The traditional education system is seen in a very negative light. While personalization helps build students interest in their learning and make their learning efficient, I would argue there is some value in learning to conform or be held to the same standards as peers. This is what they will face in the workplace and throughout life.
  • Instead, the common view of personalization focused on giving agency for learning to the student and valuing each individual in a classroom.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Feb 18
       
      I think it is great that teachers at this conference prioritized the value of students' understanding real purpose in their learning.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Feb 18
       
      This is very true. Educators in today's world need to teach how to think and process information and skills to create and be critical thinkers instead of rote memorization. This is so much more complex for students and nearly impossible for teachers to teach in the traditional model. Personalization is needed for all students to be successful in the new world environment.
    • crystalseier
      crystalseier on 17 Feb 18
       
      I agree. We also need to teach students how to best make use of those little computers in their pockets. It's not realistic for them to tune out from their phones during learning. Students need the tools to use that technology to their advantage in order to be successful in the future.
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 23 Feb 18
       
      Digital literacy is a huge component missing from today's education. It is such a vital component to daily life, it needs to be addressed. The amount of time spent on rote memorization of facts that students will not necessarily need to have memorized, could be devoted to teaching evaluating internet resources.
  • [10] Personalization is an even more disturbing example of this phenomenon because the word has come to be equated with technology
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Feb 18
       
      This is very interesting. I do think of personalized learning as requiring some form of technological component because of the world we live in. However, I didn't really realize that this assumption comes from a drive of these educational tech companies to make money.
  • When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering.
    • crystalseier
      crystalseier on 17 Feb 18
       
      Certain elements of my school allow for such wishful thinking (shorter Flex classes that aren't necessarily tied to a standard) but it is difficult to think about designing a course based on standards/school expectations this way.
  • free up time for in-class problem-solving and discussion
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 19 Feb 18
       
      The idea of flipping can be a great concept, however, if you are truly giving the student the opportunities they need each student would be in different places in their learning. It seems to be impossible to teach all the different learning possibilities in a flipped classroom if you are going to allow students to learn at their pace or interest.
  • computerized, modular and often very standardized system of “personalization”
LaRae Arment

Implementation in a Secondary Classroom (Articles) - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by LaRae Arment on 19 Jun 17 - No Cached
  • It is a messier way to teach, though it takes more organization on the teacher’s part, not less.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      Reality statement here. This is probably the biggest hurdle for teachers. It's a lot easier to lecture and control than it is for the students to lead the way and the teacher to augment that. I think it's worth it because the kids are more engaged and enthusiastic and the learning is much more long-term.
  • Not every program lends itself to choice, of course, but even then there are opportunities.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      That's a good point, too. It doesn't have to be completely open-ended with total release to students. I think this idea (in the paragraph) is an especially good way to start working toward personalization.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think this is also a tough thing for teachers - knowing where to tip the balance between choice and prescriptive learning. Also, I fear this is a bit of a trial and error process. I am not afraid to fall flat but I am afraid to give students a bad experience.
  • adapt to whatever tools are available
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      I like this point because this is a road block for people. Technology is available to some extent in each school, so use what you got instead of worrying about what you don't have. Technology is a tool, not a replacement.
  • ...38 more annotations...
  • Let students make choices.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      I like this section in total. It has some solid examples. I also liked the first line here about starting off by trying to control but realizing it made more sense to frontload and release.
  • The more meaningful an activity is to the person engaging in it, the more likely he or she will be motivated to continue doing it.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      This is a good point but one that I feel is difficult to find all the time. With so much content to cover, I think this is a pick and choose battle for teachers. That's probably ok in the end - there's a lesson to learn doing things that aren't fun or engaging but important. I think preaching patience when starting personalization - it will take some time for the whole thing to come together.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 06 Jul 17
       
      YES! Real world application is vital for students to buy in. However, if a teacher doesn't prove that application then students loose interest. I often ask my students how or why do you need to know this. Let them own the application.
  • When you want to give students choice, it is often optimal to give them a limited number of options, but be as flexible as possible
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 19 Jun 17
       
      In my master's program, we called that "the illusion of choice." Here are (three carefully selected) options for completing this task, pick whichever you want. Students that have the ability to make their own decisions will usually provide that if you allow them to propose (and actually consider) something new.
  • Almost all teachers find it emotionally fulfilling and personally energizing when students begin to succeed, especially where they have previously failed.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 20 Jun 17
       
      That's good. A selling point. I'm guessing this is too vague to convince the real naysayers - I'd prefer a reference or a more specific stat than this. This is what makes this style worth it - kids getting into it is more fun than just talking at this for a while.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think because it is such a major shift there need to be some concrete examples of how it could look.
  • Teachers must identify the big ideas in their content area, establish essential questions to guide the students toward these ideas, determine what students will need to know and be able to do to thoroughly understand the ideas, then create appropriate tools to assess whether the students are learning what they need to know. Classroom assessments for personalized teaching are always varied, ongoing, and carefully designed to give the teacher useful information from multiple perspectives. Collectively, the measures provide feedback on where students still have misconceptions, where they are learning and applying skills, and where they are recalling and using information effectively.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 20 Jun 17
       
      This is just an all encompassing paragraph here. I think this should describe teaching regardless of your approach. That's all.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I agree. This is good teaching.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      Ditto!
  • 21st century learning coach
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      One thing that matters, regardless of other circumstances, is where resources are committed. The fact that this position exists reflects the emphasis that this school places on these types of skills.
  • Students are more motivated to do projects than they would have been before
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think it is easy to confuse intrinsic motivation, choice, engagement, and learning. I think these things all go together but isn't as simple as one begets the others. A teacher has to work to build all of these things as well as scaffold student skills to take advantage of those choices.
  • And maybe there’s a failure
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      This requires a great trust both in the teacher and in the process.
  • less work and effort
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think this is part of the problem - I don't want my students going for 'easy'. I realize it isn't actually an easier pathway, however that perception isn't really a growth mindset.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 06 Jul 17
       
      I also fear this as a mindset that my students may have. I also think about this for SBG, if I reach this level then I'm fine with my grade/level of learning (student perspective)
  • giving them ownership and responsibility for their own learning.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think this is the ideal, the gold standard of choice in education.
  • Here are five lessons I have learned that have helped me take my classroom from a traditional sage-on-the-stage affair to a tech-assisted personalized learning haven.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      While I know teachers have varying comfort levels with tech, teaching is doing what is best for students. I believe teachers need to learn about new tools and resources to make this transition.
  • I decided to “release” one piece of the assignment at a time in an effort to control students’ pathway through the material.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think this is a great way to scaffold the learning to become independent learners. I believe this is the path to develop the skills for PL
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 06 Jul 17
       
      I think this type of scaffolding would be very necessary at first, but would phase itself out as students became more used to the process.
  • I realized there was more to creating blended lessons than simply adding technology.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      This could be the motto for every tech PD session I lead
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 06 Jul 17
       
      So true! Technology isn't always the solution. It's a great resource and supplements learning in so many ways, but it's not always the end-all-and-be-all of quality instruction.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 06 Jul 17
       
      I also was drawn to this comment. Technology is something that our students rely on and it isn't always necessary in the classroom to become successful.
  • This transformation is still in its early stages, but it is definitely evolving toward that goal.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I like the use of the word 'evolving'. I think it is essential to understand this process as an evolution. The change won't all take place up front, instead it will be incremental.
  • hat choice is not necessarily a cure-all for lack luster motivation
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      This is exactly what I meant in a post on the first article. Choice isn't the same as engagement or motivation.
  • have control tend to be more motivated
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I wonder what the best way is to show students they have control - should they be told they have it or is there a way to show them? Is it the same if they are told about it?
  • too difficult or too easy
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I love this phrasing. I don't want my students to take the easy path - I want them to pick the right path.
  • Giving students a short list of topics with an option to create their own topic, with the teacher’s approval, often works well.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think this is a great starting point - Students could choose to stay in their comfort zone with the teacher provided prompts or step out and create their own
  • hem a sense of control and may allow them to regulate the difficulty of the task.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      Deadlines are still something I am looking at. I think they have a place to give some structure but I think they need to be flexible.
  • Low motivation does not need to be a recurring problem in the classroom
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I genuinely wonder what teachers said 50 years ago and 30 years ago and so on. Is it real that students are less motivated today than any time previous?
  • well-designed choices
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think well-designed choices is the key phrase of this whole article. It needs to be more than a list of essay questions or project topics.
  • Changing an American Institution(NASSP, 1996)
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      I think it is important to acknowledge the date of this study. This has been a long process of acknowledging the need for changes and making inroads
  • This is not a method, but an art and a talent.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      The art of teaching vs. the science of teaching
  • that practice collaborative leadership within design teams, best practices teams, small learning communities,
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 29 Jun 17
       
      This is a major shift for most schools, including my own. I think the shift starts with the early adopters and they (we) have to build within our systems until we get to a critical mass.
  • personalized teaching is not an isolated, or isolating, phenomenon
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      I'm glad to read this; as I head in to a PBL classroom this fall, I wouldn't want to think of learning (personalization) as 115 individual students doing their own thing. This scenario confirms for me what I've know from years of teaching: we all learn more when we learn together.
  • assess their effects, to adjust the approach, and time to assess again”
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      A good personal reminder: sometimes I'm moving so fast I forget to assess not only student data, but instructional practices, and a broader sense of engagement and accomplishment. I'm lucky I will have several "critical friends" as NTN calls them to do this assessment with me.
  • student-centered learning environment in which teachers become facilitators, mentors, and coaches, and students become active learners, engaged in cooperative learning, peer tutoring, role-playing, labs, and debates. Movement, imagery, hands-on activity and social interaction become basic instructional strategies.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      I look forward to this model: sound energy-GIVING rather than energy-draining. Also, I'm inspired everyday by my students; I think a PL environment will enhance the levels of inspiration as our students live up to their own potentials and motivations, creating genuine self-worth.
  • 4WH framework
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      This is a helpful framework. Another concept this article brings up is "empowerment." Many 9th graders are wanting to assert their independence or more power - structured choices over their academic life seems like a safe and effective way to give them that power (maybe reducing their desire to try more risky behaviors to assert their independence or control???)
  • It is the purposeful design of instruction to combine face-to-face teaching, technology-assisted instruction and collaboration to leverage each student’s learning style and interests for deeper learning.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 29 Jun 17
       
      Yay! "Face to face" is first - I never want to forget that part of learning (learning from and with one other in person).
  • choice can also, surprisingly, come into play in relation to discipline
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      I like this idea, and would like to explore it further!
  • rubric,
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      Rubrics and checklists are an important part of personalized learning! They are mentioned time and time again.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 06 Jul 17
       
