Digital Blog Post #I - Technologically Designed Lessons & Curriculum

The first concept that sprang to mind in this chapter was the Thinkfinity resource, a wonderful tool which I am positive I will use often in my early years as a teacher. It is in essence, a database for curriculum ideas and fully built lesson plans which meet the standards for each state which they correspond with. It also features tons of interactive and guide based resources from various educational institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and National Geographic. Therefore, when determining my weekly lesson plans for students, this resource will truly help me determine a plan and some resources I might use to proceed in the classroom. This will be especially helpful when I have not had much experience in the classroom and need time to build up a supply of lesson plans and curriculum goals for myself.

Using technology to aid in developing lessons was another important concept which I believe will be incredibly helpful to me as I pursue the best methods to teach my students. The book describes the three stages that go into developing the curriculum of a classroom - what the lesson will be about, how it will be taught, and determining what the students learn through the lesson. We must think about exactly what facts, concepts, and skills we wish to instill in our students and what we must teach based upon state guidelines. We must determine the role of technology in the things we teach, and we must use it to its greatest advantage. Then we must decide exactly what we are going to do to accomplish these lessons - what methods we'll use, the technology we'll use to implement it, and the procedures we'll use to get through the lesson. Finally we must ascertain what our students learn, throughout the entire process. We must think about their preexisting knowledge, what they see throughout the lesson, and what they retain following the entire lesson.

My former point plays into my final concept - the necessity of evaluating and assessing our students. Though it can be difficult, frustrating, and in some cases emotionally draining, the assessment of our students is vital in our work as instructors. Educators refer to assessment in two ways typically - the final aspects of a lesson and the ways teachers grade students, and what the instructor does to monitor student progress within the lesson. The insight gained from assessment can lead to adjustments of the lesson and aid the teacher in his or her instruction of every student. Some students might have difficulty with the way a lesson is presented, and some might have learning disabilities. In every case, a good assessment can allow a teacher to make the proper adjustments or see where their students are succeeding and continue those practices. Though we often associate assessment with testing, there are a number of ways teachers assess their students - through standards set by the school board and the state, more recently through electronic based grading software, and many instructors and schools are moving towards assessments which have multiple outlooks on student success, measuring multiple areas of success rather than simplified standardized testing.

The important things to keep in mind when discussing assessment of students is the fact that these are both children and people. They have feelings and they exist outside the bubble of school. If they are failing, we must consider what we are doing to design our curriculum and the ways we build our assessments. If it is possible that our assessment is not an accurate representation of what they have gained through the curriculum, we must work towards an assessment which captures an honest reflection of our students abilities and success.

References

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.