Module 7 Final Project

Final Project: Using Technology Tools for Assessment
By Sharon Thompson

Introduction
It has been said that “there is nothing new under heaven,” but sometimes I wonder if the age of the Internet stresses that statement a bit. While running water and flush toilets showed up several times in history, I don’t think there has been anything like what we are seeing in the technology world today. Using the related tools effectively in educational settings is about to change the way we educate our children. We as educators need to consider the usefulness of each tool, realizing that some are more fitted to the task than are others. This paper is an attempt to discover some of these tools and devise ways to use them effectively as we teach for tomorrow.

This is a creative introduction, but it would be beneficial to include a description of your course and what specifically we could look forward to in this project...name of course, general objectives, general statement of when, where it will offered etc…



Student Population
This course, “Group Dynamics” is one that I taught as part of my Introduction to Sociology class. It has been very popular with the high school students who enjoy group work. However, as I consider offering this class online to high school students, I believe it would attract those who needed to supplement their credits, have some interest in the social sciences and are somewhat comfortable with online work. Students who are not savvy internet users may find this course to be a challenge. Since several major technologies are required which is not usual for a high school course, the student needs to start with a healthy background in computer applications and a minimal fear of trying new internet technologies. Excellent considerations!

The course itself covers a body of knowledge, though not exhaustive, about group processes such as group theory, role development and development of group norms. The students are divided into groups and expected to produce a final project that is aimed at alleviating a selected social problem. The students are to communicate using Groove and Yackpack. They are to produce their final project plan on a wiki, and are to weekly write in a blog about their reflections relating the group’s behavior to the content presented each week. The students are graded on the project using a group assessment rubric. Their blogs are assessed individually every week by a rubric. Here is the link to my course wiki: http://groupdynamicswiki.pbwiki.com/ Please remember that it is still in process.
What an excellent plan!



Course Outcomes
Since the social internet has become a phenomenon that should not be ignored, studies of group dynamics in face-to-face groups have had to include examination of unique features of online groups and consider whether these groups display the traditional patterns and attributes of f2f groups. The processes in this course involve immersion into internet technology that facilitates collaboration of many types of groups. The student, motivated by expectations of high levels of group interaction, learns by doing. Collaboration is an important skill, but collaboration using technological resources is an important outcome of this class. In the process, the student learns to observe the working out of group behavior in the areas of leadership formation, and role and norm development, synthesizing the raw behavior and the principles learned. Some of the essential questions that will be considered in this course are:
1. What are the roles group members plays?
2. What factors contribute to the accomplishment of group goals?
3. How does leadership form within a group?
4. How do popular cultural attitudes contribute to group behavior?

Learning Objectives
Listed below are many of the learning objectives connected to the activities in this course. Some of them are objectives to be accomplished within a week and some are long term and not assessed until the end of the course.




So glad that you used a table to display this planning – excellent organization and complete information!


Activities in
Group Dynamics
Assessment Tool
used
Examples of
Learning Objectives
Level of activity in
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Plagiarism
potential/prevention
Group collaboration to plan a project about a social problem/solution
Groove – ongoing
throughout the course
Students will show a presence by participating at least 3 times per week in discussion tool.
Student will collect and post research and information at least once a week.
Knowledge


Comprehension
The tool records actual presence in Groove discussion.
Plagiarized material could be submitted.
Weekly reflection relating principles learned to actual group behavior.
Blog - weekly
Student will observe and categorize the roles in their online group weekly according to the provided rubric.
Student will observe and relate at least 2 examples of leadership within their group as it relates to the principles of emergent leadership.
Application


Analysis
Actual description of the possible roles could be plagiarized, but the personal experience in the group will be unique to the student.
Final Project Plan created by the group.
Wiki – for consolidating the project.
Student will design a collaborative project plan, on a wiki, aimed at solving a social problem, meeting the requirements of the specified rubric to 90%.

Synthesis
Group accountability and multiple records of the process discourages plagiarism.
Presentation of final project.
YackPack – to facilitate evaluation
Student will evaluate the potential effectiveness of other group project plans presented.
Student will self-evaluate his own immersion into the group project on the provided rubric.
Evaluation


Evaluation
Individual evaluation rubrics submitted after each presentation are completed independently.
The previous objectives are not an exhaustive list of those included in the course. They are, however, the major objectives that are connected to the major activities in the course. Listed below are additional objectives that may be connected with the above projects and the tools used in those projects:

Student will relate principles of group dynamics learned in the class to the actual behavior in the group by writing reflectively in a blog every week.
Student will participate by contributing verbally 2 or more times during the meetings, in at least two of the class Pack sessions.
Student will write a summary of historical influences on group behavior in the last 50 years meeting that meets the requirements of the selected rubric to 90% .