      I agree with you on this. It also ensures that students know what is expected and I feel that the quality of work will be higher.
  • You really have to be on top of things to allow the students choice
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      I can see this because without a clear plan, the classroom would be mass chaos! This idea would make a lot of teachers uncomfortable, but I like the idea of letting the kids being as involved as possible in the lesson- they retain more that way.
  • my students acknowledge that they feel better prepared for college or jobs because of our use of collaborative technology.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      Goal! I like this statement very much.
  • students who appear unmotivated and apathetic
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      And this is where problem behavior begins.
  • make their own decisions
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      I think with making choices comes the responsibility of teaching the students what making good choices sounds like and looks like too. Expectations must be presented and enforced for this to work.
  • project portfolio
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 02 Jul 17
       
      This is something I'd like to do more exploring with. I like the idea of showcasing your learning instead of a transcript of grades.
  • typical story unit
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 06 Jul 17
       
      I'm curious about the story selection. Does the teacher determine the stories for the whole class to read? Is there a "menu" of stories for students to choose? Are stories grouped or selected for students based on reading level? This is a dilemma for my own classroom.
  • You have to have a principal who understands that when he walks into a room and it’s not silent, it’s okay. And luckily we have that—a principal that supports innovative learning.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 06 Jul 17
       
      I think that having administration support is key for making PL work. Some admins and teachers don't understand the concept and may see a classroom as unstructured when in reality it is structured just in a different way.
Wendy Arch

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 2 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by Wendy Arch on 16 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • The tasks have been personalized for kids, not created by them.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 16 Feb 20
       
      At this point in the article, I have many thoughts floating around. One major thought comes to mind. Can we ever fully personalize our classrooms? I get the points given here, but as a functioning society don't we have to conform a little bit? As parents, I think we do this to our children more than most of us would like to admit and certainly our schools follow suit. Also this first line here, isn't this what state standards do? Provide some sort of standardized leaning? Or is it simply saying that kids should be able to design how they will progress through a certain standard? A student chooses his or her own path to the end. However, if is a standard of no interest to me and you make me do it anyway is that truly personal learning? I'm starting to feel like flip flopping politician.
  • folly of believing that everything can and should be reduced to numbers.[7
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 16 Feb 20
       
      This seems to go against our current reality in my school. We're told that everything has to be data driven or evidence based. On the surface that makes sense, but my issue has always been that we are dealing with people not things. We work in a system filled with a multitude of variables and I would agree that there is a folly in believing that everything can be reduced to numbers. The more I read this article, the more I am thinking that we might be looking at turning the traditional school upside down on it's head.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers. It’s a dramatic shift that requires new literacies to navigate all that access and, importantly, new dispositions to take advantage of it for learning.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 16 Feb 20
       
      Yes, our kids today are walking around with infinite knowledge at their finger tips. Yes, they don't know how to use it and when they are provided the opportunity, they don't seem to use it. I'm not saying that they can't or won't. I'm saying that from my experiences, they are trained not to do so. So many students do not realize their own potential for learning. They want to wait for the teacher to tell them what to do, what the correct answer is, or how to go about a particular task. Maybe we trained them too well. I 500% agree that we need to teach this skill. I also know that I have struggled to do this myself. If asked, I would have say, no I don't how to teach these new literacy skills. It's talked about, but I haven't seen any real professional development on the subject. If you know of any, please share.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 17 Feb 20
       
      I couldn't agree more with your ideas about students not knowing how to use the knowledge. Sometimes they ask me the simplest question and are offended that I don't have the answer for them. To which I ask, how could you find the answer? I feel as though they only take advantage of having that knowledge at their fingertips when it's a direct benefit to them and seems simpler than relying on someone else for the information. I encourage so many of my students to think through investigations for themselves and to try and come up with possible answers first. So many of them want to sit and wait for me to tell them everything and haven't realized how much more power there is in learning it if they put in the cognitive effort first. Coming from the same district, I also don't know how we teach them how to persevere through that when they just want to take the easy route, but there have to be some strategies out there that help to break down that "instant gratification mindset."
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 16 Feb 20
       
      Yikes and ouch. Time for some personal reflection. I would say that I have done exactly this. I'm also fairly sure that personalized learning is what I would have called it. Letting students move at their own pace and not be anchored down by others in the classroom. I agree with most of this article. In fact it sounds like an utopia classroom. Students working on problems in their own way, connecting their own dots, learning new skills so they self progress along their chosen path.... At the end of reading though, I'm right back to my roadblock. How do I even begin to manage this or set it up in the first place? Thinking from the science view, we use a lot of materials and supplies, having to have these items available gives me enough anxiety alone.
  • but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 17 Feb 20
       
      I often wrestle with these different questions/thoughts from a high school perspective. Personalization seems like a great way to reach each individual students' interests and needs, but the logistics of measuring progress always surface. How do we ensure students are still meeting all of the state standards and critera so that they can earn a credit that is satisfactory for graduation? How do we make sure that things are coded appropriately so that those courses are recognized by post-secondary institutions? How do we allow personalization but don't limit it because of the need to be compliant for some things?
    • mpercy
      mpercy on 21 Feb 20
       
      I really think to implement a system which uses a personalized approach, the whole system by which we operate would need to be changed. High school graduation requirements would need to be adjusted as well as college entrance requirements.
  • A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 17 Feb 20
       
      This sounds like a great opportunity for a lot of my students, but I'm not sure it will also fit every student's needs. The more flexible schedule and choice inherent within it worries me about some of my students who really struggle with staying on task and making progress. I wonder how much structure would need to be embedded for these students and would it alter it to the point that it wouldn't be considered personalized?
    • mpercy
      mpercy on 21 Feb 20
       
      In theory, giving students a choice in what and how they learn would eliminate the need to keep them focused and on track. However, we have students in our classrooms today we know would struggle with this! As with any method of teaching, there would be students that would love it and thrive while others would struggle and need more intervention. Not every individual could learn this way.
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 17 Feb 20
       
      There are certainly some changes that need to happen on a macro level if we want to reach our students in the optimal way. State assessments would need to change, the way that colleges rate students may need to be different and even the way college is taught could have implications. What happens if we are teaching these high schoolers in innovative ways that are truly personalized, but then a students ends up in a freshmen lecture hall with 300 students and is put back into that cookie-cutter scenario? Will they be prepared with the skills to handle that?
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 23 Feb 20
       
      I agree with you. We find ourselves teaching for the standardized tests. We need to find out what the expectations are in college to ensure kids are learning skills that allow them to succeed in all classroom settings.
  • However, in order to navigate the system of accountability in the U.S. educational system, many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests
    • mpercy
      mpercy on 21 Feb 20
       
      This is a big hurdle to overcome if we are to adopt a personalized learning environment. How can we make sure that students know the curriculum they will be evaluated on before going on to college or other programs after high school. Can they still demonstrate success on these tests?
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 21 Feb 20
       
      My school as adopted EL Reading LA curriculum. It is very scripted and all kids read 4 books through the year. Choice in reading has really taken the backseat. No room for personalized learning here.
  • Technology was strikingly absent from these conversations.
    • mpercy
      mpercy on 21 Feb 20
       
      This surprises me as it has been a focus for many districts to become 1:1 with technology. I would think that to become more personalized technology would need to be implemented.
  • After decades of this approach, it is clear that all children don’t learn the same way and personalization seems to honor those differences.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 21 Feb 20
       
      Educators know this and have for a long time. We know our students have changed. I'm so glad to be in this class but I do not feel my administrators will support this because it is not going to fit into their mold- I can statements, success criteria, evaluation. Personalized learing is different!
  • because of the larger preoccupation with data data data data data
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 22 Feb 20
       
      I love Alfie Kohn but this is a scathing assessment of the data-based movement. I get that not all things can and should be reduced to numbers and I tend to agree with his assessment of the dangers of these things being our focus. However, there has to be some way to see if we're making progress other than just individual feelings.
  • One final caveat: in the best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another. Thus, while making sense of ideas is surely personal, it is not exclusively individual because it involves collaboration and takes place in a community.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 22 Feb 20
       
      I think this is a very important point as I think about personalized learning and what it might look like. My understanding of personalized doesn't exclude collaboration, but there are models that have the potential to be isolating.
  • We don’t need personalization as much as we need to promote and give opportunities for our kids to do personal learning. And while they come from the same root, those two words are vastly different. “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 22 Feb 20
       
      To me, this is the most important point in all three of these articles. But this is such a complex issue in schools today. The pressure of all that students must learn and be prepared for has led us to a place where there is far less personal learning in schools. And at the same time, it would probably be more efficient (time-wise) to let project-based, personal learning meet the standards BUT we've also gotten to a place where funding cuts mean it's almost impossible to move away from the industrial model because the more personal project-based model requires more and different human resources. In other words, at the same time that there is more to learn and more concern about students having the engagement and perseverance to get there, we have less money to rebuild a system that currently gets us by with high student to teacher ratio.
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way. Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 22 Feb 20
       
      Yes. This. So much of this. To me, this is what I love about the Blend/Flip cohort and AIW. Both of these concepts start with the kids and the content and how to engage them in the real ideas at the heart of the matter and then look at the best way of getting students to that goal with or without technology.
  • describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 23 Feb 20
       
      This reminds me of the online courses I have observed students complete over the past few years.
  • When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 23 Feb 20
       
      I know it is hard for me to give up structure with my Special Education students. This may be easier in personalized learning with students that have learned the skills to self-regulate and stay on task.
  • truly personalized learning experience requires student choice, is individualized, meaningful and resource rich.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 23 Feb 20
       
      I think we have students that will be successful with this learning. Some students may not be prepared. How do we determine which students can be successful?
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 23 Feb 20
       
      I do not believe in just the Google classroom. I believe in engaging students with the community, books, and conversation.
  • animates “competency-based progression,” “mastery learning,” and programs that tweak the “delivery of instruction.”
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 23 Feb 20
       
      Could this also be at the center of the difference between credit recovery online/personalized learning and more robust project-based/personalized learning? If a program's goal is to get students the bare minimum of credits for a basic diploma (ala GED), then this style might make sense. If we're thinking of a broader, system-wide approach, then this attitude it definitely at the heart of a lot of fears about the automatization of education.
  • Simpler strategies, such as having kids choose, read, and discuss real books from the library may be more effective
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 23 Feb 20
       
      This is what lives at the core of my department's belief in individual reading. Every Friday, students in English 9, English 10, English 11/12, and American Literature read a book of their choice. There are no assignments attached. This "simpler strategy" is based on Kelly Gallahger's work in Readicide.
  • By assigning the lecture at home, we’re still in charge of delivering the curriculum, just at a different time.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 23 Feb 20
       
      THIS!!!! THIS 1000% times over! It takes twice if not three times as long to prepare a flipped lesson than a live lecture. This is a point most people don't want to talk about. We're still putting in the time and effort -- it just changes to outside of class time -- which puts the onus on us. Instead of completing the majority of my work during the school day, I'm completing the majority of it outside of school in the evenings and weekends.
  • The assumption here is that curriculum can be broken into little pieces, that skills are acquired sequentially and can be assessed with discrete, contrived tests and reductive rubrics.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 23 Feb 20
       
