Chapter 4 in the textbook is all about using technology to develop
lesson plans and curriculum. The first concept I wanted to explore more was
academic content. Academic content is “the facts, concepts, ideas, skills, and
understanding” (Maloy, et al, 2013, p.76) that a teacher wants to share with their
students. Although there are certain things that a teacher must teach their
students for curriculum requirements and national standards, there is a lot of
wiggle room as to how a teacher can present that information. I think that a
teacher can get creative with academic content and make lessons fun. Teachers
can also use digital tools to get their points across to students.
The second concept that caught my eye was electronic grading
software. This software allows teachers to keep track of a student’s grades,
helps teachers keep track of attendance, update their lesson plans, and so much
more. This is a great example of how technology is helping teachers. I remember
being in grade school and everything was written by hand and filed away in
filing cabinets. Attendance was kept by an attendance book. It’s is amazing to
me that using software such as gradebooks4teachers online can help a teacher be
faster and better at their jobs. This particular website offers worksheets,
lesson plans, lesson plan templates, how to guides, and so much more. Having
easy access to things like this is something that I think will be very valuable
to me when I become a teacher.
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| Created by Chasity Kahl on Tagxedo |
The third concept that interested me was student performance
rubrics. This allows a teacher to clearly state what they expect from a student
and how they will be graded for each assignment. If a rubric is done right then
the student will know what they need to be doing and what they need to accomplish
to get the highest points. To me it is like a check list of things that need to
be done. Gradebooks4teachers also had a lot of great information on rubrics and
even gives examples. I can’t imagine being a teacher 20 years ago and not
having the technology we have now that assists us so much.
In conclusion, technology advances has allowed teachers to their
jobs faster and more efficiently. Technology can allow teachers to get creative
with academic content. It can also be used to create student performance
rubrics and it allows teachers to access electronic grading software. All of
these things help teachers and in turn it will create a better learning
environment for the students.
Resouces:
"Gradebook and Electronic Grading Software:
GradeBooks4Teachers." Gradebook and
Electronic Grading Software: GradeBooks4Teachers. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.gradebooks4teachers.com/>.
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.
"Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles." Tagxedo. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html>.
Cool Taxgedo - the word clouds are always visually interesting, but I do like the shapes you can use in this version. :)
ReplyDeleteGradebook software is usually selected at the district level and so that decision is not normally in the hands of teachers, but it is great to find all resources for lesson plans. What you do with the curriculum and assessment expectations is truly done by the individual teacher!