Alright so here goes, as I was working on a creative project, I was curious about what the new trends are in reducing your carbon footprint. As I was googling the latest software trends, green sustainability, and eco-friendly products I ran across a software from Verdiem Corporation called Edison. Basically this software is a free download that is designed reduce your computer's overall electrical consumption by 30%! This is astronomical when you consider a building full of networked computers that are using the network version called Surveyor! Imagine the capabilities of GreenWare, software that has gone Green! I checked wikipedia to see if the phrase GreenWare had been coined and at one point in time, it had, however, that page has since been deleted due to the fact that the author thought that it was something that there was no indication of it becoming a notable concept! What? That's asinine. Indeed, Greenware is going to revolutionize the way we maintain our computers and reduce the overall energy consumption!
http://verdiem.com/edison
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tech Updates
The end of the school year has brought about much drama in my life. Of course, nothing too, too bad. In January I was fairly certain I had a position as a the Head Media Specialist at a new high school in my county. However, that did not pan out and I ended up being majorly bummed. Fast forward to the end of May. I have accepted a position in both my school as the new business tech teacher as well as with a private company writing articles for a new 7th edition of Teaching Computers for Teachers by Shelly, Kashman, Gunter & Gunter. I was also recently published in The Florida English Journal for an article that I wrote about a Cross Curricular Research Plan. I never dreamed that it would actually make it past submission.Last week, I hooked up a wiimote in my classroom and now have an interactive wiimote whiteboard! You never know! I've definitely caught the bug for writing articles geared for making teachers lives much easier when working with technology. I guess technology is my new DRUG! :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Published for the First Time
This past week I was published for the first time for an article I had to write last fall on some type of innovative project that I have created or established. The article titled "Vacationing in Language Arts: A Cross-Curricular Research Project" was featured in the Florida English Journal. What can I say, I'm very excited to be able to add this to my resume! :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Argument Against High-Stakes Testing
Introduction
High -stakes testing in the classroom of today has become a very controversial matter amongst all educational stakeholders. The focus of high-stakes testing policy has shifted from minimum competency to proficiency, an increasing number of states have held schools and teachers accountable for test results over the past two decades (Lee, 2008). With the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, teachers have had to focus on helping students pass the rigorous standards in order to help them become proficient enough to pass the assessment. Over the past decade, many states have joined the test-driven school accountability bandwagon in the form of the “horse trade”: States would grant schools and districts more flexibility in return for more accountability for academic performance (Elmore, 2002).
Unfortunately, states that use high-stakes testing, such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or FCAT, as a means of assessing the proficiency level of a student are doing a disservice to all students since they are only receiving a snapshot of the student's actual academic knowledge.
Thesis
High-stakes testing does not portray a student's full scope of learning and knowledge and should be eliminated from the educational system.
Proof
It is commonly agreed that classroom assessment over the course of a school year can provide a clear picture of a student's overall achievement and scholastic aptitude. However, when every stakeholder becomes equally responsible for a student's achievement on a high-stakes test situation, problems then begin to arise. Individual students may improve their reading or math achievement by 8% of 1 standard deviation (e.g., from the 50th to the 53rd percentile) relative to the national population of all students across states, when their own state switches to high-stakes testing or moves from weak accountability to strong accountability. This small amount of gain may translate into the equivalent of 2 to 3 months of learning, depending on their grade level; this is based on the estimated rate of academic growth per grade in NAEP reading and math (Lee, 2008). The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for test use (and the consensus of professional judgment in the field of educational testing and measurement) specifically prohibit basing any consequential judgment about an individual student on a single test score. (Elmore, 2002).
Using federal or state tax dollars to reward a school or to withhold funding for their individual academic achievement is wrong. It is inappropriate to make decisions about students or schools on the basis of a single measure of achievement (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Educational Measurement, 1999).
Unfortunately, high-stakes testing tends to favor schools in which students come from a middle-upper class clientele and can therefore perform more successfully on such tests. Testing reform does not go to the heart of the problem: the fundamental misdesign of schools, lack of qualified teachers, and the instability of the families and communities from which students come (Wang, Beckett, and Brown 2006). According to Wang, we are "reminded that tests alone cannot create improvement: A program of systemic change begins with the content standards. Rather than simply assessing these standards and reporting the information, the systemic change process also seeks to develop appropriate alternative instructional materials, alternative instructional and learning models appropriate to the desired outcomes, and the staff development programs or courses needed by teachers to make the shifts in the desired teaching and learning." (Wang, Beckett, and Brown, 2006).
Refutation
While many people argue that attaching stakes to test scores is supposed to create incentives for students and teachers to work harder and for school and district administrators to do a better job of monitoring their performance, this is not necessarily the case. (Elmore, 2002). Students instead worry about whether or not they will be the one student who will let down their school if the school does not receive a passing grade. They worry about whether or not they will be successful and what the consequences will be if they are not.