      Is this not what Standards Based/Referenced Grading believes? I am not at a SRG school, so I haven't gone through the process. My experience comes with a testing/data collection software our school is piloting called Performance Matters. All questions are tied to standards and wrapped up nicely-packaged in pretty color-coded data to allow teachers to quickly assess and regroup students based on ability or skill-demonstration. This sounds great - an easy to push students who already know the material and help students who don't - but it is testing actual growth or just test taking ability?
leipoldc

ollie-afe-2020: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 3 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by leipoldc on 12 Apr 20 - No Cached
  • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      Everything we do is to improve student achievement. This helps us going future instruction.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 12 Apr 20
       
      WE hear data driven decisions so often but this is a such a clear definition of why we base instructional decisions on data.
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching but, rather, integrated into instruction and learning with teachers and students receiving frequent feedbac
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      It is important to do this as students are doing work, having group discussion, and possibly by another adult that can step in the room. One person may observe learning or needs that another cannot.
  • In this type of classroom culture, students will more likely feel they are collaborators with their teacher and peers in the learning process.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      This collaboration is important. Students need to feel like they have respect and "own" their learning. I teach Special Ed, so I always give students a way to own their instruction and opportunities to improve.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Not all kids are risk takers so when they feel supported they are more likely open up with the others in the learning process
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is the direction I really want to go in my classrooms. It is transitioning my students from passive to more active learners. The part that I have work on is building the class norms and modeling them properly in my class.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      A classroom culture where there is collaboration between teacher and students in the learning process would be so exciting. I think it would hold students more accountable when they are part of their own process.
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Because the formative assessment process helps students achieve intended learning outcomes based on explicit learning progressions, teachers must first identify and then communicate the instructional goal to students
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      This is an important statement. Students need to know the instructional goal. I do think this is missed. It is a good reminder for me moving forward. I feel like I do this, but what does that look like?
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      Agreed! However, I struggle to find that most students don't "care" about this goal unless you make it relevant to them right now. (And even with this some don't care.) I would love for students to buy in to what we are all doing in our classrooms and understand the bigger pictures, then they would understand the learning progressions.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      The communication of the end goal is something that I need to do a better job with. I think I will have better outcomes from my formative assessment when my students see there purpose rather than just me.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      My new curriculum is all about the I Can statements and reviewing it at the end, so this is very helpful. I agree with the comment above- Now to motivate the students to care!
  • Learning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain, and show the trajectory of learning along which students are expected to progress. From a learning progression teachers have the big picture of what students need to learn, as well as sufficient detail for planning instruction to meet short-term goals. They are able to connect formative assessment opportunities to the short-term goals to keep track of how well their students’ learning is moving forward.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I have enjoyed our course work on this. It has made me really think the steps between objection and assessment.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree with you. The Progression diagram that I have made 2 different times has really helped me understand how to break the learning down. Trying to make sure students are achieving at each step is so important to their success.
  • It should help the student answer three basic questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I will remember these questions Often feedback is just a general statement of good job. These questions will drive student with specific feedback.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      I really like the idea of posing those questions to the students and make them more engaged in their learning and the skill of really knowing where they are in the learning progression.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I imagine the learning progressions posted on the wall and when conferring with students, posing the questions - where are you now? where are you going? how will you get there?
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Apr 20
       
      I think posing the questions to students would be a great way to have them do some self-reflection. That would also help the teacher to understand the students' perception of where they are and be able to give appropriate feedback. For example, a teacher might think a student is doing something well because they have evidence of that, but it would help to know if the student felt they knew it well enough so that they could replicate it in the future.
  • student- and peer-assessment should not be used in the formal grading process.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is very important. There are too many variables in peer statements and comments.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Peer assessment is meant to help both students learn something new and reflect on their learning/work from a non-teacher perspective.
  • Sharing learning goals and criteria for success with students, supporting students as they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning, helping students to provide constructive feedback to each other, and involving students in decisions about how to move learning forward are illustrations of students and teachers working together in the teaching and learning process.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      I want to increase this in my classroom so if you have ideas, please do share! :) I want students to feel comfortable with this process and care about the learning progressions we are moving through. I want there to be good peer feedback and not just students "jumping through the hoops" so that they themselves get better at the big ideas and collaboration pieces.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is very important. There are too many variables in peer statements and comments.
  • You must also relate your explanation to one of the properties we have been discussing in class to indicate the reason the steps were incorrect.” Again, the students know the goal, where their response differed from the criteria, and how they can improve their explanations.
  • Effective formative assessment involves collecting evidence about how student learning is progressing during the course of instruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      These are only effective when teachers/students use them to drive the instruction further. It is not enough to just say that we are doing formative assessments but then disregarding the data that they give us. Changes and adaptions must be made to successfully move all students forward with the material.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I agree. I think this also goes with doing a pretest or pre assessment. What data are you trying to get and what are you actually going to do with that data to enhance your teaching and to adjust your teaching for your students.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      Really packed classrooms of students can make this so difficult!
  • A second important part of the definition is its unequivocal requirement that the formative assessment process involve both teachers and students. The students must be actively involved in the systematic process intended to improve their learning.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      So important to build this process in our classrooms so that students take ownership of their learning and want to do better. (I would love tips on how to do this better in my own room if anyone has some!) :)
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      Getting students to consistently take ownership of their learning has been one of the most difficult tasks of my career. Intrinsic motivation is key, but by definition, it has to come from within a student There are things a teacher can do, such as offer freedom and choice, but this can be very difficult for students that do not buy in.
  • a process used by teachers and students
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      It's important to emphasize that it is a process used both by teachers AND students. I think too often, students don't realize how much informaiton a formative assessment can also provide them and help them with goal-setting for future lessons.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think that most teachers use formative assessments throughout their lesson plans and teaching without even knowing that they are doing it!
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is why I liked the learning progression activity. It put the use of formative assessments front and center when creating units. Something I need to do better with.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I agree that teachers have been using the formative assessment process before it was given a name. I think they knew they were doing it and because it is good practice, gave it a name.
  • These range from informal observations and conversations to purposefully planned instructionally embedded techniques designed to elicit evidence of student learning to inform and adjust instruction.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      It's always interesting to hear the groans from students if I announce that we are going to have a more formal formative assessment (such as a quick 2-3 question quiz) vs. the simpler formative assessments that I conduct daily in terms of having conversations with students/groups or thumbs up/thumbs down. There's this misconception with students (at least my own) in that if I announce we are having an assessment, it suddenly becomes more important than the daily check-ins.
  • The process requires the teacher to share learning goals with students and provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      In my building we've spent a few professional development sessions on crafting student-friendly learning targets that we regularly communicate to students and that students can communicate back to us. We are working on how we can better have students monitoring their own progress at reaching those learning goals. I think it's critical that the learning targets are student-friendly so that it becomes easier for them to monitor their own progress.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      The communication piece is key to pulling teachers and students together for the same purpose. I would love to continue on finding ways for students to understand the formative assessments and how they can help in the student's learning.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 17 Apr 20
       
      Yes, getting students not to push back is key. I find that my students this year, shut down if I attach the word assessment to any thing. I think that they issue is, the educational system has trained students to think with a "for grade" mentality. Somehow we have to shift that focus to a "learning mentality". Is it possible to get parents to and students not to worry about grades and simply worry about the learning that can happen?
  • In peer-assessment, students analyze each others’ work using guidelines or rubrics and provide descriptive feedback that supports continued improvement.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think the use of peer-assessment can be really effective in helping students think about their learning and make changes. It's helpful for them to hear from their peers, and not always receive feedback from just the teacher. I think this brings up a good point, though. Students have to be explicitly taught how to provide helpful feedback, without it, their comments and feedback are often superficial and won't really help the student make progress.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      I really like this as a formative assessment that I need to incorporate more into my units. What I like is the students are now being more involved in the learning process.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      Have you had any success doing this. At the middle school level we have started pairing the teams together and we present and give feedback across the two teams. However, it is still not what we want it to be. We made a sheet with look fors and sentence stems to help students. We've even stopped a class of 60 students and told them that we are listening for you to us...(a certain sentence stem), and that helps a little, but it still seems a bit fake. I can't tell if we aren't doing something right or if the idea of it is just so foreign to them. I know that as a student we never did peer feed back and the best feedback I got from a teacher was a, "Wow, your hard work is evident".
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I like the idea of peer-assessment, but think it would probably work best when the students do not know who is providing the feedback nor to whom they provided feedback. It would require discussion and practice, but allows students to do some analysis which should cause more critical thinking of the work they too are completing.
  • process
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I think we still struggle as a system to view formative assessment as a process. Case in point, administrators in my previous buildings would ask teachers to bring their "formative assessments" to our PLC meetings. It became a tangible thing vs. observations, etc.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 17 Apr 20
       
      I am glad that you brought this up. This whole process is supposed to be something that moves student learning forward and deeper and our profession to new heights. That definitely gets lost in translation when it becomes something forced. My administrators have done the same thing. The meaningful process becomes lost when teachers do it just because they are told to, or they are just going through the motions. I think that you are correct when you say it's so much more than a tangible thing, it has to be observational as well. We also have to get educators to see the value of it and using formative assessments to guide our practice.
  • Specific, timely feedback should be based on the learning goal and criteria for success.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      "timely feedback" - students don't want formative feedback when they already took their summative assessment. Make the feedback relatable and clear. If you make the feedback irrelevant it is not meaning full to the student.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      I do like using the language in the rubric to specify what they did well as well as what needs to be built upon to hit the success criteria.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      I also liked that part. I have a hard time with the whole specific, timely feedback. I don't always know how to go about doing it for a 150 students. I think that being more clear on the rubric might really help. Rather than focus on content I could include wording needed that help develop the skills needed to get to or master the content. I still am unsure how to effectively answer the where going, where now, and closing the gap questions. I wonder if students can be given a self assessment with a carefully worded rubric and them I can review those and make changes as needed. What ideas or methods do the rest of you use to meet the needs of the last three questions in this sentence?
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      or rather the end of the next sentence, sorry
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      YES! This cuts out all of the fluff and gets to the heart of what we want kids to learn! Creating better learning targets makes teaching much more purposeful!
  • To support both self- and peer-assessment, the teacher must provide structure and support so students learn to be reflective of their own work and that of their peers, allowing them to provide meaningful and constructive feedback.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is a great way to incorporate the rubric that would be used to assess the student. Peer feedback is one that could go really well and really bad if the teacher doesn't set the guidelines of what it looks like. This is a teachable moment in it's self.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree with this statement. If a student can successfully self evaluate according to criteria like a rubric then they can have success with peers. Start there.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      I have found that if I ask students to give each other a grade, it is basically useless, as they will just give each other an A. But if I ask them to comment and send back for revision, in actually work quite well. Qualitative over quantitative has been key for me.
  • In other words, there is no such thing as “a formative test.” Instead, there are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Viewing formative assessment as a process rather than any one or a series of discrete assessments is critical in my mind for formative assessment to really do what it is meant to do and that is to inform instruction and improve student learning. Never too many reminders of this fact.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I think the definition has changed a bit since 2006. I know my administrators include AFTER the instruction as formative assessment such as ticket outs and even quizzes. All still help guide teaching decisions but many occur after.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      We use formative assessments in the in-person classroom multiple times within the class period. I have done some formative assessments, realized all of the kids were well past proficient (thanks to great background knowledge), and I moved on. In that sense, there was no test needed.
  • Using the evidence elicited from such tasks connected to the goals of the progression, a teacher could identify the “just right gap” – a growth point in learning that involves a step that is neither too large nor too small – and make adjustments to instruction accordingly.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      It is important to identify those "just right gaps" for individual students and for the class as a whole so that time isn't wasted on things they have already mastered nor do some or all of the students feel lost or overwhelmed. Learning progressions in conjunction with ongoing formative assessment help pinpoint where additional instruction or practice may be needed.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      This is one of the positive aspects of blended learning. I can figure out who has gaps and bring them in to work on the skills they need to improve.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Apr 20
       