List of Tools used, connected Learning Objectives, and why I chose them for this course.

1. YackPack
YackPack.com

Learning Objective: Student will participate by contributing verbally 2 or more times during the meetings, in at least two of the class Pack sessions.

Learning Objective: Student will evaluate the potential effectiveness of other group project plans presented.


YackPack is social software that uses voice messaging for collaboration in a group. It was originally created by a psychologist as part of what he called “persuasive technology.” It uses the power of the human voice to motivate others, to console them or to inspire them. The site gives educators and others the opportunity to integrate human speech with all of its nuances into a curriculum that is delivered online.
YackPack is particularly useful for a class such as group dynamics. It offers solutions to the difficulties of observing human behavior with technology. Students need to acquaint themselves with other members of their group enough to decipher the individual roles manifesting themselves in the course of project planning. The addition of narrative feedback and a picture of the recipient and sender, removes some of the barriers characteristic in groups that meet online; that is the free expression of emotion.

The application can be used by the instructor while meeting with the entire class synchronously. Any member can leave a message for their group for asynchronous communication. Members of the Pack can stay logged in for continuous conversation. So glad that you have applied this technology to your course –I’ll bet it will be a hit with the high school population!

Benefits of YackPack for the Group Dynamics class:
As the groups produce their project plan, YackPack can be embedded into their wiki website, for an easy synchronous chat.
The instructor can record a message to teach concepts, leave instructions, or even to answer questions.
One instructor suggested that group project grading could be done in a recorded message to all members in a group simultaneously.
Private Packs work well in a high school group, where no one is allowed in except if invited and with a password.
The best part about this web application is that it is free, with opportunities to upgrade to the more powerful purchased edition.
The web application requires no download, because it uses Flash Player.

Drawbacks of YackPack for the Group Dynamics class:
Obviously, the thoroughness of written communication is missing. A small textbox is included with each recording for written information such as a grade.
Some students online are intimidated by the use of voice and picture. They prefer some anonymity. However, there is nothing like participating to remove the fear or apprehensions that could cause fear.


Usefulness of YackPack in the Group Dynamics course:
The use of YackPack as a communication tool in this class adds a lot of dimension to the observation opportunities for individual group members. The greater their presence is online, the more information they can gather to support their final conclusions about the group experience.
YackPack provides online students with the opportunity to get as close to a real-life situation as is possible, except maybe with Skype. Hearing a voice can change your preconceived notions about another group member. However, I think the greatest advantage is hearing how a person puts together ideas spontaneously. I would think that those who are willing and able to speak out verbally would reveal more of themselves if the tool is used frequently. So the potential for authenticity is there to be used. In this course, YackPack is only required in the first meeting and the last one. Both of these meetings center on student participation, first for introductions and last for presentations. Group members themselves would need to initiate any additional meetings.
YackPack is also used to facilitate final evaluation of other group’s projects. Students fill out evaluation forms while logged in to YackPack and the group’s blog.

2. Blogs
Blogger.com

Learning Objective: Student will relate principles of group dynamics learned in the class to the actual behavior in the group by writing reflectively in a blog every week.

The term “blog” comes from a shortened term for “web-log”. It is an online tool that allows for reflection, collaboration, and dissemination of information. It is versatile and can be used in business or entertainment as well as assessment in education. There are numerous free sites that are made for educational use. They usually allow for embedding links, videos, audio messages and many special features such as a calendar. A blog’s main function is to be a place to post thoughts and information in a sequential manner.

Benefits of a blog for the Group Dynamics class:

A blog is a perfect tool for gathering regular, formative reflection. Students can create their own free blog in a very short time and can continually enhance it with customizing features and new posts.
It has the potential of being completely student-centered. However, when it is used for assessment in education, the instructor needs to regulate the content through writing prompts and monitoring. The open-ended responses that a blog allows are an ideal forum for student-centered learning and creative expression needed to address learning styles and diversity of student needs.

