Archive for the 'choice' Category

Giving Students a Voice in App Selection

Published January 8, 2014 Android , App , choice , ipad , MLearning , Mobile , Modern Language , Student , Uncategorized , World Language 2 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Traditionally, teachers research apps for their class. They assign apps to students.  The teachers assign a specific app or give students a choice of several pre-selected apps.  As a Modern Language teacher, I suggested apps to my students in the early part of the year.

However, in January, I let my students select which apps they wanted to use based on their own app searching and a minimal checklist.  I just gave them a topic to search as “food”. I asked them to look at  two or more apps that had the same topic.  My minimal checklist includes: has a comprehensive list  of words, phrases, or sentences for the topic;  gives the written Spanish word and its definition (or included a picture); pronounces the word; is  free; and is available on both Android and Ipad. The app gets extra points if it uses the words or phrases in sentences or questions.  The app also receives extra points if  the app provides practice on the words.

I found that when I let my students select which apps they wanted to use based on their own app searching and a minimal checklist, they actually used the app. In fact, they often commented to other students about their great app for the topic. They willingly showed me the app. They shared stories about where they were when they were using the app (supposedly helping Mom in the grocery store!).

More importantly, they learned the critical vocabulary for the topic from the app so they were ready to use the vocabulary in their communicating about the topic.

Who selects apps for your students?

My ebook, 90 Mobile Learning Modern Language Activities, is available at http://bit.ly/90mlact.

My three formative assessment books, Improving Foreign Language Speaking Through Formative Assessment, Formative Assessment: Responding to Your Students and Successful Student Writing Through Formative Assessment, are available at   http://is.gd/tbook

My modern language blogs are  now at  http://bit.ly/imprml.  I have developed 27  Spanish activities and 5 Modern Language Visual activities in which students  express themselves in the modern language and move toward spontaneous speaking Teacherspayteachers:  http://bit.ly/tpthtuttle

21st Century Learning and Student Choices

Published December 9, 2010 21st Century , 21st Century Skills , choice , Internet , learning , Skype , technology , Web 2.0 Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

As educators we say that we are preparing students for the 21st century.  Yet we may be severely limiting that preparation by not giving students real choices.

Do our students have a choice about

1) How they will present their learning?  There are many Web 2.0  tools available today. The students’ presentation tool should not matter as long as they fully demonstrate their learning at a high level.

2) What topics they can use to demonstrate their learning?  Do we give students a single topic?  A choice from a list of topics? Or are students free to pursue their own topic?

3) What resources they use?  Are they limited to printed material?  Can they use Internet based resources such as  contacting an “expert” via Skype?  Can they use visual material such as photos from Flickr?

Our students will never be life-long learners for the 21st century century if we  make the choices for them.

What choices do you give your students?

 

My book, Formative Assessment: Responding to Your Students, is available through Eye on Education.

Image

Also, my  book,  Successful Student Writing Through Formative Assessment, is available through Eye on Education.

Image

Fixed or Flexible Learning

Published April 3, 2009 choice , Classroom , Content , Curriculum , Diversity , Education , Evaluate , Learn , Learner , Lecture , Need , Power Point , PowerPoint , Presentation , Strategy , Teach Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I recently talked to someone who teaches an online course.  She says that the college has supplied the lectures for each class.  I questioned how a college could think that the fixed lectures would fit the needs of the class. Then the person reminded me that high school textbooks,  textbook websites, textbook DVDs,  textbook PowerPointsand content websites present the material  in a fixed manner.  I think it is good for a teacher to see an exemplary lesson and then to modify the lesson for the class or  for the teacher to use the fixed  lesson as a jumping off point  but I do feel that teachers should not follow a book lesson blindly. Based on our students’  intellectual, physical and emotional needs, we, as instructional leaders, need to decide how to teach the selected goal.  We need to modify the lesson to meet various learning styles and learning levels in our class. We need to know when to abandon a lesson to teach a missing skill or a complimentary skill. We are the ones to show the students the connections between what they are learning and the big picture, to bring in our life experiences in that learning.

How do you teach your course?  Do you strictly follow the textbook (fixed) or do you modify the learning in a flexible manner based on your students’ needs?

My book, Formative Assessment: Responding to Students, is available through Eye-on-Education.

Reponding to Your Students

Student or Teacher Duty: Improving Time for Feedback

Published April 1, 2009 Assess , Assessment , choice , Class , Content , Correct , Education , Empowerment , Engagement , Feedback , Implement , Lesson , Participation , Presentation , Student , student engagement , Teacher Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Sunday, the church congregation was surprised to see a young ten year boy be the liturgist. He said the prayers, introduced the hymns, and read the scripture.  The boy had listened to the adults who usually do this and thought he could do it.  He did a good job!

