May the luck of the Irish be with you today!
Although luck doesn't always help you accomplish your goals ... planning does!
Making plans are easy … it is following through with them that creates the conflict. I feel very strongly that a well thought out plan that is attainable provides the best possible opportunity for success. So as I look over my plan to incorporate technology into new curriculum and new areas of focus, I will need to set up several steps that can be measurable and realistic.
First I will need to continue to meet with colleagues every Monday to share lesson plans and activities. Considering this is a district mandated requirement, I can easily hold myself accountable for that and can consider that a definite resource in the future. I also sit on the district leadership team and meet monthly with math colleagues to share and support and communicate so that is yet another opportunity to learn from others.
Second, I will need a place to store the activities and plans already designed and those that I will be developing. Our group has already created a share drive that is South Carolina State Standard specific, I have that portion of the goal taken care of and can easily add to it.
A third step I must take would be to identify those indicators that have technology related activities and those that do not. This is the most important step for me right now. I do not want to jump right in to creating plans because I want to assure that I am not doubling up on some indicators and never completing other indicators, as my goal is to eventually plan an activity for each indicator. Now that does not mean I will not be open to a perfectly good completed activity if an indicator already has one but I will not spend my time creating technology driven activities for indicators that already has one attached to it. As A teacher I have that “license to steal” all awesome activities and lessons that anyone is willing to share!!!
My final step would be to look into the variety of technology available at my school and in the world. I might learn how to work certain software for example, Geometer’s sketch pad, to do an activity on transformations and could plan a fabulous activity but if my school does not have access to Geometer’s Sketchpad, then my efforts were for nothing. So accessing the technology leader at my school to assure we have the technology, the capability and the support and permission will be an integral part of the process.
My question to all of you is what type of technology should I make sure I incorporate? List cool activities that you have done with technology to spark my interest for my first activity!
The second goal I have will not require much more preparation but will require more time as I will need to develop good assessment questions for each unit in order to produce a USATESTPREP.com assessment for each standard.
First steps have been completed already as I have the standards list and know the indicators. I also have access to a bank of assessment questions that my district is working on but may need to add to it throughout the process. I have already set up my teacher account and my classrooms online and have looked through the tutorial and feel comfortable making assessments and assigning students to use them.
I would like to include a partner or assistant as my next step in this project, so I am going to have to entice some colleagues with the benefits this will provide. This is easily done however through the sales pitch of the program, having hardcore data that is accessible to parents, administrators and students that is computer scored and stored almost makes me feel unnecessary but provides the ease that will make my colleagues want to help. Yet the game like atmosphere to move up levels based on these assessments and practice activities has the students begging to participate. I feel a partner will help me to stay on track and focused and will keep the level of the assessments at the desired level. Everyone knows two heads are always better than one.
The last step I need to work on would be finding a way to collect and record all the statistics to evaluate the program. Usually a simple excel file will help pull all of this together but I want to take some time to see if the website will pull all of the information I want together on one form for me. I feel certain it should, it will require me looking through the tutorial section of the website and that just requires me to sit down and research it! If the tutorial does not provide what I need, I think I will contact the sales rep. as usually they are willing to figure out a way to make their product work for you.
I would love to hear everyone’s suggestions on how to decide what would be an acceptable measure to determine success? Last week I posed all students achieving an 80% on the tests but I am not sure I like that one. Please give me your ideas!
Posts
James M. to Lori,
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, Please remind me again of what grade you teach, I think you are an elementary generalist? Could you explain a little bit about what the USATESTPREP.com is all about. What is its purpose? what is your goal in using it...I ask these questions because is you know what you plan to do with the data it will help you in using the tools. Another suggestion is to use a pre and post test to mark each child's growth, compared to just a summative test which shows only if they know the material...but maybe some of your strong students knew the material to start with and did not grow at all...or perhaps your weaker students did not grow...then you could pinpoint where to focus your lesson for nest time towards. Our school uses a program called MAP,
http://www.nwea.org/
which tests the students 3 or 4 times a year in multiple subject areas. For example, the program will ask a student a series of questions getting, more and more difficult. If a student gets a question wrong, the program asks an easier question, if the student gets the question correct, the program asks a more difficult question...this continues until there is a fairly accurate indicator for the different areas in math. I know exactly where each of my students sit in all facets of the math program, The students know as well and can use the test to reflect on their growth, and set goals for the future.
James
Lori to Jim:
ReplyDeleteGreat question Jim and yes the program offers pre and post tests, but allows you to also create your own standard specific assessments, this is what I am referring to.
We also use MAPS and have a lot of data about where our students are in terms of standards and RIT band instruction. USATESTPREP.com is a website that helps students practice and focus on certain standard areas based on their tests or previous data you have.
I get a MAPS report indentifying the students strengths and weaknesses and a conference is had with each child. My goal is to build each students' overall score by 7 points typically but when I start with such high honors students, I discuss other possible scores based on guessing and confidence, but generally the program suggests a 6-7 point gain. I use USATESTPREP.com to highlight certain areas of study. It does not provide very much instruction besides hints and links to get instruction, but it gives high level questions geared to our state standards. You can pick a specific standard to work on and then the child answers questions, at a certain point the child gets to play a video type game. My students have been logging in many hours of practice in order to hold the high score.
I love this program because the students are motivated to practice at times when they typically would not. Technology provides this opportunity and challenge and my students are happy to comply!
ANyway --- throughout the process of practicing and playing, the students are required to take tests. I can use them for any purpose, I would prefer to use it to see where I have to go and still need to cover and my question is what would be acceptable to consider mastery. IS the typical 80% okay for this or should I be looking for higher even 100%??? This is where I am struggling.
Am I making any sense???
Thanks for getting me thinking about the purpose of the data.
LORI POWERS
Lori,
ReplyDeleteHave you started taking inventory of the technology available in your school district? I have found that often when I am looking for something to utilize I am very surprised by what is actually available for my use. I am struggling with compiling a list of available software that my district owns. I was wondering if you found an efficient process in the compilation of available resources.
Nicole Piercy
Great idea! I never thought about software. We have a technology coach that sends us available tools we can use all the time! However, I have to look and see what we have as far as software.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your questions, Wendy, our coach has compiles a technology book with thetechnology, a mini lesson on how to use it and ideas on what you can do! If she finds a lesson to go with it she sends it for us to add to the book. I of course keep an electronic file that we add her files to!
Good luck! and thanks for the ideas! LORI