Digital Badge #D-Chapter 4

Digital Badge #D-Chapter 4

After reviewing chapter 4, I discovered section “Using Technology in Lesson Planning.  In this section it was interesting to read that the Internet provides resources that can support the development of a lesson plan while using student learning goals and objectives.  An instructional teacher has the opportunity to create lesson plans on every topic while incorporating new teaching ideas.  These technical plans can be introduced in the classroom, so teachers have a new idea/way to keep their students engaged while learning a new subject area.  There are numerous amounts of downloadable templates that can be used to help incorporate an engaging lesson.  I researched digital lesson plans and came across this website, "Technology-Supported Lesson Plans".  In this site, it allows for the teacher to retrieve lessons for each subject area.  I can imagine this could be helpful for a new teacher or one who might be searching for new ideas.  

The second section I found resourceful was “Assessing and Evaluating Students”.  According to the text there are three factors that can influence how teachers can evaluate their students assessments.  The first experience is “personal”.  In this assessment, teachers will teach and assess their students the way they were taught and assessed when they were in the classroom.  For example, if teachers remember taking multiple choice test and quizzes, they will assume that these are the best methods to evaluate their students.  The second experience is “ standardized testing”.  These types of tests are being used more, since the 2001; “No Child Left Behind” was passed.  It was stated in the text that 100 million standardized tests were given to k-12 students in the United States.  As a mother of two small children, I believe that standardized tests can be overwhelming to them.  There have been some cases, when students have been tested on material they haven’t been taught yet.  From my experiences in the classroom as an assistant, I have been told that these results can help the teacher identify those students who may have “prior” knowledge.  This material could have been taught to them at home or possibly from extra curricular resources.  In contrast, Standardized testing can allow a teacher to have a better understanding of where their students are academically.  From this data, they can incorporate new ideas into their lesson plans.  The third experience is “teacher test”.  Most states will require that a new teacher must pass a test, before they receive their teaching certificate.  This ensures that all teachers are capable of teaching their students according to what the standards are at that time.  

The third section I found enlightening was “Using Electronic Grading Software”.  Teachers are now using an electronic grading software program, to record their student grades.  Teachers now have the capability to manage grades, keep track of student attendance, and support lesson plans.  In our district, Collier County Public Schools uses a program called, “ANGEL”.  Parents and students have the capability of accessing this software from home to retrieve and keep track of their progress.  Some of the positive attributes with incorporating this software would be: efficiently keeping track of student performance data, quizzes, tests, assignments, homework and class participations.  Teachers can also assign percentage values for homework assignment and other class assignments.  This particular program can also alleviate the questions and concerns that parents may have for their child/children's teacher... 

References

Maloy, Robert W.. Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011. Print.

"TSLessons." TSLessons. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://edtech.boisestate.edu/bridges/tslessons.htm>.

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