In this course, the blog becomes a place where authentic learning is recorded. Students are required to summarize the content of the course and draw real-life examples from their group work. The fact that it is sequential allows monitoring on a weekly basis very simple.



Usefulness of a blog in the Group Dynamics course:
The fact that the blog is reflection combined with summarized content reduces the possibilities of plagiarism. Related to that concern is the issue of copyright infringement. Student created reflections can be copied easily with no real way for the author to prevent it. However, in this course, students are asked to recount real instances of group behavior using first names and places. The instructor, if there is any suspicion of plagiarism from a former student, can just compare meeting dates with another member of the group.

When considering Bloom’s taxonomy as it relates to the objectives for this project, I found that there are a number of possibilities. The assessment first requires that the student knows the content. However, that can be written using notes from the content section of the course. So, I would not make that a primary assessment for the students. The terms list given in the course sets the standard for which content is expected to be covered in the blog. However, the student must then grasp the meaning (Comprehension) of each of those concepts enough to observe the demonstration of the concept (Application) in the new situation of their group. When they make the connections in their blog, they are explaining and analyzing the group behavior. Not all students will synthesize their learning enough to draw new conclusions, but the potential to do that is provided for by the blog.

Overall, I think the blog is the most essential of the technology tools in this course. It becomes the evidence of learning which makes assessment possible.

3. Microsoft Groove
http://www.groove.net/home/index.cfm

Learning Objective: Student will collaborate with their assigned team to design a group project plan that meets the requirements of the provided rubric to a minimum level of 90%.

Groove Virtual Office Professional Edition is a joining of Groove and Microsoft Office. Its purpose is to enable the sharing of information and working documents that can be accessed by invited members who travel, have Microsoft Office Groove, and yet need to work collaboratively on a team. The beginning video demo uses a business team as an example. A virtual team traveling to different places around the world may work on documents offline and then have them automatically synchronized when internet access is made available. The application includes a discussion board, calendar, notepad, chat, and voice along with many other optional tools. There are few applications out there that do all of the same things so efficiently.
The Launch pad pane on the left loads first and provides places to open existing workspaces or create new ones, and invite contacts. The center is the workspace which can be chosen by the tabs on the bottom to be files, notepad, calendar, issue tracking, pictures, and many more optional tools. The right pane includes a list of workspace members and their online status, as well as a chat window that can be a floating window complete with formatting tools, such as spell check. The following is the workspace of the files tool: Screenprint2.JPG (Technical note: Press CNTRL while clicking once on this link so that it will open in a new IE window. Then click on the image to enlarge it enough to read.)

Teachers and students can use this tool to work collaboratively on documents, providing all involved have a copy of Groove. The Discussion tab and the Calendar tab will be the most useful in planning. The Discussion is threaded so that the back and forth responses between different group members is recorded and can be accessed at a later point while writing reflections. There is also a chat tool found in the right pane. You can chat with whoever is logged in from the group for a synchronous discussion. You can use the chat when you want to have a synchronous discussion

Benefits of Groove for the Group Dynamics class:
Office makes it easy to integrate data from one Office application into another. When Groove is added to the suite, there are great collaboration possibilities for online work groups such as the project groups in this online class.
It is secure because only invited members can access documents, and the Issue Tracking tool keeps track of which team member is making the changes. It even has a complete antivirus check to protect all of the shared workspaces.
It is good to have several options for Communications in this application. Chat, a threaded discussion board and voice can be used. The program even notifies me when my email or chat invitation has been sent, or read, or responded to. The following shows the discussion tool of Groove: screenprint1.JPG (Technical note: Press CNTRL while clicking once on this link so that it will open in a new IE window. Then click on the image to enlarge it enough to read.)
· Documentation is extensive. There are many help files and they are very informative. Students can learn how to use the application with an online tutorial.
· It is relatively inexpensive. The above link offers the application for $79.95, but the free trial period is two months, and it includes all of the features of Groove.

Drawbacks of Groove for the Group Dynamics class:
Downloading the trial version was not easy. It took some time to download, since the entire application was included for the trial period. I am glad Microsoft decided to allow all of the files to be downloaded, because it improved the integration of the program functions.
While I alluded to this in the above paragraph, the program uses a lot of system resources, but not the 25mg it warns. Even though it installs slowly, it does load quickly every time it is opened.
Because the program has so many features, it will take a while for students to use it successfully. They will need to download it early in the course so that they have time to learn to use it well.