      I hadn't thought about how an additional benefit of a well-written learning target is that it allows a teacher to readily know what the next step of learning is for students and let's them use that knowledge to help give feedback that is alerts the student to next steps in their learning, but that makes absolute sense!
  • teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal. This information should be communicated using language readily understood by students, and may be accompanied by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Providing students with user friendly criteria upon which they can self-assess their own progress is critical for optimal learning.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I agree! Too many students aren't able to tell if they are "on track" because they think they have to get in the heads of their teachers. The assessment piece remains a mystery to them.
  • Formative assessment is a process that directly engages both teachers and students.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Student involvement makes the formative assessment process so much richer and teaches students life long skills that will help them think critically when in the workforce. I believe it also helps motivate students to do their best.
  • The teacher might first offer students a paraphrased version of that goal such as, “You will be able to judge the strengths and weaknesses of arguments in the editorials you find in our daily newspapers.” The teacher would discuss the criteria for evaluating arguments and then provide several examples of critiques of political essays. This will provide students with a reasonably clear idea of the analytic skills they are to develop and also provide them with the tools required to assess their own written analyses.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      This process really helps you hone in on scaffolding to move learning to your end objective.
  • With this kind of descriptive feedback and collaboration, the teacher clarifies the goal for the student, provides specific information about where the student is in relation to meeting the criteria, and offers enough substantive information to allow the student an opportunity to identify ways to move learning forward.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      Feedback throughout the process is so beneficial to the student. I think it is easy for teachers to skip this part or not notice they are giving it during conversations. Written feedback usually happens in those final assessments.
  • Helping students think meta-cognitively about their own learning fosters the idea that learning is their responsibility and that they can take an active role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own progress.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      I think teachers and students need to hear and believe this concept more. Once teachers buy into allowing students more o fa role in their learning, students will take on more responsibility...in the ideal world.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      Absolutely! We need to re-structure the classroom environment so that students don't see it as hierarchical. The teacher should be a guide in the room, sitting among his/her students. This way, students may begin to develop more ownership of their learning.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      Helping students see that the only way they can truly learn is when they take ownership for their learning is the key. We will never be able to teach someone who does not want to learn.
  • Students can use a rubric to provide feedback to a peer by articulating reasons why a piece of work is at one level and discussing how it could be improved to move it to the next level.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      This idea takes some of the worry out for students who don't want to hurt or offend other students in the critique.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I think this will definitely happen. The more it is done, the better students will be at peer editing.
  • inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is so important to decipher the difference between summative and formative.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree! This is for the teacher and the students.
  • particular kind of assessment.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      My first year or two, I believed that it was a specific assessment. The confusion between formative and summative for a new teacher is hard to grasp if you haven't been explicitly taught.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Apr 20
       
      I worry that in our district's attempts at the PLC process that teachers have gotten the wrong impression that formative assessment has to be proven through a specific assessment in order to facilitate a data-driven discussion. I believe that data can tell us a great deal about where our students are and how to move them forward, but I don't like the idea of it replacing ongoing feedback about the process.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      This is an important point. Any, and potentially all assessments can and should be formative.
  • Students build on this learning in later stages of the progression to develop an understanding that people represent and interpret the past in different ways
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      An effective teacher understands that this must be built upon before students can learn new material.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      Looking back at my early days as an educator, I did not do a very good job at this. In hindsight, I really assumed that students knew how to do some things that they obviously did not know how to do. I still find that I have to get myself to slow down and break apart tasks for students. I wonder how many other teachers struggle with this, and may not even be aware of it!
  • However, for students to be actively and successfully involved in their own learning, they must feel that they are bona fide partners in the learning process. This feeling is dependent on a classroom culture characterized by a sense of trust between and among students and their teachers; by norms of respect, transparency, and appreciation of differences; and by a non-threatening environment. Creating such a culture requires teachers to model these behaviors during interactions with students, to actively teach the classroom norms, and to build the students’ skills in constructive self- and peer-assessment.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      I think this is so very true. I fully think that we as a system we have to do a better job at promoting learners not students. Students do things for a grade. They follow the rules so they don't get into trouble. They don't follow the rules to get out of work or other outside issue. Learners however, they do the work to learn, even if it were not graded. They come to school to better themselves and they understand that they are there are doing the work for themselves, it's a passion of self improvement. The know the teacher is there to facilitate them and they understand that the person in charge of the learning in the classroom isn't the teacher, it's them, the learner. I hope, that through the formative assessment process, scientists seminars, and norms that I have developed, that I am beginning to foster more learners and less students. It is a journey that has forced me to become less of a teacher and more of learner myself.
  • A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback with students and talked about what acceptable and unacceptable comments look like in order to have created a safe learning environment
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Apr 20
       
      As an instructional coach, this is a step that I frequently saw teacher's skip when they asked students to to self- and peer-feedback. Teachers assumed students knew how to give high quality feedback then were frustrated with the responses with students gave, often coming to the conclusion that self- and peer-feedback were a waste of time because the feedback lacked quality.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      I find this the most important piece. If I don't model feedback, how are kids supposed to know what's going on? Without the modeling, this becomes an unimportant time-filler.
  • Effective formative assessment involves collecting evidence about how student learning is progressing during the course of instruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      I would say that sometimes PLC work goes too far in this...there is too much data being thrown around, and less attention to actual teaching. Sometimes, the formative assessments are analyzed but the kids don't receive any feedback. If we want our students to be a partner in the learning, the feedback has to be provided to the student, not just for teacher use.
erinlullmann

Implementation in an Elementary Classroom (Articles) - 0 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • unlearning
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      This might be the "term of the course" as a lot of personalized learning is unlearning for teachers as well as students. This even applies to my job as a coach / PD presenter. Traditional professional development is a lot of "sit and get." Sometimes this is due to time and sometimes this is due to just doing what we know and we have been taught. I need to remember to "unlearn" my traditional teaching tendencies and move out of the box to try more of a personalized or inquiry based approach.
  • when she answers students’ questions straightforwardly instead of asking questions to help the students find the answers themselves, she’s actually interfering with the learning process.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      This makes me think of Michael Bungay Stanier and what he refers to as "The Advice Monster." This applies to so many situations from working with students, to coaching teachers, to talking to your spouse. It is not a natural reaction to turn a question back around on the questioner, but often times the student/teacher/spouse knows the answer. They just need to work through the process of finding it themselves. And it is SO much better when they discover it themselves than when someone else tells them what to do or what the answer is or how to solve the problem. Here's his Ted Talk on the advice monster if you're interested (he's a pretty great presenter): https://youtu.be/Kl0rmx7aa0w
  • students to discover fundamental principles on their own.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." Did anyone else think of this Ben Franklin quote while reading this?
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Thinking Maps, she continues, introduce students to the notion of thinking about thinking — of conceptualizing the thought process objectively,
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      In traditional schooling the teacher does the thinking for the student. When we turn the thinking over to the student, we have to reteach teach them how to be a learner (depending on how long we've had them in a traditional school system). What does it mean to be a learner? What does it mean to be a thinker? What does your thinking look like?
  • helping children gain active control over the process of thinking so they learn how to learn,
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      It's messy. It's unstructured. It's hard to plan for. It takes a leap of faith on the teacher's part to try this - to turn the learning over to the students. This would be a great time to invite an instructional coach in to your classroom to work with you. I'm sure that when starting any level of more personalized / inquiry based learning with students, it will be messy. Teachers will want to give up, quit, and go back to the old way. Working with a coach would be beneficial because you have someone in the trenches to help you, encourage you, trouble shoot with you, and help you focus on the end goal all while reminding you about the small victories that occurred each lesson.
  • Giving them directions all the time takes away from the creative process and imagination, which a lot of my kids are lacking,” she says, “because they’re so used to being spoon-fed information that they can barely critically think.”
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      This is so sad, but it's so true. How can we get curriculum developers, administrators, lawmakers, teachers, parents, etc. to understand this?
  • Play is, after all, the way children are wired to learn, especially in the preschool and kindergarten years. Most teachers know the classroom is the perfect place for children to play, but opportunities to provide those benefits are on the decline.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      The kindergarten teachers in my building strongly advocate for their Discovery Centers time each day, which is essentially play time. The only allot 20 minutes or so each day for this but other admin in the district discourage their teachers from doing this as that time should go toward academic learning. The teachers in my building have to almost keep this time of their day on the "down low" with other K teachers in the district because not everyone agrees that it is a good use of time.
  • "How?" The short answer is: one step at a time.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 27 Feb 21
       
      I thought this article had a lot of great tips that could help the process of differentiating, scaffolding, and even personalizing learning easier. I have saved it to my Symbaloo so that I can quickly refer back to it when needed.
russelljohanna

iowaonlinelearning - Teaching Standards - 94 views

iowaonlinelearning.wikispaces.com/Teaching+Standards

shared by russelljohanna on 17 May 11 - No Cached
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student (SREB F.1, Varvel II.E)
    • crjessen44
      crjessen44 on 17 May 11
       
      I feel this is critical. As a teacher, I believe all teachers need to live this experience first hand, in the role of a student. Being a student in an on-line evironment will help me to be a better on-line faciliator. I will be more sympathetic to the stuggles of being on-line learner and hopefully I will be more effective, learning from my experience as a student.
    • Aryn Kruse
      Aryn Kruse on 29 Jun 11
       
