evaluation
When addressing students’ understanding, some questions are raised concerning the assessment of their learning: can students easily communicate their understanding? Are other students and I able to notice development? Are they able to see their own development? Can each student demonstrate what they’ve learned through certain tasks/projects? Are they able to articulate their process? Can they knowledgeably discuss any projects/designs/photos? In this situation, as in my newspaper course, in terms of assessment, often I consider each issue as being about 500 points per student and this often amounts to participation, two articles being written, editor tasks (depends on the type of editor), and any other contributions made. However, prior to issues being produced, I try to consider how I can best assess their learning.
Pre and post tests can provide data that teachers can utilize to help inform or transform future instruction. However, in the context of my newspaper class, testing does not necessarily work. I only really need to quiz on our style sheet which is unique to only the Berkley High School Spectator. This includes font types, type sizes, pica width, etc. Design is subjective and in this context it is more about growth and depth of understanding. Traditional forms of assessments may not work. What I can do is assign smaller, scaffolded projects such as “Create a transparent picture,” or “Create a text box with copy that wraps around an image.” I would make sure each minor task builds on the previously modeled and practiced task. Later, after all the basics had been learned and practiced, bigger assignments could be worked into the lesson plans. These formative assessments would provide a greater depth of experience with InDesign and Photoshop because of the scaffolding and the deep knowledge gained in more efficient time.
In this way, learning through modeling and experimentation after direct instruction can allow kids’ confidence to grow and thus for each to want to engage and challenge themselves more within the context as they are responsible for producing shared content eventually after collaborating with other staff members. Part of their formative assessments can be reflecting on their own work and the work of fellow staff members. It will be important to make sure students understand that all these smaller tasks or projects are important in terms of the big picture--that each step he or she takes in improving his or her skills and growing within these programs is a step towards making our paper better. Without a projector, the ability to model, simultaneously having students practice tasks, and then demonstrate their learning has been extremely difficult and has not produced the desired results.
Thinking ahead, after the initial introduction to these programs using the new technology, I will design my assessments to be both formative and summative. Each issue is a formative assessment in and of itself. As they each have to write two articles each issue, I am monitoring their journalistic writing in that way, but each student also has a position that either requires them to use InDesign consistently or Photoshop. There are only a few students a year who may not need to use either program on a regular program, but as an underclassman, they will in the coming years. At the end of each issue we discuss the paper as a staff page by page, but they also do individual reflections concerning all of their contributions that issue. Summatively, we make an end of the year portfolio or digital “Clip Book” which holds all their designs/layouts, photos, and copy plus reflections for each so they can see how far they have come. Technology will play a huge role in this assessment of understanding as they will also be able to view each person’s clip book, and I will be able to see them largely as a class when projected. In my assessment of their understanding of the process and their own development and knowledge, this is huge.
Technology constantly inundates us on a daily basis. Everyday information surrounds us. As a classroom that is already 1 to 1, this technology, without inundating them with too much unnecessary tech, will help me greatly to facilitate their learning and help us as a class to develop greater critical thinking and reflective skills within the context of our important final product or goal. To reiterate, I will need to demonstrate/model basic skills initially with clear instruction, as well as chunked and scaffolded practice. We can then move into more advanced skills and tasks. I can use this technology to assess creative and critical thinking, although that, in and of itself, is not a simple task. However, though implementing a special form of evaluation based on the technological integration along with a shifted pedagogy, my newspaper class will have a much greater depth of understanding of their content that makes up the class.
Pre and post tests can provide data that teachers can utilize to help inform or transform future instruction. However, in the context of my newspaper class, testing does not necessarily work. I only really need to quiz on our style sheet which is unique to only the Berkley High School Spectator. This includes font types, type sizes, pica width, etc. Design is subjective and in this context it is more about growth and depth of understanding. Traditional forms of assessments may not work. What I can do is assign smaller, scaffolded projects such as “Create a transparent picture,” or “Create a text box with copy that wraps around an image.” I would make sure each minor task builds on the previously modeled and practiced task. Later, after all the basics had been learned and practiced, bigger assignments could be worked into the lesson plans. These formative assessments would provide a greater depth of experience with InDesign and Photoshop because of the scaffolding and the deep knowledge gained in more efficient time.
In this way, learning through modeling and experimentation after direct instruction can allow kids’ confidence to grow and thus for each to want to engage and challenge themselves more within the context as they are responsible for producing shared content eventually after collaborating with other staff members. Part of their formative assessments can be reflecting on their own work and the work of fellow staff members. It will be important to make sure students understand that all these smaller tasks or projects are important in terms of the big picture--that each step he or she takes in improving his or her skills and growing within these programs is a step towards making our paper better. Without a projector, the ability to model, simultaneously having students practice tasks, and then demonstrate their learning has been extremely difficult and has not produced the desired results.
Thinking ahead, after the initial introduction to these programs using the new technology, I will design my assessments to be both formative and summative. Each issue is a formative assessment in and of itself. As they each have to write two articles each issue, I am monitoring their journalistic writing in that way, but each student also has a position that either requires them to use InDesign consistently or Photoshop. There are only a few students a year who may not need to use either program on a regular program, but as an underclassman, they will in the coming years. At the end of each issue we discuss the paper as a staff page by page, but they also do individual reflections concerning all of their contributions that issue. Summatively, we make an end of the year portfolio or digital “Clip Book” which holds all their designs/layouts, photos, and copy plus reflections for each so they can see how far they have come. Technology will play a huge role in this assessment of understanding as they will also be able to view each person’s clip book, and I will be able to see them largely as a class when projected. In my assessment of their understanding of the process and their own development and knowledge, this is huge.
Technology constantly inundates us on a daily basis. Everyday information surrounds us. As a classroom that is already 1 to 1, this technology, without inundating them with too much unnecessary tech, will help me greatly to facilitate their learning and help us as a class to develop greater critical thinking and reflective skills within the context of our important final product or goal. To reiterate, I will need to demonstrate/model basic skills initially with clear instruction, as well as chunked and scaffolded practice. We can then move into more advanced skills and tasks. I can use this technology to assess creative and critical thinking, although that, in and of itself, is not a simple task. However, though implementing a special form of evaluation based on the technological integration along with a shifted pedagogy, my newspaper class will have a much greater depth of understanding of their content that makes up the class.