Usefulness of Groove in the Group Dynamics course:
This will be the tool that is used consistently by the student groups throughout the course. Regular discussion or progress reports by every member of the group would need to be required and research notes kept on shared documents. When the instructor is an observing member of each group, monitoring is provided for. The discussion tab keeps a record of those discussions making it easy to use the written discussions for reference in their reflection.

The narrative of the final project is collaboratively finished in a Word document to be later copied to the group’s wiki. Parts of the document can be copied as they are completed. This is important because wikis typically do not offer the formatting choices that Microsoft Word does, but it does accept the formatting of Word when pasted.

I chose Groove because it is nearly a “one-stop” application for collaborative groups. Its many features make it possible for groups to use online communication without dependence on a variety of websites. While it uses the internet, it is not fully a “web-based” application. It is easy to keep track of conversation, collect and manipulate member contributions (Application and Analysis). It also allows students to blend information and plans into a designed plan for their project (Synthesis). This application, as used in this activity (the project) allows for student centered learning and provides a place for the groups and their members to creatively plan their projects.
4. Wiki
Pbwiki.com
Learning Objective: Student will design a collaborative project plan, on a wiki, aimed at solving a social problem, meeting the requirements of the specified rubric to 90%.

A wiki (meaning “fast”) provides space for online collaboration. The most famous wiki is Wikipedia, a favorite of young students. Even though it is editable by everyone, it does use a tracking system that can identify contributors. Follow this link to find an introduction to wikis: Wikis in plain English
While a wiki, such as pbwiki, can be used for many things, in this course it will be the collaborative reporting site for the group’s project design. It can be built gradually and cooperatively, allowing mistakes because it can be rolled back to the previous version. With a wiki, viewers can be contributors instead of just watching.

Benefits of a wiki for the Group Dynamics class:
The pbwiki is a free host. Though it is not necessarily educational, it does provide what is needed for each group to report.
Learning pbwiki is not time consuming. The students will be able to learn to use it within a half hour.
Pbwiki can be private, only accessible by the class and instructor.
A wiki is always in process and can be edited by any member of the group.


Drawbacks of a wiki for the Group Dynamics class:
Pbwiki is short on formatting options. Students can get around this by formatting in Word first.
Only 10 mb of space is provided on the free site. This could limit the number of graphics in the student presentations.
The interface is not WYSIWYG, requiring some time to get it right.
There is no way to delete the wiki once it is created.

Usefulness of a wiki in the Group Dynamics course:
Even with all of the above limitations, I found pbwiki to be useful for this course mostly because it is easy. Since I included Groove, which is more difficult to learn, I did not want the students to be overwhelmed with weighty learning of too many new technologies. Since wikis can be edited by multiple members, the final product needs to be instantly shared and should not have to rely upon learning a more difficult technology in order to present their projects. As they present them to the rest of the group while using YackPack, they will be accessible without a lot of downloading. While I chose pbwiki, groups could choose another. However, I did not want students to get bogged down trying to choose from many while still learning.
Even though the wiki and all that they put on it is original in form, plagiarism is not entirely alleviated. It is discouraged somewhat by the nature of group accountability, and the process recorded on Groove. However, the use of a wiki does not guarantee absence of plagiarism.
The creation of the wiki requires some of the higher level activity in Bloom’s Taxonomy. The students are creating something new by putting parts of all of their different ideas together to make a new product. Synthesis of the ideas is essential in order to have the project make sense. In the process, students are revising, reordering and designing which are activities that require synthesis.

Summary
The tools and associated activities presented in this paper have generated a process of finding the right tool for the assessment needed. As I look back on some of these tools that I chose, I already wonder if I should not change some of them. Writing this paper has been a formative process that has helped me to think through all issues involved in putting a course online. I have not had to do that before, and the experience of preparation has been stretching. As preparation for doing this, I asked a friend who is technical school teacher how she “put her course online.” I found that in course management systems, “filling in the blanks” is often what is meant by launching an online course. Mostly, content or useful tools were not found using Internet sources since only detailed course textbook assignments were placed on the system. I can see that what our instructors are doing is teaching more than a course management system. It is a valuable experience.