      This is so important---as a special educator I also feel it is important to also consider the impacts of a child's disability in light of their online experiences as well.
    • Kristina Greenfield
      Kristina Greenfield on 19 Jul 11
       
      I agree that being an online student will help me create a better online course. I think that is true with most anything we ask students to do. I try to complete my own work (usually essays) for some of my assignments that I give and by doing so, I can revise the assignment much more meaningfully.
    • Stan Newon II
      Stan Newon II on 19 Jul 11
       
      I completed my master's program entirely online 2 years ago and certainly "lived" in online learning. I believe that online learning has evolved significantly since then with many more tools available to make online learning more effective. There was some differences between how the various instructors delivered their coursework online. Being an online student certainly gives one an idea of what does and does not work and what one likes/dislikes. However I think we need to keep in mind the generational differences in learning; what I may not like about online learning as an older learner may be a very valuable online learning tool for a young student that has grown up with technology as being a natural part of their learning.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 30 Sep 11
       
      Not only is it important for an online teacher to experience online learning from the perspective of a student, but I think it is important for them to return to the role of a student from time to time. Each time I take an online course, I am reminded of the feeling of being overwhelmed by a long list of lessons/assignments and very little time to actually complete everything. It a great reminder for me as a teacher to be careful not to overload my students. Adding enrichment items might be a great way to achieve balance.
    • Christine Quisley
      Christine Quisley on 09 Oct 11
       
      Think about a traditional face to face enviroment that we all have experienced as children or as adults, with these experiences we have gained learning. As teachers we now know how we will or will not proceed because of our experiences. Online learning should be no different. You need to walk in others shoes to experience their success and/or difficulties
    • marcia knupp
      marcia knupp on 09 Oct 11
       
      The perspective we get from our experiences colors the way we look at everything. Kind of like "your perception is your reality" Meeting the different needs of students (such as learning styles) seems unlikely with on-line learning.
    • Sherry Huffman
      Sherry Huffman on 10 Oct 11
       
      My struggles in catching up and staying on track with this online class will definately have an impact on how I set up my own classes.
    • Toy Waterman
      Toy Waterman on 10 Oct 11
       
      I feel taking an online course is the very beginning of an online instructor's process for becoming effective. Being on the learning end helps an instructor know where to enhance assignment directions, proper amount of assignments for an online course, and types of assignments that are better understood from a distance learning perspective.
    • Lylia Chaffin
      Lylia Chaffin on 15 Nov 11
       
      I have experienced online learning and in most cases the experience was good. From the student side, it seemed pretty easy. From the teachers side it is quite complicated to create an easy to follow and interact with a good class.
    • Steve Butler
      Steve Butler on 15 Nov 11
       
      I believe looking at things from a learner's perspective is also very important. I have sat through too many inservices and other learning opportunities thinking "there is no way I could ever teach like this and expect kids to learn" and other similar things. Observing other teachers helps a great deal too. Before I try some activities now I try to run them by my wife or other faculty members to get feedback and doing the same thing with an online course should really help.
    • Carol Price
      Carol Price on 21 Mar 12
       
      It is important for teachers to have had experience as an online learner before teaching an online class. Taking this online class is a new (and frightening) experience for me, but I believe that I am benefiting from this experience.
    • MaryAnn Strawhacker
      MaryAnn Strawhacker on 28 Mar 12
       
      I could not agree more Carol! I tried to develop a Moodle and kept running into roadblocks. Now I am learning the problem was not with my content but rather with my lack of understanding as to how to fully use the learning platform.
    • Sarah Sieck
      Sarah Sieck on 20 Sep 12
       
      I think this standard is just part a good teaching, be it online or in a regular classroom. As teachers, we need to also think about how the students will be engaged during our lessons (online or face-to-face). Being a student in an online course helps the teacher develop strategies to make their online course as engaging as possible. Learning and working with a variety of online tools (Moodle, screencasting, Diigo, blogs, etc) helps the teacher build a course that will hopefully meet their needs and the students learning needs.
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds, and students with special needs or whom are language learners (SREB C.7, Varvel V.H, ITS 4.c)
    • crjessen44
      crjessen44 on 17 May 11
       
      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?
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      i AGREE THAT THERE IS A LEARNING CURVE FOR TEACHER AND STUDENTS. Having the teacher monitor the student's initial work might help get them started.
    • Lora Lehmkuhl
      Lora Lehmkuhl on 04 Oct 11
       
      Learning is different for each individual. I watched my daughters take gymnastic lessons and compared their learning to the students in my classroom. Two of my daughters were flexible and learned well from their coaches. One of my daughters struggled, but kept trying to keep up. In the classroom, it really seems unfair to expect the students to all learn at the same pace. Online learning allows students to work at their own pace.
    • Pam Elwood
      Pam Elwood on 06 Oct 11
       
      Differentiation is a tricky topic. Look up research on learning styles and you will find mixed messages and limited empirical evidence. I do appreciate that I respond to visual supports, so that might increase my focus or my engagment, but after 12 months of considering learning styles in my grad work, it is hard to say that is the end all be all for tailoring instruction. Sound research and or evidence based practices...which are limited...can be generalized usually to increase student outcomes. Considering how to embedd interests and preferences is instructionally sound and can be a goal, but that may or may not include tailoring instruction. Take a look at this piece if you want to rethink learning styles as a strategy www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk
    • Lisa Wymore
      Lisa Wymore on 07 Oct 11
       
      I think this is a two-pronged issue - there is tailoring content to meet the entry points and learning styles of students, but there is also the technology piece of this with online learning. As an instructor, it will be important to provide support for using the technology & tools so that they don't become a barrier to accessing the content.
    • marcia knupp
      marcia knupp on 09 Oct 11
       
      An on-line lesson that would give the content in multiple ways, assess the learning in multiple ways may still be too much for the students who struggle with technology issues.
    • Steve Butler
      Steve Butler on 15 Nov 11
       
      I agree that tech can really help us with DI. My district has done some stuff with DI and I am trying to incorporate some of that in my classroom. With the knowledge from this course I hope to do more in the future.
    • Perry Bekkerus
      Perry Bekkerus on 16 Nov 11
       
      I love that Moodled DI (did I just make up a verb?) allows for both helping the strugglers, but also for challenging the brightest so that they are not slowed down by the mundane.
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 11 Dec 11
       
      students who need reteaching or more direct instruction would benefit from online learning. i see this as a tool for me to help my AELP students with expanding their knowledge of my content area. i also enjoy using technoloyg and know that the kids in the middle, who we often forget about :( would like to use technology too.
    • Kristin Shelton
      Kristin Shelton on 09 Apr 12
       
      All students deserve to have differentiated instruction. This really grabbed my attention because I feel strongly that all students can learn and deserve to have instruction to meet their needs
    • Pam Childers
      Pam Childers on 22 Sep 12
       
      This standard seems especially important to me, given that my class will be about accessibility and engagement for all students. I will need to model what I preach!
  • Selects and uses technologies appropriate to the content that enhance learning (SREB M.3, Varvel IV.D, ITS 3.e, ITS 4.f)
    • linda welander
      linda welander on 28 Jun 11
       
      This seems to be exactly what we are trying to do. The collaboration component of the class should provide all of us with a lot of different ideas, websites, and critiques that will save us time and effort. This is a tremendous asset.
    • Aryn Kruse
      Aryn Kruse on 29 Jun 11
       
      I appreciate the use of the term "appropriate", often times technology is selected because it's the new thing, not because it's what is most appropriate for your outcome....
    • Deanna Tegeler
      Deanna Tegeler on 19 Jul 11
       
      I agree with you about the appropriate use of technology. It must be used with a specific purpose. When technology is overused / inappropriately used students get burned out on it just like any other teaching strategy.
    • Stan Newon II
      Stan Newon II on 19 Jul 11
       
      I agree with you as well...it's not necessarily a good idea to use technology simply for the sake of using technology and a teacher can go overboard and use it too much. For example in a HS setting it could get annoying if every teacher was having students participate in a blog.
    • Ashlea Ahrenholtz
      Ashlea Ahrenholtz on 21 Jul 11
       
      In the class I am currently taking, there have been several discussions that discuss not only "what" we teach but "why" we are teaching it. I really enjoy learning about technology myself and enjoy integrating it into my curriculum; however, I think that we need to remember that many of these resources are tools for our toolkit. They are not meant to the be the staple of the classroom. Stan, you gave a great example with blogs. Teachers need to remember that is it just as hard for students to remember different logins and passwords, especially if they have different ones for different classes. I myself do not like it when my usual username/password combination has to be altered; it is inevitable that I will forget it or lose where I wrote it down. It will be interesting to see how the next couple of years change with professional development and how they work to buffer the gap among teachers with their comfort level in technology.
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      I too am curious as to what type of technology the students would like to use in their "moodle" assignments.
    • Annalisa Miner
      Annalisa Miner on 30 Sep 11
       
      As being 'newer' to all the on-line tools, I think this is where we have to pull in our 'experts' and be able to tell them what we need the tool to do and then get their feedback/have a discussion about what tool will best help meet our needs.
    • Pam Elwood
      Pam Elwood on 06 Oct 11
       
      I like this one...the right tech for the right learning outcome. We have been working at Kent State to define purposes and rationales for Web 2.0 tools. So when is a wiki the best choice vs. a blog. Is mandatory number of postings in a threaded discussion more likely to lead to higher order critical thinking and or engagement and dialogue in on online environment. Is there really a Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and beyond and what difference does it make? Does online interaction lead to different outcomes than face to face? It is nice to get past the novelty and consider the function and intentionally select the right tool for the right experience.
    • Lisa Wymore
      Lisa Wymore on 08 Oct 11
       
      I think this is very important, but yet also poses a challenge to online instructors. We do need to be able to choose the appropriate tools. The challenge (but a good one) comes in keeping up with the new and improved options that become available in this rapidly changing environment.
    • Toy Waterman
      Toy Waterman on 10 Oct 11
       
      Appropriate tools will help with clarity and assignment directions. However, one of the better tools for distance learning is the ability to do screencasting so screens can be shared when more technical help is needed. Trying to explain how to do something can be very frustrating to a learner, when showing him/her would be a much better approach - screencasts.
    • Joan Fredrickson
      Joan Fredrickson on 18 Sep 12
       
      I agree Toy, screencasts are very helpful for clarifying how to do something online. I am looking forward to learning how to use a screencast tool myself and believe it will make more efficient and effective use of my time. Currently I type up directions step-by-step..which takes way too much time and increases the chances of error. Screencasts make sense!
    • d YM
      d YM on 24 Sep 12
       
      The number of potential tools for incorporating in online instruction seem limitless. I'm amazed at what is available, yet also deterred by the time it takes to locate quality resources that i envision helping me engage learners in more rigorous inquiry and achievement.
  • ...63 more annotations...
  • • Provides substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students (SREB D.8, Varvel VI.F, ITS 5.e)
    • linda welander
      linda welander on 28 Jun 11
       
