Technology Facilitator Standard IV

Assessment and evaluation of student learning is at the heart of reports that determine school success, such as the AYP. Technology is proving to be a very effective means of showing this because it is less time consuming than traditional means of student assessment. This standard is defined as "continuous assessment, both of learning and for learning, and evaluation of the use of technology and digital resources" (Williamson and Redish, 2009). In reading about the indicators and tasks for this standard, I have started notincing the ways this standard has been implemented in out campus and district. We have moved to using scantrons for recording student assessment, which are then scanned and the results are dissaggregated in an online program for administrators and teachers to use as review. Just this year, I have started using the student response system, Qwizdom, as a means of assessing my students each day through integrated lessons, practice, and testing. The system has been very invaluable to me, and my students love the immediate feedback they receive as it tells them "information about how well they are performing relative to a particular learning goal so that they can improve their practice" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). I can immediately take the data and reteach as necessary.
With this tool being so new to our campus, I am one of very few actually trained on the use of the Qwizdom system. I have spent some time this past month putting together an onsight training to help other teachers use this tool as well. Our principal aided me in this task, by purchasing additional sets of the remotes so we now have one set per grade level. The staff at my campus has been very receptive in wanting to learn this new tool, especially after seeing the excitement in my own students using it.
I know that there are lots of other means of assessing and evaluating student work. As I continue to grow as a technology leader, I want to learn about as the different options, test them out, and evaluate which ones best meet the needs of different environments. As with anything related to teaching, there is no "cookie cutter" pattern for getting a job done effectively.

References:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver; McRel.

Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.