Sharon,
You have created an excellent plan for your course. Thank you for editing so closely and organizing all so well. You have displayed the learning in this course at a very high level and you have embraced assessment tools that certainly will b meaningful to your particular group of students. I have given you full points for your efforts on this project. “Tweaking” course plans is continual. I do it constantly – each time I teach the same course. So considering this plan ‘beta’ is fine; when you know your particular students even better, you may want to add, subtract, change readings, supplement – all part of the ongoing teacher’s ‘formative’ assessment process. Congratulations on this completion! No need to complete a final draft. ~ Datta Kaur

Reflections for Module 6 - Cybercoaching, an Emerging Model

I like the idea of approaching online teaching as coaching. The picture that I get is of the coach moving along the sidelines encouraging the team member to “Keep on, you’re doing great!” Even if everything is not perfect, the time for correction comes later after the player is assured of his competence and ability to do the job. If the player is listening, he takes steps that reveal his trust in his coach, that he does have that ability. I liked the comment that the coach looks for “skills to develop” over “errors committed.” That is a great approach to cybercoaching.

One thing I have always thought is that a good coach comes by it naturally. However, I am realizing that coaching skills are learned and can be honed to bring out the best in the one who is coached. I think it is the same in online teaching. Good cybercoaching is modeled by our instructors such as Datta Kaur, and we learn from that how to encourage others. The tools we read about in the readings for this week are unique to online situations and are not just a way to deliver the course, but are the “tools of the trade” in cybercoaching. So, we need to learn to use them in the best possible ways.

It was interesting to note the role that access to adequate technology has to play in the success of the online student. I have always thought that anyone who wants to be an online student needs to make sure they have all of the access needed. However, I know that access is not always reliable or even available to some who could use it the most. I remember the terrible frustration my daughter had when her Algebra I instructor online wanted her to be on Skype and we just couldn’t get it working. He got more frustrated, flamed at her, and consequently cut off any rapport he may have had with this 14 year old timid girl (several years ago, now). There was no help, troubleshooting or even as a last resort, phone call from him. Anything like that would have gone very far with her, and he may have been able to get her to focus on learning rather than worrying about if he was going to flame again. Technology can be frustrating and we as coaches need to be able to help, or at least know where to get help for our students. I know that is a big order, but it is something I will consider more as I move toward teaching online.

The survey was a good exercise. I can be quite philosophical, and just getting down to creating something I can use sometimes frightens me a little. I like survey monkey because I really did not have difficulty using it right away. I think we need to make sure we suggest a choice tools that will encourage the novice to continue and challenge the expert. However, I am always looking for something simple for my middle school students to use. If they get frustrated with using the tools, they can get discouraged, which is not a good thing! Here’s my survey: Group Dynamics Survey.

I have a lot of collected information for my final project. However, I feel that I am getting a little bogged down with getting a handle on what needs to be really changed in order to present this online. The content of what I actually would have in the course needs to be created for access by the students. I have much of the information internalized and use few notes. I may need to write my own readings for student access because the scholarly articles I would read may be a little difficult for high school students. So, I feel like I am spinning my wheels right now. I have a lot of work to do this week. Datta Kaur’s procedural suggestion in one of the discussion responses is a real help, so I printed it out:
“Usually you will not include 4 assessment tools in one lesson. When you first plan, you start (according to "Backward design") with the learning objectives - what is your ultimate goal for students before you add details to planning.Then you decide on activities that need to be included to acquire the objectives; then you choose tools to support the activities and goals.Please be sure to include the learning objectives and Bloom's taxonomy level of your objectives in the writeup of your final project.”
This is a good path in the “forest” of information I have.

Reflection for Module 5 - Taxonomy of Assessment

This has been a good review of Bloom’s taxonomy. I think he has the levels described quite realistically and I would do well to internalize them. It is good, even though it seems a bit tedious to review a course like this. We should do that with every course we write and/or use. This taxonomy is good in writing objectives as well as activities. So often I focus on what they have to learn to do well on their objective tests, and not allow enough time to massage the information, so they can apply it to their own lives or predict the events that follow (in history). I wonder if this is more characteristic of middle school and elementary. I have always looked upon elementary school as the time to learn the foundational facts, middle school as the transition time where such things as inference begins to dawn upon students, and high school as a time appropriate for what Bloom calls synthesis and evaluation. However, it is not that clear. So often I find that middle school tends to put students in a holding pattern, because their social relationships dominate everything they do. So, I have discovered, groups are a good way to use that tendency to be “overly” social and get them to learn something! Anyway, I have decided to keep Bloom’s taxonomy close at hand as I write my lesson plans. I need to deliberately spread out more the types of questions and the types of activities that I use in my classes, to include higher level thinking.

