Standard8

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The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.
 * Teachers know how to test for student progress. **

**Evidence 1: [|Technology Assessment]Learning.com 21st Century Technology Assessment**

Rationale 1: The Learning.com 21st Century Technology Assessment will be administered to my fourth grade students for the first time in April 2010. The purpose of this technology assessment is to see where our students stand in the use of various web based programs, websites, and software such as MSOffice. This portion of the technology assessment is new as of this year. In the past, students took an assessment that also checked for technology understanding. This assessment will be more comprehensive and give a more broad overview of what our students know and what they yet need to know. This assessment allows me to look ahead and decide what the students should know to be prepared for their fourth grade year and for their entrance into middle school. Through this technology assessment, students will be exposed to programs, commands, options, and procedures they have never done before in programs they have used. With the results from this assessment, the teachers will be able to understand what needs to be taught and increase the overall student learning in the areas of technology and communication. I look forward to having this assessment take place so that I can prepare lessons and projects for the following school year to help our students become proficient in the overall use of technology. As I did the sample tests on the Learning.com site, I found there were some things that I needed to brush up on which is good. If we don’t use something we tend to lose that knowledge over time. This assessment is a great tool for me as well because I get the opportunity to revisit skills that I have learned over the years and to find ways to incorporate them into my lessons and daily computer use if possible. I feel the classroom teachers will increase their overall understanding and knowledge of technology through this assessment as well.

KSD

8.K.2 The teacher knows how to select, construct, and use assessment strategies and instruments appropriate to the learning outcomes being evaluated and to other diagnostic purposes.

By looking ahead on the 21st Century Technology Assessment, I am able to see what programs, web based applications, and tools will need to impact student based learning. I am not one who likes to teach to the test but it is always good to give the students a taste of what is to come. I have been prepping the fourth grade students by giving them various tasks in MSWord and on the Internet to see if they are able to perform them. If a majority are not able to, I put that skill on a list to be used for later in the school year and for the following years to be taught. Through this pre-assessment process I am able to devise a stronger curriculum for my technology times and maximize the learning that the students receive. I also take that information to other teachers during my collaboration times and discuss them for future use in all areas of the curriculum. 8.S.3 The teacher uses assessment strategies to involve learners in self-assessment activities, to help them become aware of their strengths and needs, and to help them to set personal goals for learning.

With prepping for the technology assessment, I have use pre-assessments as I have mentioned above to help students understand what they excel at and what they need to know to take their knowledge a few steps higher. As students work with various programs they are reminded to note what they don’t understand, what they feel they are good at, and what they would be able to share with their peers in a mini teaching session with me. Some of the assessments done for the students have also been projects that their homeroom teacher has asked them to do. The outcome of that project or assignment is also shared with me to see what was done, how technology was integrated into their work, and where they may have missed the mark if at all. The students enjoy the projects and find they do learn more about the use of technology and understand when and how to it can be used in an educational setting.

8.D.2 The teacher is committed to using assessment to identify student strengths and promote student growth rather than to deny students access to learning opportunities.

The results of the technology assessment will be used to advance students up the ladder in technology use and to build confidence with that use. My intention is to have students who excel areas of the technology assessment serve as technology mentors to those who are still struggling. Allowing students to serve in this capacity will also help build self-confidence and hopefully spark more creative licensing in what they do with various modes of technology.