      I think this is one of the best features that online learning provides. With many of the programs I use students get immediate feedback, not only the correct answer but the reason that answer is correct, as the student completes the lesson. This is essential to today's students because too often once they receive a final score, they fail to read any notes or explanation from the teacher or to question why their answer was not correct.
    • Rebecca Clausen
      Rebecca Clausen on 29 Jun 11
       
      I would agree that the immediate feedback that online learning can provide is a real asset. Students will know results right away so they don't end up practicing or learning the wrong way.
  • Is knowledgeable and has the ability to use computer programs required in online education to improve learning and teaching, including course management software (CMS) and synchronous/asynchronous communication tools (chat, email, web 2.0, videoconferencing, webinar, whiteboard, etc.) (SREB B.3, Varvel III.B)
    • Rebecca Clausen
      Rebecca Clausen on 29 Jun 11
       
      Learning the technology necessary to have a quality online class will be an ongoing process with the rate that new technologies are being developed.
    • Cathy DeValk
      Cathy DeValk on 17 Sep 12
       
      So true--not only do you need to be up-to-date and knowledgeable on the course materials, but also the methods of delivering the information.
  • Understands student motivation and uses techniques to engage students (Varvel V.D, ITS 4.d)
    • Rebecca Clausen
      Rebecca Clausen on 29 Jun 11
       
      Understanding individual student motivations may be difficult via online instruction. I think this would be a challenge.
    • Ashlea Ahrenholtz
      Ashlea Ahrenholtz on 21 Jul 11
       
      I agree with you, Rebecca; however, it can be just as powerful for other students. There is a fine line that I think is going to be ongoing learning process for teahcers.
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      I believe that there too must a learning curve for the students! They will need to feel comfortable with on line learning and the teacher needs to find out what motivates them in this platform.
    • Sarah Nemmers
      Sarah Nemmers on 22 May 12
       
      I think that students like this technology and will use it to enhance their learning.
  • Applies research, knowledge, and skills from professional growth to improve practice (SREB C.8, ITS 7.c)
    • Rebecca Clausen
      Rebecca Clausen on 29 Jun 11
       
      Staying current with research and new developments in content areas will be easier through new technologies.
  • Networks with others involved in online education for the purpose of professional growth
    • Ashlea Ahrenholtz
      Ashlea Ahrenholtz on 21 Jul 11
       
      Networking is vital! The one thing teachers never have enough of is TIME; I think having time to network would be another constraint for some teachers. When you are taught something new or given something to play with at a class it seems great at the time, but often seems like you need to debrief after wards. Getting involved are the two key words in this standard for me. We have been always told that practice will only make things better; in order for educators to grow professionally, we need to be just as involved as we want our students to be.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 02 Oct 11
       
      Ashlea, agree! I need to practice new learning. I need to talk to other learners. Kids are the same. It does all take time.
    • Angie Hance
      Angie Hance on 09 Oct 11
       
      Have learned a lot from others already! Both through this class' forum but also through others, such as the GHAEA 21st century learners conference! One presenter shared what she does with jing to "edit" and record narration when she provides feedback to students on their writing assignments.
  • Understands and uses data from assessments to guide instruction
    • Chad Otdoerfer
      Chad Otdoerfer on 30 Jun 11
       
      I believe this is one huge advantage of online courses. Online test give students immediate feedback, but maybe more importantly online data allows educators to analyze it and then use it to guide their instruction. If most students missed certain questions on a test and the teacher knows that immediately then the following day he/she can re-teach some of those concepts or ideas.
    • Ginny Kraus
      Ginny Kraus on 10 Jul 11
       
      I agree - in this generation of instant response or gratification a teacher can incorporate that into the online lesson by giving that quiz that has an instant reply. Then while it's all in one place the teacher can utilize it reteach immediately.
    • Sarah Sieck
      Sarah Sieck on 20 Sep 12
       
      This is another standard the is not only important in online teaching, but teaching altogether. Through an online course you need to learn different tools to assesst students' understanding of content. This can been done in simple and easy ways using polling and quizzes or responses to questions through a discussion forum.
  • Maintains an online social presence that is available, approachable, positive, interactive, and sincere
    • Chad Otdoerfer
      Chad Otdoerfer on 30 Jun 11
       
      I think this is important in an online course because it is more difficult to build strong relationships and communicate effectively when people do not see each other face to face daily.
    • C Richardson
      C Richardson on 02 Oct 11
       
      As we never talk face to face, making connections with the instructor, the online social presence is critical. This piece of 'online classroom management' will be interesting to experience through this course and to determine how to create it in our own course(s).
    • Jackie Fober
      Jackie Fober on 05 Oct 11
       
      As we continue to expand PBIS in Iowa and AEA 267 as part of statewide RTI and the Department of Education's goal to have 100% of schools implementing PBIS, it will be much more difficult to provide face-to-face opportunities for schools to learn and network, particularly after they have completed the 3 years of core PBIS instruction. Social media opportunities will really assist in providing ongoing positive opportunities for PBIS schools to interact, share resources/tips, and trouble shoot challenges with PBIS implementation and sustainability.
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
       
      I feel that you could be on 24/7. When I am taking a class or teaching one, I find myself checking in many times. That can be both good and bad.
  • Utilizes a course evaluation and student feedback data to improve the course
    • Chad Otdoerfer
      Chad Otdoerfer on 30 Jun 11
       
      If any educator wants to improve they need to consider students feedback and data and improve upon their classroom practices. I think educators who do this become more effective then those who don't.
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
       
      I agree that we need to consider student feedback, but you need to look at all of the feedback and not zero in on 1 negative one. It is always helpful to re-evaluate our teaching periodically.
  • Knows and aligns instruction to the achievement goals of the local agency and the state, such as with the Iowa Core
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 11 Dec 11
       
      It is essential that we know what our districts goals are. technology should be infused whenever possible into classrooms. students are familiar with it and like to use it
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 19 Sep 12
       
      Alignment with the Iowa Core is imperative especially since the advent of the Common Core. It will ensure the rigor needed to ensure all students receive a quality education.
  • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
    • Bret Larson
      Bret Larson on 12 Jul 11
       
      It is great to have a learning environment where the students and teachers are on the same page. Students need to work together amongst themselves, to learn collaborative techniques. It is also important to work with the teacher, so both teacher and student are getting the most out of the class. If the student works with the content this will ensure they are covering everything they need to.
  • Demonstrates effective instructional strategies and techniques, appropriate for online education, that align with course objectives and assessment
    • Bret Larson
      Bret Larson on 12 Jul 11
       
      It is important that the teacher designs their course online correctly so the students can get the most out of the course. We should not just plan an online class to say we have done it, but rather make it appropriate to the level of the students, and the objectives you want them to complete.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • Deanna Tegeler
      Deanna Tegeler on 19 Jul 11
       
      This is why I am taking this course. I want to enhance my students learning and I feel that greater incorperation of technology will allow me to do that. I
    • Sarah Nemmers
      Sarah Nemmers on 22 May 12
       
      I agree I want to have students have a resource outside of the classroom to use to enhance their learning. Technology helps me do that and keeps their interest
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
    • Ashlea Ahrenholtz
      Ashlea Ahrenholtz on 21 Jul 11
       
      The more that I discuss online learning, the more I think about the face-to-face teaching. I feel that this tows a fine line as we all have a variety of learners in our classroom. Balancing the face-to-face and online instruction is an element of teaching that also depends on the age level you are teaching. I think that the older the learners are, the more content they be exposed to online.
    • Jackie Fober
      Jackie Fober on 05 Oct 11
       
      I have appreciated the recent opportunities I have had to participate in face-to-face instruction that utilize on-line tools, like moodle. It has been a good way for me to transition to using on-line learning opportunities. I find that I continue to be a little more slow and cautious as I am taking and applying my new learning. I am motivated to push my learning by the fact that I see my MS and HS daughters jump into using web 2.0 tools with ease, and know that I must keep up with the times if I am going to cpntinue to be effective in engaging with student and adult learners in a much more technology-based world.
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
       
      In my on-line teaching, I still have one session that is face to face. I need that time to show equipment that I do not feel can be adequaately done on-line. That is the way that I still feel like I'm dabbling my feet in the water.
    • Cathy DeValk
      Cathy DeValk on 23 Sep 12
       
      I've been looking at different stuctures, like the Khan Academy, which makes "face to face" more like "sitting next to" and doing work alongside--just a different viewpoint.
  • Sets and models clear expectations for appropriate behavior and proper interaction
    • Ashlea Ahrenholtz
      Ashlea Ahrenholtz on 21 Jul 11
       
      This benchmark is essential! Without setting and modeling clear expectation, the classroom atmosphere and learning experience will be choatic. Content and engagement are two addends to create learning. The sooner these elements are introduced to the students, the better the interaction will be for the students and the teacher.
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 11 Dec 11
       
      the learning environment needs to be purposeful. i think many of use have tried to incorporate on line learning and it does become chaotic and like a game, when we want it to be purposeful and meaningful to students. setting clear expectations will help students understand that they are learning, just in a different way.
  • Understands and uses course content that complies with intellectual property rights and fair use, and assists students in complying as well (SREB E.5, Varvel I.B
    • Jeanine Kliefoth
      Jeanine Kliefoth on 18 May 12
       
      Understanding material on the internet is easy to access but is not necessarily "free" to use any way we want is important to understand. Teachers need to model this and teach the students copyright law and fair use.
    • Peggy Keegan
      Peggy Keegan on 21 May 12
       
      I believe that we need to have a good understanding of fair use and intellectual property rights. Our students have to be taught how to be good digital citizens and follow the guidelines so that they can apply their digital literacy skills in all that they do. If we model these skills, then it shows our students how important it is to comply with the guidelines.
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      I very much want to comply with the "Law." But I found it difficult to know if some of the "images" I wanted to use were copyrighted.
  • Communicates with students effectively and consistently (SREB D.1, ITS 1.g)
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      I am very curious to know how much the students will like to communicate with the teacher and themselves using on line learning.
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 20 Sep 12
       
      I too would like to know about this. I think learning needs to be collaborative. Collaboration would have to be very different. I find it overwhelming trying to collaborate here. It is like everyone is talking at once.
    • Kathy Hay
      Kathy Hay on 04 Feb 15
       
      I like the word "creates" used twice in this standard.  Teaching is more than a degree.  It is an art that combines compassion, passion for learning, and acceptance with the belief that everyone learns everyday!
  • Provides and communicates evidence of learning and course data to students and colleagues (SREB J.6, ITS 1.a)
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      I hope the students would appreciate the on line communication that takes place regarding each graded assignment! Teacher feedback SHOULD MOTIVATE THEM.
    • Lori Beltran
      Lori Beltran on 12 Oct 11
       