I do think that if I actually had the opportunity to teach an online middle school class, I would need to be just as careful about including higher level thinking assignments. It actually would be easier to require those kinds of activities, because online students tend to spend a lot of time working alone, out of the sight of peers and their criticisms and influences. Those “written thoughts” as Sandra calls them, are provided with a certain anonymity when working on a computer. Chat and discussion provide an opportunity to present complete thoughts without interruption or observance of negative body language. That would be good! Online groups would be even more monitored than in the classroom, if all communication had to be written.
So the Casey case study was a good opportunity to revisit the ideas in Bloom’s taxonomy and remember another way to evaluate assessment in my own curriculum work.

The articles on plagiarism encouraged me to pursue the detection of plagiarized material at an early age. I began to realize a few years ago that my middle school students often begged for the opportunity to do an essay in order to bring up their grade. One of my students came in the next day with several perfectly polished essays to bring his grade from an “F:” to a “D”. Needless to say, I was suspicious, but was not sure how to approach the subject. I really don’t think they were buying papers online, but with World Book online, Encarta and Wikipedia, essays are a breeze to “cut and paste.” Now I require a print of the home page of the website they used, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t using some website to copy from. One of the things I learned in a previous class, was that most teachers who want to check for plagiarized material just Google a few of the suspicious phrases. However, unless you pick the right ones, that is not foolproof.

The overview of Turnitin by Dr. Kidwell was very interesting. It does seem quite practical for schools secondary through college. I could not get to the actual pricing, but I suspect it would be substantial for a large school or system. So, as a teacher in a small middle school and high school, this looks very effective, but cost prohibitive.

The article “Dealing with Plagiarists” did ring true with me. I have thought for a while that this is probably the level where we need to “nip it in the bud.” I have been contemplating having the students go through the research paper process, and then take them to the computer lab, with their printed resources, and have them write their paper. While they may be able to spell check and all of that, it will at least reveal if they had prepared and knew their subject well enough to write from their notes or resources. Students could use the computer lab since there is no internet access to students there. That would at least slow up some plagiarizing.

The final project still fascinates me because our instructor is offering so much flexibility. I am deciding whether I should write something for a middle school history class, or develop a unit from an interpersonal communication project that I have used with my Sociology students. The unit is not formally written, and consists of a written essay about emergent leadership, and a few forms. I wonder if it would be acceptable to develop that activity into a full unit with objectives and assessment. I also wonder if it would even work as an online course. I have graded the product of the group, but never the individual observations about group dynamics. I did appreciate the discussion about using group roles in an online activity. I may try that.

Reflection for Module 4 -Variety of Assessment Tools

I have to say that this midterm has been an experience that I could describe as “satisfying.” It felt good to spend time trying to learn, somewhat in depth, a program that I can use. I know that in my review, I tried to find the immediate educational application and suggested that Groove was not quite ready for widespread educational use. There are plenty of potential uses even though many of my colleagues may not step out and purchase the program. In this case, it does require someone with the same application with whom to collaborate. Learning it was a challenge that I enjoy. Truthfully, I wish I had time now to investigate all of those links you provided. In addition, it was interesting to actually use “pbwiki” for our collaboration. I had used other wikis but not this one, and I found it to be useful. I think that this web resource will be one that I use more often.

However, the thing I appreciated most in this assignment was the opportunity to work with my classmates. I am impressed by their expertise and accomplishments, as well as their kindness and willingness to help. I learned a lot from them as we worked out what needed to be done in our project. Watching the time differences when arranging a meeting time, made me consider how I would handle my online students if they were all over the world. Beatrice took several hours of her time to help me to have a good experience with Groove. Elli had good editing suggestions and gave me advice I desperately needed when my computer kept shutting down on Saturday night.

