Objective assessments

Example of a type of assessment

Are test really the only type of objective assessments?  Many teachers may thing this is a true statement but there are many ways that teachers can assess students.  Some assessment can be student work such as posters, drawings, reports and much much more.

Assessments do not have to be memorizing facts and dates long enough for a text.  Students can use programs such as wordle to help show the terms they have learned in a specific area of study such as history, and science.  When teachers are looking at assessment they need to be aware of the students different learning styles and find way to incorporate them into the assessment.

The best information that I have viewed about assessment has to be this video on youtube.  As educators we need to show the students that what they are doing is importnat to real life.  All the time I am asked by my own son why do they keep teaching me the same thing all the time how can I use this in real life?  I know he's not the only student to feel this way and if we can show the students why its importnat they will be more willing to buy into what we are teaching them.  This may also help bring up state scores helping schools finally meet AYP standards and help teachers keep their jobs.  Its not the teaching that is broken but the way we assess.                                                                                  

Technology Infussed Classroom

When I think of a technology infussed classroom I puicture a classroom where the students are activly engaged in some form of technology.  This can include SmartBoards, doc cameras, computers, tables, iPods, blogs, web quest and so much more.  There are also many different types of programs that teachers can use with their students such as Spelling City, IXL, Flashcard Stash, blogs and Wordles.

When a teacher is introducing technology into the classroom it needs to be taught whole groups explaining to the students how to use it.  Once the teacher feels that the students have grasped the concept then they let them go work on it individually taking the time to find those struggling students that need more direct instruction.  This is when the one on one or one on two teaching takes place.
  

Teaching with Technology

Instructional strategies and technology

 When it comes to teaching you have to have many tools in your teachers toolbox. One of the main reasons for this is because not all students learn the same way. Teachers need to be ready for anything that could happen, such as the student who is struggling with spelling and needs a reduced list of spelling words, or the student who struggles with reading and needs small group instruction.

Click to go to Spelling City

There are many different tools that teachers can use to help these students, such as; technology.  Many teachers are starting to use spellingcity.com to help their students with weekly spelling.  On this site teachers can have fun activities for the students to complete each week using their spelling words, give a pre- and post test and even assign the amount of words the students receive helping differentiate the lessons.
 
 While teaching library I use technology on a regular basis.  Many lessons include searching for books on OPAC, doing research on World Book online.  The students also learn how to use MicroSoft PowerPoint(to make presentations) and Word (write reports).  Elementary libraries are very important for students because of the technology they learn.  Librarians are helping students K-6 get ready for middle and high school research.  By the time they leave elementary school they should be able to put a paper together and cite their sources along with know how to find information both on the computer and in books.  

      

E-Readers

When I was first asked if I wanted an e-reader I said there was no way that I would never own one of them. Now that I have one I can't put it down. I like the fact that my book is always at my finger tips and that you can do more than just read on it. I have downloaded many books from their free books, and today I downloaded my frist book from the public library. This was a different experience becasue I wasn't able to actually get on my e-reader to download it and will have to wait till I get home to see if it worked. If it did work I will have to down load somemore becasue unlike Amazon you can check out more than one book a month.

I can see how an e-reader could be an important tool in the schools because there is so much that a teacher could do on them. I personally have used an app. to help show students the cycle of the moon. As for letting a student check out an e-reader there would have to be strick guidlines in place for them to be used by the students. The biggest problem I see is how do you keep students from downloading things onto the e-reader that are inappropriate?

Automation Systems

I have had to chance to long-term substitute in one of the libraries here in town. During that time I used Alexandria. I found Alexandria very easy to use for the everyday task that I had to perform. These task included, running over due reports, checking in/out books, looking up books from other school/districts, add dropped books back into the system, charge and collect on book fees, adding/deleting student accounts. What Alexandria offers for the student use is a link to OPAC for finding books, and a chance to put books on hold. The drawback to this system, which I witnessed, is the books don't always check back in so the students are left with an overdue book until it is found. Alexandria also has a habit of switching users during check out, so one student puts in their information and when you check the book out it goes under another person’s name. These glitches mean that the librarian has to keep an eye on the screen while checking in/out books. I haven't had a chance to work with many of the reports on this system but some of them I have worked with are the overdue reports, inventory reports, inventory age reports, last time the book was checked out. I know there are many other types of reports that Alexandria can run but with my limited usage I haven't tried them out yet. Because I am not in the library on a daily basis it is hard for me to say how often a librarian should look at changing the system that is being used. I would think that about every five to ten years it would be looked at though just because by that time you have gained enough knowledge about the system and how it works to make a sound judgment about the program.

Top 5 items on my library web site.

1. School Name 2. contact informations/hours 3. Library mission statement 4. Links to databases 5. Link to Public library and school OPAC

My animals

Bandit Cinnamon Scrappy