Emphasis should not be focused solely on one high-stakes assessment to the point where students are restricted from being allowed to play on the playground for fear they may not get enough reading time in during the typical school day. Parents should not have to worry about whether or not their student is receiving a good education because the school made adequate yearly progress or not. Administrators should not have to be figuring out how to make sure that each ethnic group of various levels of ability are going to be more successful on the current test compared to the prior year's assessment. Too much time is wasted on preparing for the test, rather than preparing the student's for their future in the real world.
Conclusion
In summary, using a high-stakes assessment is a bad idea to use as a judgment tool to assess a student's true learning mastery in the classroom. Using a high-stakes assessment, such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, as a means of providing funding or lack thereof is a disservice to all schools and students. Having additional outside pressures to be successful is harmful to our educational system and should be removed all together. Kids should be allowed to be kids again and not automations of what politicians think they should be in order to show that the United States is a competitive and successful country.
References
Crocker, L. (2002). " Stakeholders in comprehensive validation of standards-based assessments: a commentary", Educational Measurement, 21: 1, 5-6.
Elmore, Richard (2002). "Testing Trap: The Largest and Possibly Most Destructive Federal Intrusion into America's Public Schools", Harvard Magazine, 105:1.
Lee, (2008). "Is Test-Driven External Accountability Effective? Synthesizing the Evidence From Cross-State Causal-Comparative and Correlational Studies", Review of Educational Research, 78: 3, 608-644.
Wang, Lihshing, Beckett, Gulbahar H. and Brown, Lionel (2006). "Controversies of Standardized Assessment in School Accountability Reform: A Critical Synthesis of Multidisciplinary Research Evidence", Applied Measurement in Education, 19: 4, 305-328.
High -stakes testing in the classroom of today has become a very controversial matter amongst all educational stakeholders. The focus of high-stakes testing policy has shifted from minimum competency to proficiency, an increasing number of states have held schools and teachers accountable for test results over the past two decades (Lee, 2008). With the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, teachers have had to focus on helping students pass the rigorous standards in order to help them become proficient enough to pass the assessment. Over the past decade, many states have joined the test-driven school accountability bandwagon in the form of the “horse trade”: States would grant schools and districts more flexibility in return for more accountability for academic performance (Elmore, 2002).
Unfortunately, states that use high-stakes testing, such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or FCAT, as a means of assessing the proficiency level of a student are doing a disservice to all students since they are only receiving a snapshot of the student's actual academic knowledge.
Thesis
High-stakes testing does not portray a student's full scope of learning and knowledge and should be eliminated from the educational system.
Proof
It is commonly agreed that classroom assessment over the course of a school year can provide a clear picture of a student's overall achievement and scholastic aptitude. However, when every stakeholder becomes equally responsible for a student's achievement on a high-stakes test situation, problems then begin to arise. Individual students may improve their reading or math achievement by 8% of 1 standard deviation (e.g., from the 50th to the 53rd percentile) relative to the national population of all students across states, when their own state switches to high-stakes testing or moves from weak accountability to strong accountability. This small amount of gain may translate into the equivalent of 2 to 3 months of learning, depending on their grade level; this is based on the estimated rate of academic growth per grade in NAEP reading and math (Lee, 2008). The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for test use (and the consensus of professional judgment in the field of educational testing and measurement) specifically prohibit basing any consequential judgment about an individual student on a single test score. (Elmore, 2002).
Using federal or state tax dollars to reward a school or to withhold funding for their individual academic achievement is wrong. It is inappropriate to make decisions about students or schools on the basis of a single measure of achievement (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Educational Measurement, 1999).
Unfortunately, high-stakes testing tends to favor schools in which students come from a middle-upper class clientele and can therefore perform more successfully on such tests. Testing reform does not go to the heart of the problem: the fundamental misdesign of schools, lack of qualified teachers, and the instability of the families and communities from which students come (Wang, Beckett, and Brown 2006). According to Wang, we are "reminded that tests alone cannot create improvement: A program of systemic change begins with the content standards. Rather than simply assessing these standards and reporting the information, the systemic change process also seeks to develop appropriate alternative instructional materials, alternative instructional and learning models appropriate to the desired outcomes, and the staff development programs or courses needed by teachers to make the shifts in the desired teaching and learning." (Wang, Beckett, and Brown, 2006).
Refutation
While many people argue that attaching stakes to test scores is supposed to create incentives for students and teachers to work harder and for school and district administrators to do a better job of monitoring their performance, this is not necessarily the case. (Elmore, 2002). Students instead worry about whether or not they will be the one student who will let down their school if the school does not receive a passing grade. They worry about whether or not they will be successful and what the consequences will be if they are not.