It made me think of what duties are only teacher duties in the classroom and what are student only duties. Students can pass out materials, collect material, take attendance, do class review, prepare classroom materials such as handouts or PowerPoints, make quizzes, and assess other students’ work. Students often present information in a way that their classmates can easily understand the information.

If we have students do more in the classroom, we can spend more time on giving small group or one-on-one with students. We have more time for formative feedback.  We spend out time not in many managerial things but in helping students to learn.

Let’s give our students more duties so that we can help them more!

Providing Classroom Variation

Published March 24, 2009 Access , Agenda , Assignment , choice , Constructivism , Context , Critical , Diversity , Education , Empowerment , Growth , In-depth , Intelligence , Learner , Meaning , Participation Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

My wife and I like to go to productions of  the musical Godspell to see how the director will vary the setting, costumes, and dialogue and yet keep the central message of the play. Godspell is a musical that encourages variation.

I wonder how much most classroom teacher encourage variations on the central learning. One English teacher has all of his students write on the same topic for a contrast essay. Another English teacher lets her students select their own topic from a very long list or come up with their own topic for a contrast essay. One   social studies teacher has his students answer the questions from the text book chapter. Another teacher has her students find news articles about the topic and react to the news articles. One science teacher hands out a description of “the” project.  Another teacher provides a tic-tac-toe board with various projects  arranged by learning style.

When we allow students choice, they are more invested in their learning. They have more opportunity to engage themselves through their own interests in their  central learning. They think more and they learn more.

How do you encourage variation?

My book, Formative Assessment: Responding to Students, is available through Eye-on-Education.

Reponding to Your Students

Break your class now!

Published February 14, 2009 Accountability , Achievement , Change , choice , Class , Classroom , Difference , Formative , Formative assessment , Forward , Improve , learning , Metacognition , reflect , Reflection , Student Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

For many years a favorite book of mine was If it is not broken, then break it by George Morrison. The author stresses that the time to improve something is when it is working, not when it is broken. If you fix something when it is broken, you usually only restore it to its original condition but not an improved one.

If you spend time in reflecting on the lesson or unit and breaking the present level, you improve it to a higher level. Your students learn better.

When do you stop and break your class? Do you consciously say “What can I improve the next time I do this?” Do you rewrite your lesson plans? Redo your PowerPoint? Find different websites? Think about wording things differently on your handouts? Do you ask your students what worked for them such as rating each part of the unit on a 4-very helpful for learning the goal 3- somewhat helpful 2- a little helpful 1- not helpful at all” scale and do you ask them “What would have helped me better learn this goal?” Do you honestly consider their suggestions?

Break your class to help your students better succeed!

One way to break your class is through formative assessment.

My book, Formative Assessment: Responding to Students, is available through Eye-on-Education.

Reponding to Your Students

Improving Students’ Self-Assessments Skills for Increased Learning

Published November 23, 2008 21st Century Skills , Assess , Assessment , assessment for learning , Authentic , choice , Correct , Empowerment , Engagement , Evaluate , Evaluation , Formative , Formative assessment , formative feedback , Life-Long , Lifelong , NYSCATE , Quiz , Student , student engagement , student learning , Test Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Part of the handout for the conference session:

Reasons for student self- assessment

Closed- ended assessment

Some examples:

Check answers against a paper or digital “answer” key.

Take online quiz.

Transitional assessment

Some examples:

Take online tests until ready for “real” test

Learn the quality in an assignment

Open -ended assessment

Some examples:

Self-assess and change strategy if necessary

Digital portfolio updates

Students' Self Assessment Growth Chart

Students

For any one who is interested in implementing formative assessment in the classroom, my book,
Formative Assessment: Responding to Students is available through Eye-on-Education.

Eportfolio: Student Accountability and Student Choice

Published March 30, 2006 Accountability , Assessment , choice , Eportfolio Leave a Comment

“As future teachers, we want you to be decision makers in your own class.”

“In your pre-service teaching eportfolio, you will include the following assignments.”

 

“We believe in constructivism.”

“Put these things in the boxes in your electronic portfolio.”

 

“You are to include these five assignment.”

“I have another assignment that I know better shows my ability to assess students based on my placement.”

 

“Tell why these prescribed assignments are meaningful to you.”

“You told me to do them; they do not have any meaning for me.”

 

“Reflect on why you included this assignment.”

“You told me too.”

 

“Reflect on this assignment.”

Do you want how much I liked it or what I learned from it?”

 

“Show us many pictures of your placement.”

“I’ld prefer to only show a few with well chosen captions.”

 

“We’ve got a record of all your scores.”

“How do I show my passion for teaching and my love of students?”

Blog Stats

  • 815,652 hits
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started