In thinking about putting our final document together, I was reminded of an artist friend I once had who painted brilliantly. The problem was that he could not give up ownership of his creations enough to allow him to distribute and use what he had created. The last conversation I had with him was about all those paintings stashed behind his couch in his low-rent retirement apartment. That same feeling can come out with anything we write or own. What was confirmed was the idea that we have better results when we are willing to collaborate, recognize each other’s expertise and talents, and put them together for a better result.

The article from the Australian Flexible Learning was a good overview of assessment and online teaching. The section about the Barriers to Online Assessment summarized realistically the difficulties online instructors need to address. It did get me to thinking about why my colleagues look at me curiously, sometimes incredulously when I tell them I am taking these courses, at this level, online. While our children mostly do not fear experimentation and new vistas online, many adults are worried that they will do something to their expensive computer or that their computer will lose all of their work. I know these attitudes are out there in numbers, even in the educational circles. So those shortcomings associated with education online and more specifically, assessment online, need to be overcome, so that adult learners, especially, become confident and use the plethora of options for learning out there beyond the “walls.”

Furger’s article, “Assessment for Understanding” sparked a question thread. I need to ask myself what kind of proof I need to know that a student has learned about history (the primary subject I teach to middle school students). I concluded that one my goals is that they apply the lessons of past events in history to current events and future plans. If completing a project can be a true test of what a student has learned about a subject, projects should always contain a component for application of that mission.

Incidentally, I know that many social studies teachers only want to teach appreciation of other cultures, and that is important. However, my school’s mission includes active training in ideology and worldview. So, while we need to start with “love one another,” we also seek to guide in how to walk that out by a strong commitment to truth as they interpret current events and participate in plans for their future.

So, I wondered, how do my objective tests stack up to project based assessment? I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive but that they could be viewed as hierarchal. It is difficult for anyone to honestly form opinions or views on a topic where the foundation of facts has huge holes, or is missing in action! They need to know the facts! The easiest way to find out if they do is to test. To assess whether they understand those facts well enough to apply them, takes an additional approach, a chance for constructivist learning. As a teacher, I need both. In our world, the most amazing people are those who both know and learn from history and make the connection with what is happening in the world today. So, I need to add more of those kinds of projects and give the students opportunities to use the facts to think deeply. I like the principles of backward design, beginning with the end in mind! And, I need to get on with that task now!

I want to finish by adding a few more good ideas about student portfolios. I liked the idea used by Key Learning Community where the students select a semester long project, every semester, within a school theme. These are added to the portfolio, which can show progress in maturity as well as learning. Also, their idea to put these on a CD-ROM to be placed in the portfolio is excellent! It could include interviews, video projects and plenty of documents that could be given to college admissions departments.

Reflection for Module 3 - Perfect e-storm

This is my concept map for an online class. The exercise was good, because when new courses online are formed, it is the teacher who decides the objectives and makes the course her own. I read again about the concept of backward design, where one starts with the desired outcomes and writes objectives with the outcomes in mind and then fills in with the specific activities that will accomplish the task. I have always found that writing objectives has been the place that stops me for a while when I am planning. Actually, it should be the first step, but it also should be dynamic. Sometimes after I have taught a class, I realize that the objectives need adjusting, because some may not be necessary, or need to be divided, or rearranged.
Inspiration is a great program. It is so easy manipulate, and the final product is great. I went all the way through the tutorial. It is a great program to have for students. I didn’t try the “Kidspiration” but I think the skill of thinking in clusters helps kids to categorize facts and information. I have found that some students find that very difficult, except when it is done visually. This is a program that I would encourage our school to get for elementary and high school classrooms. I especially like how it can be used within many different programs because of the option to move it to Word, and save it as .jpg or .gif.


I have posted a Great Ideas section on my blog separately this time in order to keep them easily accessible in a separate category. I want to post them this way so that I can call them up easily. So please include them as part of my reflection.