      Feedback is key, at all stages of learning, for all types of learners. Hopefully when students work online, they will access the feedback and refer to it during their learning process.
  • including rubrics for student performances and participation
    • Clint Luscombe
      Clint Luscombe on 01 Aug 11
       
      However, most rubrics I see seem to be rather subjective. They use words like several, many, one page....without defining them with perhaps numbers!
    • marcia knupp
      marcia knupp on 09 Oct 11
       
      Good rubrics are difficult to make and more so to keep relevant to what you want your participants to accomplish.
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 14 Nov 11
       
      Rubrics make sense as a classroom teacher, so that students can see the highest expectations and the lowest grade they can earn. Rubrics for online learning are just as important.
    • Kristin Shelton
      Kristin Shelton on 09 Apr 12
       
      Detailed rubrics outline or should outline what is expected so a student knows the expectations. The rubrics should be user friendly and easy to understand by the student and pass a stranger test (if another teacher read it, they would understand and be able to use it).
    • Peggy Keegan
      Peggy Keegan on 21 May 12
       
      I feel that generating a good rubric is very difficult. It is important that we are tweak and change our rubrics so that our expectations are very clear for our students.
  • Knows the content of the subject to be taught
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 26 Sep 11
       
      How many times have you been asked to teach something and had to 'come up to speed' before you could do it?
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
       
      On the flip side, I work with teachers in the area of PE/special needs, who have no background and are unwilling to ask or accept assistance. It is not a reflection of them personally but in the student's best interest.
  • Assists students with technology used in the course
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 26 Sep 11
       
      I think many times staff are overloaded with 'initiatives', asked to implement technology and lack the staff development they need, including practice time, to implement it, yet are expected to be able to assist the students with that technology. Many educators successfully implement new technologies, but have spent many, many hours of their own time making this happen.
    • marcia knupp
      marcia knupp on 09 Oct 11
       
      I don't have a problem with my content or teaching it. I can definitely say problem solving the technology will be the most difficult part of teaching an on-line class.
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
       
      I agree with Marcia. I have a handle on the content that I am teaching but do not have the basic understanding myself to problem solve. Where is that warm body who understands when you need them?
  • how to teach the content
    • Annalisa Miner
      Annalisa Miner on 30 Sep 11
       
      I think this standards gets to both sides of effecticve teaching. As Clair stated at the beginning of this standard, people are asked to teach content they have to 'get up to speed with' and then we have the other realm which I face frequently in my work with teachers...they know the content, but don't know how to make it comprehensible for student learning or how to deliver the content effectively.
    • Joan Fredrickson
      Joan Fredrickson on 18 Sep 12
       
      I agree. I think this is a process that will take some time and purposeful learning by the the teachers. Our school is implementing AIW, which seems to be on track with this.
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies
    • Annalisa Miner
      Annalisa Miner on 30 Sep 11
       
      Using data is so crucial in knowing what our students need. I can see where being knew to teaching on-line I will have a lot to learn about effectively using data to evauluate my on-line courses!
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 14 Nov 11
       
      It makes sense that we continually use data to assess our effectiveness. This is the criteria we hold ourselves to in the face-to-face classroom, so it makes sense that data is used to show results in the online environment. Just because we like using technology, doesn't mean students are learning.
  • Demonstrates techniques for dealing with issues arising from inappropriate student technological use
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 02 Oct 11
       
      This was not something we prepared for in my Math Methods class, circa 1986. The PC had been invented, but barely.
    • Carol Price
      Carol Price on 21 Mar 12
       
      #8: Rather than dealing with "issues arising from inappropriate student technological use," this standard should encourage a proactive approach with prevention as the focus. Clearly defined expectations of how students will handle the equipment to using online resources should be established as part of the instructional protocol.
    • Katie Gavin
      Katie Gavin on 03 Oct 11
       
      Website specific to Iowa Online Teaching Standards, important for accountability and consistent communication about what quality teaching looks like no matter what the platform!
  • Demonstrates growth in technology kno
    • Lori Beltran
      Lori Beltran on 12 Oct 11
       
      As educators, we need to stay ahead of the game, we must stay current with emerging technologies, but I don't think all schools are requiring teachers to stay current in technology and use technology with their students and their learning.
    • Lylia Chaffin
      Lylia Chaffin on 15 Nov 11
       
      Staying current in online technology and face to face methods plus the curriculum is a daunting task, but most teachers are meeting the challenges.
    • Staci Mangrich
      Staci Mangrich on 15 May 12
       
      I agree that teachers need to be required to stay up to date with the ever changing technology. It is the method that our students love and are engaged in.
    • Peggy Keegan
      Peggy Keegan on 21 May 12
       
      As educators, we do need to stay current with emerging technologies because our students are using every new thing they can get their hands on. We need to be comfortable and familliar with these technologies so we can help students learn in the way they know best.
  • emonstrates ethical conduct as defined by state law and local policies or procedures (ITS 8.a, ITS 8.b)
    • Katie Gavin
      Katie Gavin on 03 Oct 11
       
      Standard 8 a is critical, I find that too often many don't think about the consequences of their on-line behavior and we are not always doing a great job of teaching ethics with students.  
  • Promotes learning through online collaboration group work that is goal-oriented and focused (SREB C.5, Varvel V.I)
    • Jackie Fober
      Jackie Fober on 05 Oct 11
       
      Promoting opportunities to collaborate and support each other is so important in PBIS implementation. Learning and incorporating my new skills in Ollie will be critical in order to align with Iowa Teaching Standards and utilize web 2.0 tools to enhance adult learning.
  • goal-oriented and focu
  • goal-oriented and focused
  • goal-oriented and focused
  • student self-assessment and pre-assessment within courses
    • Lisa Wymore
      Lisa Wymore on 07 Oct 11
       
      Providing oportunities and tools to support metacognition are key to motivation and learning.
    • Christine Quisley
      Christine Quisley on 09 Oct 11
       
      There can not just be one type of online strategy used. We must use the tools appropratly and efficently. When I plan professional development I try very hard to meet the needs of my learners no matter what my comfort level may be, of course the more I try new facilation techniques the better I get at using them. I think technology strategies and techniques should not be any different.
    • marcia knupp
      marcia knupp on 09 Oct 11
       
      I couldn't agree more that we need to meet the students where they are and take them to where they need to be. I would say that the participants that are more advanced in technology will be the ones who keep me awake at night trying to meet their needs.
    • Christine Quisley
      Christine Quisley on 09 Oct 11
       
      Exactly! We must make clear what we will and will not except as appropriate pieces of social interaction. Posting "I agree" is sometimes appropriate and sometimes not.
  • Creates or selects multiple assessment instruments that are appropriate for online learning
    • Sherry Huffman
      Sherry Huffman on 10 Oct 11
       
      This standard is of particular interest to me considering the content we are focusing on for this class-- it is a CONVERSATIONAL model. So, I am still thinking through the best way to assess my participant's progress with the model using technology.
  • learning outcomes and expectations
    • Sherry Huffman
      Sherry Huffman on 10 Oct 11
       
      I need to continuously refer back to this one. What is the PURPOSE? What is the INTENDED LEARNING? Not, what cool stuff can I put online for my class...
    • Chris Mangrich
      Chris Mangrich on 17 Oct 11
       
      This is a reminder for me as well! I get excited about new tools and resources and sometimes forge ahead with using them BEFORE I consider what I want students to learn. I need to put that in "reverse"!
    • Cathy DeValk
      Cathy DeValk on 17 Sep 12
       
      So important that students and educators are on the same page--meeting expectations on both ends.
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 24 Sep 12
       
      Expected learning goals need to be the driving force when we design a course.
  • the professional teaching standards established by a state-licensing agency, or has the academic credentials in the field in which he or she is teaching (SREB A.1, Varvel II.A)
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 14 Nov 11
       
      it makes sense that someone should have teaching credentials, I know this may sounds silly, but everything on the web cannot be trusted as true or credible, so should the person teaching the content have to prove or display their credentials somewhere?
  • Creates a safe environment, managing conflict
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 14 Nov 11
       
      I would hope that conflict could be kept to a minimum, but I suppose with some content or student groups, conflict could crop up. I could see this potentially happening with high school or college students, even though I don't think that other groups could be immune to it.
  • Establishes standards for student behavior that are designed to ensure academic integrity and appropriate use of the internet and written communication
    • misti linn
      misti linn on 11 Dec 11
       
      this is a must for 8th grade students who need to know how to use the Internet appropriately. i would hate to see students bully eachother in an on line environment that is supposed to be purely academic, not like facebook which is social
    • Staci Mangrich
      Staci Mangrich on 15 May 12
       
      All students need to know the expectations and be taught appropriate netiquette.
    • jendittmer
      jendittmer on 04 Feb 15
       
      I believe that this should be explicitly taught to all students.  I think that often times teachers think that students know what is appropriate and what is not, but I am not so sure that is the case.   
    • Carol Price
      Carol Price on 21 Mar 12
       
      #7: This is a very appropriate standard because teachers who teach online will have first been students themselves.
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student (SREB F.1, Varvel II.E)
  • Has knowledge of and informs student of their rights to privacy and the conditions under which their work may be shared with others (SRE
    • Carol Price
      Carol Price on 21 Mar 12
       
      #8: I wonder why no one selected this standard. One cannot enter a doctor's office today without being informed of one's privacy rights. It seems appropriate that an online teacher includes privacy rights and regulations in instructional content.
  • 5. Creates and implements a variety of assessments that meet course learning goals and provide data to improve student progress and course instruction (ITS 5)
    • Janell Wright
      Janell Wright on 17 May 12
       
      These seem to be a good hallmark for all instruction whether online or face-to-face
  • inappropriate student technological use
    • Janell Wright
      Janell Wright on 17 May 12
       
      With the rise of cyberbullying, I think that this becomes especially important. Instructors must find a way to ensure this is not happening with their students.
  • students with special needs or whom are language learners
    • Janell Wright
      Janell Wright on 17 May 12
       
      I think in some instances this could pose a real challenge. Not seeing students face-to-face could add to the challenges for these online learners with special needs.
  • Communicates assessment criteria and standards to students
    • Peggy Keegan
      Peggy Keegan on 21 May 12
       
      Communication is key when letting stduents know what your expectations are of them.
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 20 Sep 12
       
      Essential to student learning and monitoring student progress. Vital for formative assessment.
  • in order to stay current with emerging technologies
    • Mary Blaisdell
      Mary Blaisdell on 11 Sep 12
       
      This is a tricky one. Who can keep up with the seemingly endless new technology tools? It's an important thing, though, to keep trying because new and better tools keep rolling in for us to possibly do our jobs even better with students.
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds,
    • Mary Blaisdell
      Mary Blaisdell on 11 Sep 12
       
