No student likes taking tests. However the textbook brings up some very interesting ideas that made me think more about them. For example, I never really realized how students write their responses to teachers, but now that I have read that, it is definitely true. Just last semester I had to "write a letter to a congressman" and I definitely doctored my letter so that my professor would approve. I like the idea of doing oral presentations in order to combat this limitation. I think that would be a good alternative assessment. I think the way tests are designed are very important. I agree with the authors of the textbook who say we should focus more on the big ideas that should stay with students for a long time. I think this is very applicable for history class especially. I always appreciated when teachers did not expect you to list dates, but wanted to see that you get a big concept as a cause and what the various effects of that particular event were. I'm not sure I am completely sold on the idea of take-home tests. I always saw those as a gift from God as a student, because I knew I could get my mom or dad to help me if I was in dire need of it. It is important to keep in mind that take home tests may incorporate some knowledge that is not unique to the student, so personally I would prefer to make a test shorter, but allow more class time to complete it.
Many of the graphic organizers that are given in chapter 8 can be very useful. I think not only useful for definitions of words, but definitions or explanations of events as well. From a history stand point I could easily use something like a CD word map for students to show me what events like Watergate or the Battle of Gettysburg are. I think these graphic organizers can also be helpful in a history classroom if students are reading some kind of primary source text where the vocabulary is a little strange because it is an old text. These tools can be a way for students to learn what they mean on their own so that they can get a better understanding of the meaning of the word itself as well as the context it is being used in.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
New Literacy and Public Writing
With the current "technology age" we live in, it is very common for the youngest of kids to be astonishingy tech-savvy. For example, over spring break I saw my four year old cousin successfully operate an ipad on his own to play angry birds or something like that. As teachers, we need to be aware of the world of technology and how it effects our students. Even right now, who would have thought that we would be doing homework via blogging? We need to be aware of the many options out there to make learning fun for students. One thing I really noticed in my field experience was how excited students got when the teacher would use the smart board. It almost seemed like these students would only choose to participate and interact with the material if some form of technology was used. One thing I thought was interesting from the chapter was that students always say they want to "read books on paper" but there is a decline in the amounts of reading on paper for adolescents. I find myself saying that frequently, but I actually do prefer to read things on paper. I always print articles from the internet out rather than read them on the screen. I wonder if print-based texts will be extinct in the not so distant future, but it is understandable that with the growing age of technology there would be expectations for students to be techno-literate for their future careers.
Writing I feel is one thing that will never change. Whether you're hand writing or typing, people will always write. I really agree with the textbook here when they talk about how the "wow" factor that comes out of a students' writing. Even when I edit my friends' papers I experience that feeling where you can't believe that guy wrote something so well. I think the classroom factors are important for kids to write that includes providing some kind of choice, time to write in class, and response to the writing. I love writing, but don't like when I am forced to write on a specific topic. Taking time in class is important as well because it allows students to stay focused on the material, and not drift off to looking at facebook or staring off into space. Response is important as well because students need to be reaffirmed with their writing or else they could give up. I did not really realize what "good models" for writing would be. I expected them to say classic works of literature or reading a "great" textbook (as I have heard from many teachers). I did not expect the authors to consider good models being public articles like Time or Newsweek. I thought that was very surprising.
Writing I feel is one thing that will never change. Whether you're hand writing or typing, people will always write. I really agree with the textbook here when they talk about how the "wow" factor that comes out of a students' writing. Even when I edit my friends' papers I experience that feeling where you can't believe that guy wrote something so well. I think the classroom factors are important for kids to write that includes providing some kind of choice, time to write in class, and response to the writing. I love writing, but don't like when I am forced to write on a specific topic. Taking time in class is important as well because it allows students to stay focused on the material, and not drift off to looking at facebook or staring off into space. Response is important as well because students need to be reaffirmed with their writing or else they could give up. I did not really realize what "good models" for writing would be. I expected them to say classic works of literature or reading a "great" textbook (as I have heard from many teachers). I did not expect the authors to consider good models being public articles like Time or Newsweek. I thought that was very surprising.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)