The Bonk article was really eye-opening to me. The possibilities of the WWW are always amazing, and I’m constantly awed by the changes during my teaching career. I wondered the other day how much of my initial education courses really even applied today, and I wonder what would have happened if I had just stayed with what I had been taught. I am constantly reminded that a teacher must be a lifelong learner, which makes this vocation one of the most demanding ever. Some people who never read and never learn anything new must be really bored! J
I am still uneasy about the widespread use of MMOGs in education. Because of the huge potential for followers, the developers would have to be very committed to truth and not to take liberties with it. Impressionable children do need to have a clear understanding of what is real and what is fantasy. They do pick up on the subtleties and sometimes they are not able to separate the experience from the truth. I have two examples that in no way should be interpreted as an over reaction, but as something to think about. The movie “Shrek” was really fun. However, the sometimes crude behavior was validated by this loveable creature. Another is the movie, “The Patriot” which is a great movie, but it is historically out of synch. To some, that doesn’t matter because it was entertaining. But because the medium is so powerful, wouldn’t it be wise to teach the truth while we’re at it? I know about marketing and the entertainment industry, but for some reason, I have students who feel that if it is not fun or entertaining, they don’t need to bother with it. That approach to life probably wouldn’t survive with high achievers and those who are highly motivated to learn. However, with the reluctant learner, this idea could hinder for a long time until a dose of reality hits.
I know these thoughts are not popular with many people, so I don’t often articulate them. I am committed to teaching the truth in the most inviting way possible for my students, and I would want the gaming/education industry to be also.

Great Ideas - Module 3

It is so great to learn from each other as we are in this class. The different perspectives are so valuable! I just want to record here in my blog some great ideas gleaned from the discussions (in no particular order). I want to use these ideas and not forget them, so it seems this is the best place to record them since I have way too many sticky notes on my monitor and file cabinet!:
1. JAWS – a great reader program for visually handicapped students. Younger students may need help, but could listen.
2. Two-button mouse can be used on a Mac! They don’t come with one, but can use one. Also, cntrl + click is the same as right click on a PC.
3. Avatar – this was confusing, but I like this explanation (Jamison, I think) “a digital representation of yourself.” Simple, so why did I have the confusion?
4. Second Life – an online virtual world available for all who wish to enter. I will check out Ohio University Second Life Campus.
5. Concept Map – Use for a syllabus! (Thanks again, Laura) The other ones are boring anyway.
6. Concept Map – Curved lines are something I never thought of. That is a great idea to portray that re-visiting the concept may be necessary.
7. Student e-portfolios – I need to check into this for my daughter. However, if I could make a good template, this is something that I think our school would really like. I will need to do more research. They will want it VERY secure.

Reflection for Module 2 - Emerging Practices of Online Assessment

I had not thought much about using blogs as part of my classroom before the discussion and reading in this module. Realistically, I know it will be very difficult to break the ice at school, because while all the teachers, administrators, parents and most of the students use it regularly, the “pitfalls” are feared. I know some of my classmates do not understand that kind of thinking. However, having the resources to provide protection for the students is a real issue in a school that is not publicly funded.
That being said, I still feel like I am on the shaky end of the learning curve with blogs. Even though my family has its own blog, I haven’t had to set up anything. I started this module wondering how a chronological set of paragraphs of random thoughts could be used for class learning. I ended up creating a blog on edublogs.com and blogger.com. I found that edublogs seemed to have more choices in theme, but that blogger.com was very easy to understand. For me at this time, that is important.

I have been thinking about the constructivists view that students use their existing knowledge or what they already know to build new information. This is called a knowledge base. When students do a wide range of reading, they acquire a wide base of understanding that helps them to understand by connecting new suggestions with the ones they already know. I am thinking that whatever it takes, by blogs or using the internet or creating projects, students need to increase that knowledge base because it is crucial to basic understanding. Since I started teaching the younger secondary students (7th grade), I have found students that have so little metacognition, and have great difficulty drawing from their knowledge base. I wonder if it is a genuine lack of knowledge, or if the stress of middle school makes the connections and inferences inaccessible. Either way, a constructivist philosophy of teaching should address those issues. It should draw the students out and get them to grasp for connections because they “own” their work. This helps me to understand the value of the learner-centered approach to teaching and encourages me to move my teaching style more in that direction.

The discussion about the relationship between measurement, assessment and evaluation was interesting. So many schools only measure and use that as evaluation. Assessment that takes place in the classroom, generating adjustments in teaching methods and student responses, are rarely reported or used as part of overall evaluation. I think rubrics can solve that problem by articulating levels of competency in areas that are difficult to quantify.

So, my plans for all the information that I have learned in this module is to try to incorporate the use of a blog in one of my classes. Realistically, it does take a policy change in the administration and that could move very slowly. In the meantime, I will continue to share what I am learning with them, hoping they will get excited about it themselves.