      I am beginning to get the picture that online instruction is one way we can do just this...meet the various needs of students. We are better able to differentiate because of the multitude of resources at our fingertips.
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 20 Sep 12
       
      It is important to select online sources that align and enhance the Iowa Core.
  • Selects and understands how to evaluate learning materials and resources that align with the context and enhance learning
  • Aligns assessment with course objectives
    • Janet Boyd
      Janet Boyd on 24 Sep 12
       
      Assessment is a big concern for me. It is so key to the learning. I just watched a TED video on online education by Daphne Koller called: What we're learning from online education. The have these huge online courses where they use peer assessments. Interesting if you have time to watch.
  • Has knowledge of learning theory appropriate to online learning, which may include (but is not limited to) age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student developmental influences, constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and group theory (Varvel V.A)
  • 4Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face (SREB C.1, Varvel V)
  • 4Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face (SREB C.1, Varvel V) • 1Has knowledge of learning theory appropriate to online learning, which may include (but is not limited to) age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student developmental influences, constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and group theory (Varvel V.A) • 1Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds, and 1
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face (SREB C.1, Varvel V) • 1 Has knowledge of learning theory appropriate to online learning, which may include (but is not limited to) age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student developmental influences, constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and group theory (Varvel V.A)
    • barb jens
      barb jens on 22 Jan 13
       
      After having been on online student and now an instructor, you really have to learn how to teach differently. It seems that while you are planning a class you have to predict all of the possible instructions that a variety of learners may not understand. Since you do not have immediate feedback as you would with face-to-face instruction, you really have to be more deliberate. You also have to be checking your class to see how you need to differentiate to meet their needs.
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face (SREB C.1, Varvel V)
  • 1 Has knowledge of learning theory appropriate to online learning, which may include (but is not limited to) age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student developmental influences, constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and group theory (Varvel V.A)
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 03 Feb 15
       
      Certainly and important bullet point! However, from personal experience, I would say this happens over time. The more online learning/teaching experiences you have provide you with clarity regarding the differences in these two teaching venues. I think I learned as much about great and not-so-great online teaching from my experience as an online learner as I did from my few experiences as an online instructor. 
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies (SREB J.7, ITS 1.c)
    • russelljohanna
      russelljohanna on 15 May 16
       
      I think it is an important point that quality teaching, even online, requires the teacher to respond to data. A course cannot just be packaged. Quality teaching using data and FAs is the expectation. 
  • corporates social aspects into the teaching and learning process, creating a community of learners (ITS 6)
    • russelljohanna
      russelljohanna on 15 May 16
       
      Another important point, for me, is how important it is to create a community of learners. Students need to know each other, even if it is online. Quality learning doesn't happen in isolation because feedback challenges our assumptions.
  • Aryn Kruse on 29 Jun 11
     
    This seems to be exactly what we are trying to do.
  • ...7 more comments...
  • Bret Larson on 12 Jul 11
     
    Online Iowa Teaching Standards
  • Dirk Troutman on 22 Jul 11
     
    I feel this is especially important as many or my students have much more experience with learning on-line than I do. They may not have taken a course of study this way yet, but they are more familiar with gathering information with this medium than I have.
  • Lynn Hockenberry on 29 Sep 11
     
    I am very glad that I am taking a moodle course online before I am having my students do this because it allows me to see the stumbling blocks as well as the potential for expanded learning.
  • C Richardson on 02 Oct 11
     
    I am learning so much about what I thought I knew about online learning and how it's actually occurring. I appreciate the fact that I can access prior assignments, information and tutorials to refresh and clarify my learning.
  • misti linn on 14 Nov 11
     
    online teaching standards
  • Kristin Shelton on 13 Apr 12
     
    There is a delicate balance of what tools to use and how to utilize them so all students can achieve. It is important to use tools that help students further investigate and gain a deeper knowledge of the subject.
  • d YM on 24 Sep 12
     
    I can so relate to this standard whenever i am navigating the waters of change. It is always exciting to entertain new ideas and to learn about different approaches, but such is not without a bit of stress. Recognizing that transitions aren't always clean or easy helps me move forward.
  • jendittmer on 04 Feb 15
     
    online teaching standards
  • bdowney on 01 Nov 17
     
    Learning needs to be continuous and with variety. A teacher needs to experience what it is like to be a student periodically to continue developing and renewing the skill of empathy.
susanbrown87

ollie-afe-2020summer: Building a Better Mousetrap - 2 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by susanbrown87 on 10 Aug 20 - No Cached
  • rubrics can help the student with self-assessment; what is most important here is not the final product the students produce, but the habits of mind practiced in the act of self-assessment.
    • jbuerman
      jbuerman on 10 Aug 20
       
      Rubrics are very helpful with student self-assessment. Students are able to clearly see what an instructor will be looking for while grading and can decide if they need to learn more or have enough.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      I agree! Hattie rates student self-reported grades as the top influence on student performance and achievement. Wow! If we could create well-written rubrics and use them effectively with students, imagine the growth that could occur!
  • we ought to illicit student input when constructing rubrics
    • jbuerman
      jbuerman on 10 Aug 20
       
      I could see this being true sometimes - or maybe even as a review afterwards. Students could be used to provide feedback and improve the rubric.
  • General rubrics can be applied to various assignments
    • jbuerman
      jbuerman on 10 Aug 20
       
      These are nice, so students can see consistency across the board for certain types of assignments
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • While many educators make a compelling argument for sharing rubrics with students, others worry that doing so will encourage formulaic writing.
    • jbuerman
      jbuerman on 10 Aug 20
       
      This is definitely an issue with rubrics. Once the criteria have been met - students stop working on the assignment and turn it in. I definitely like the idea of promoting creativity, application and going above and beyond to challenge students.
  • That is, does the rubric use the same critical vocabulary used in our instruction? Does the rubric encourage risk taking? Creativity? Self-expression?
    • joanmusich
      joanmusich on 11 Aug 20
       
      I really like these questions when you are creating a rubric. This may help with some of the drop in writing quality from good writers that follow the rubric.
  • Each score category should be defined using description of the work rather than judgments about the work.”
    • joanmusich
      joanmusich on 11 Aug 20
       
      I really like this. I think remembering to use descriptions not judgements will make it easier to write the descriptors in the rating scale.
  • give a dimension more weight by multiplying the point by a number greater than one.
    • joanmusich
      joanmusich on 11 Aug 20
       
      I like the idea of multiplying to increase the value of a section. You can still have the same scale for each dimension, but multiplying one will show that it is of more improtance or entails more work. Plus, this puts math to work and as a math teacher, that's a plus!
  • some teachers have noticed how students who were good writers become wooden when writing under the influence of a rubric.
    • joanmusich
      joanmusich on 11 Aug 20
       
      I found this very interesting. I have never realized that using a rubric could backfire. We must be very careful not to impede great work through a rubric.
    • susanbrown87
      susanbrown87 on 17 Aug 20
       
      I can see how students would only do the bare minimum for a rubric. That's why writing a good rubric is so important. There may need to be different categories depending on expectations and not the same rubric used for all writing.
  • The result is many students struggle blindly, especially non-traditional, unsuccessful, or under-prepared students, who tend to miss many of the implied expectations of a college instructor, expectations that better prepared, traditional students readily internalize.
    • bushb13
      bushb13 on 12 Aug 20
       
      It is important to provide clear expectations in Rubrics or other assessment tools so ALL students have an understanding of the task.
    • susanbrown87
      susanbrown87 on 17 Aug 20
       
      It is very difficult to write an essay assessment for a professor when you have no idea what to include in the essay. When there are not clear expectations success is probable.
  • rubrics allow for widespread assessment of higher-level thinking skills, performance-based assessment is replacing or complementing more traditional modes of testing; this in turn means that teachers are changing their instructional modes
    • bushb13
      bushb13 on 12 Aug 20
       
      I do find that when I have determined rubrics can be used to assess certain tasks or projects the student work requires more higher-order thinking skills and I am changing the way I teach the content or facilitate the learning process.
  • the ISBE’s rubric rates each trait on separate six-point scales—as long as each point on the scale is well-defined.
    • bushb13
      bushb13 on 12 Aug 20
       
      I was surprised to read this point. It seems like six levels of performance would be excessive and result in really nit-picky differences between the levels. Most examples don't have this many performance levels...
  • Steps in developing a scoring rubric
    • bushb13
      bushb13 on 12 Aug 20
       
      This section of the article makes the development of an effective rubric seem like a daunting task. I don't think I have ever done all of these steps when using a rubric with my students. This is very useful info, but really makes me wonder how often rubrics are used properly in a classroom.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      I agree. This does seem like it would fit well with PLC work. I wish more of our teachers took the time to really evaluate their assessments and rubrics in this way. The conversations that would happen when following these steps would be very beneficial in bringing the team to a common understanding of expectations for student learning as well as expectations for student performance. But it always goes back to this - when do we have the time to do this?
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      The key here is "well-designed" and I'm not sure the majority of educators know or understand how to create well-designed rubrics. Often times we call something a rubric that probably wouldn't meet the rubric definition we've learned about in this class. I also like that the author defines meaningfully as consistently and accurately. Those are two descriptors that would definitely be goals of mine when I'm trying to assess a complicated task or assignment such as an essay.
  • “Meaningfully” here means both consistently and accurately
  • When students are full partners in the assessment process, as Mary Jo Skillings and Robin Ferrel illustrate in their study on student-generated rubrics, they tend to “think more deeply about their learning.”
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      Any time students can be part of the process leads them to feeling some level of ownership and that ownership will most likely motivate them to do their best. When students create the rubric and have a say in the assessment process, they would have to fully understand the concept and the expectations. That deeper level of understanding would hopefully cause them to do better on the assessment than if they didn't have a part in the process because they have internalized it and understand it at a deeper level.
  • Well-designed rubrics, though, should not do this
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      I'm starting to second guess myself and my ability to create a well-designed rubric. I wish the article gave us an example of a well-designed rubric and a poorly designed rubric at each level of schooling. Those examples and non-examples would really help me understand more clearly the difference between rubrics that this article is referring to.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 15 Aug 20
       
      I do like that at the end of the article there are specific tips for creating rubrics, but I really wish there were examples.
  • Is the assessment responsive to what we know about how [students] learn?” and “Does the assessment help students become the kinds of [citizens] we want them to be?”
    • susanbrown87
      susanbrown87 on 17 Aug 20
       
      I think this is important to ask, it may not help all students learn best using a rubric. Are we being cognizant of different learning styles? How often do we ask ourselves if the assessment we're using helps students become a better citizen?
  • Can different scorers consistently apply the rubric?
    • susanbrown87
      susanbrown87 on 17 Aug 20
       
      It will be interesting to see how we all compared with the rubric we made for the essay we assessed about the cities. Discussing grading with colleagues, there are many views and even with a rubric I think it would be hard to be consistent among different teachers.
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