As I think about the different types of assessments that I use for students, it is interesting to see all the different types of assessments, with both subjective and objective results. Some might say that tests are the only way to objectively assess a student, but I have found that to be untrue. For example, in my classroom, when we are first beginning media productions, we explore MovieMaker. In MovieMaker, when my students are submitting a project, I have a specific rubric that I want them to follow, and it is very objective. This graphic shows what they are responsible for in this project.
Additionally, there are things that have steps that must be followed precisely or they will not work properly. For example, baking a cake...if a step is left out of the baking (like forgetting the eggs), the cake will come out wrong. There is no subjectivity there.
This video discusses some of the differences between objective and subjective, and it clearly shows that subjective brings opinions and judgements into consideration. Both of the above examples depict ways that things are assessed without opinions, but focusing on facts.
If you think about the leaps and bounds that technology has made in the last few decades, even in the last few years, it is amazing to witness the progress and speculate on what might change in the near future. The classroom is a perfect example of this technology evolution. When I was in school, there weren't telephones in the classrooms. Someone either had to walk in to the classroom if they needed to talk to you, or if it was the office, they might be able to call over the PA system...although that went out to the whole school. Library time was for checking out books, and there certainly weren't TVs in the classrooms, or iPads and laptops for teachers to use. In fact, there weren't even computers in the main classrooms at all. A modern classroom couldn't function that way anymore.
Most classrooms now have a mounted projector, or at least a document camera, those are basic necessities for a classroom these days, replacing the old overhead projector with the transparencies. Teachers also have phones and computers, and then certain schools or districts go beyond that to iPads/iPods in the classroom, some having "Bring your own device" policies, I've even seen classrooms equipped with Apple TV. But what benefit does infusing your classroom with all of this technology have for the children? Technology can be of great benefit to a classroom, if used correctly. Teachers need to be well-versed in all aspects of the technology they will be using, but having an iPad in the classroom, one that is set up to share with a SmartBoard, or other students would be great for presenting projects and sharing resources and information. Certain games that are educational can help children learn new topics, or Special Education students might benefit from apps designed for them specifically. It gives kids instant access to information that they would not have had without a technology infused classroom, which makes the learning more relevant to them, as everything is virtually "instant gratification" in society today.
This info graphic gives some great stats on the 21st Century Classroom.
So, what could a "Classroom of the Future" look like? One high-school Junior brings an amazing concept to life in this video.
Every day that I step into my classroom I am showing students not only how to use technology in their everyday lives, but also how to make sense of the information that they are finding. This visual literacy is imperative in this day and age. Discerning not only what is "school appropriate" from the Internet, but also what is useful, usable, and from a reliable source can be difficult at the Jr. High level. They are so inundated with materials from just about every source imaginable, that it can become muddied, and they can end up using information that is not true or reliable, because they lack visual literacy.
The array below shows somethings to consider, or that might be helpful, in defining visual literacy, and this is something that every student using the Internet should have for reference.
This array can be broadened as well, to incorporate not just images, as it concentrates on here. Anything that is found on the Internet, an article, a video, an image, or even just a webpage all need to be interpreted and evaluated. Sources are important, and they need to be reliable...I keep telling my students that Google is not a reference, and Wikipedia is NOT reliable. Teaching them skills like this, even in Jr. High will be incredibly valuable to them for the rest of their educational career and beyond.
The Internet is what kids today are used to using, and they are acclimated to all different types of technology. It is great to be able to integrate what they are learning with how they learn. For example, take a look at this video from a Jr. High teacher using iPads and Apple TV in his classroom.
If we're teaching the way that kids learn, they're more likely to retain the information. That is the key for all learning, retention. That way, they are more likely to actually use that knowledge once they are out of school.
In society today, people are exposed to a variety of different experiences all in a single day. Many times, it can even be during a single interaction. For example, if a family goes out to dinner, they have social interactions, there might be a television, or music playing, and they might get some news, weather, or other information from that. Additionally, in the technological age that we currently live in, there are video games, MP3 players, and a variety of other distractions that facilitate how the evening will go. Classrooms need to have a similar set up, in order to facilitate the best learning. Active participation is key in keeping kids focused and on task. Giving them something to do, whether it is an overt action, like sharing with their shoulder partner, and then the class, or something covert, such as thinking about a particular topic (and then sharing with a shoulder partner, to have a measurable outcome) will keep the students engaged in the class and the materials. It is imperative in a society built on instant gratification that we have the ability to "keep up" with our students, and teach the way that they learn. Here is a small introduction to the concept of active participation, and why it is important to student achievement.
Technology plays a very important role in the way students learn these days. For example, my class is very dependent on not only the computer, but really the Internet as well. If the Internet is down, or running slowly as it usually is in our district, it can really impede the learning that is supposed to be taking place. Giving the students a variety of ways to interact with the material, such as videos, websites, handouts, and others, will help get everyone engaged, because there is likely something that they are skilled at working with. For a teacher to be effective in his or her classroom, he or she must understand the way that all the students learn, and make the best attempt to bring much of that into the classroom. For example, there is a website called ThingLink. This site is a creative way to create a mind map, and to get the concepts of a topic out in a visual representation, in a way that might be more meaningful to the students. This site can be used for any number of topics, and it is more of a brainstorming technique, but it gives the student something to help see how things connect together. Here is an example of what can be created on ThingLink.