Emphasis should not be focused solely on one high-stakes assessment to the point where students are restricted from being allowed to play on the playground for fear they may not get enough reading time in during the typical school day. Parents should not have to worry about whether or not their student is receiving a good education because the school made adequate yearly progress or not. Administrators should not have to be figuring out how to make sure that each ethnic group of various levels of ability are going to be more successful on the current test compared to the prior year's assessment. Too much time is wasted on preparing for the test, rather than preparing the student's for their future in the real world.
Conclusion
In summary, using a high-stakes assessment is a bad idea to use as a judgment tool to assess a student's true learning mastery in the classroom. Using a high-stakes assessment, such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, as a means of providing funding or lack thereof is a disservice to all schools and students. Having additional outside pressures to be successful is harmful to our educational system and should be removed all together. Kids should be allowed to be kids again and not automations of what politicians think they should be in order to show that the United States is a competitive and successful country.
References
Crocker, L. (2002). " Stakeholders in comprehensive validation of standards-based assessments: a commentary", Educational Measurement, 21: 1, 5-6.
Elmore, Richard (2002). "Testing Trap: The Largest and Possibly Most Destructive Federal Intrusion into America's Public Schools", Harvard Magazine, 105:1.
Lee, (2008). "Is Test-Driven External Accountability Effective? Synthesizing the Evidence From Cross-State Causal-Comparative and Correlational Studies", Review of Educational Research, 78: 3, 608-644.
Wang, Lihshing, Beckett, Gulbahar H. and Brown, Lionel (2006). "Controversies of Standardized Assessment in School Accountability Reform: A Critical Synthesis of Multidisciplinary Research Evidence", Applied Measurement in Education, 19: 4, 305-328.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thinking about Critical Thinking in Instructional Technology Research
Prior to reviewing the required materials for Critical Thinking in Instructional Technology Research, I spent some time actually “thinking” about Critical Thinking. I realized as I was reading that I really did not know much about it at all. The application of critical thinking is an essential concept when it comes to instructional technology research. The Universal Intellectual Standards and Critical Thinking Skills provide key components of Critical Thinking aptitudes when it comes to decision making, composing an argument, and researching purposes.
I found particularly interesting during the reading assignment is that in several areas of the Universal Intellectual Standards and Critical Thinking Skills set was the overlap of concepts. For instance, two areas that seems to overlap to some extent is the Universal Intelligent Standard of Depth and the Critical Thinking Skill of "Questioning Questions". If a student is just grazing the top of a concept, are they actually thinking critically? No, they're not. To better utilitize what they already know, teaching them to push beyond the surface and answer a question with a different question is one way to help them think more critically. To become a better critical thinker acquiring the skill of questioning what they do not already know is perhaps one means of discovering an alternative answer or solution from a different perspective. Acknowledging this overlap is as an essential tool when it comes to making grounded decisions based around instructional technology research as well as helping our students focus in on thinking critically.
I found particularly interesting during the reading assignment is that in several areas of the Universal Intellectual Standards and Critical Thinking Skills set was the overlap of concepts. For instance, two areas that seems to overlap to some extent is the Universal Intelligent Standard of Depth and the Critical Thinking Skill of "Questioning Questions". If a student is just grazing the top of a concept, are they actually thinking critically? No, they're not. To better utilitize what they already know, teaching them to push beyond the surface and answer a question with a different question is one way to help them think more critically. To become a better critical thinker acquiring the skill of questioning what they do not already know is perhaps one means of discovering an alternative answer or solution from a different perspective. Acknowledging this overlap is as an essential tool when it comes to making grounded decisions based around instructional technology research as well as helping our students focus in on thinking critically.
Friday, December 4, 2009
TGIF: Thank God It's Finished!
It's Done...HALLELUJAH! Singing praises right now!! :)
Final Version of Wiki
To find the lesson plan it's on the bottom of the curriculum page and says teacher resources and lesson plans. :)
Katie
Final Version of Wiki
To find the lesson plan it's on the bottom of the curriculum page and says teacher resources and lesson plans. :)
Katie
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
In the Home Stretch
I can almost taste my final project link that is almost ready to be posted to my blog. For the last week, I have been working tirelessly on three separate projects for all three classes. I'd almost say, someone shoot me, because I don't know what I am thinking when I have lined up the Spring semester with two research classes and one statistics course! UGH!
Anyways, the Prezi Vacation Research project will be ready on Friday to share with the world for it's great unveiling. If you would like to preview it, here's the link, but keep in mind, I still have a few more details to add... :)
More to come in the next couple of days.
~Katie
Anyways, the Prezi Vacation Research project will be ready on Friday to share with the world for it's great unveiling. If you would like to preview it, here's the link, but keep in mind, I still have a few more details to add... :)
More to come in the next couple of days.
~Katie
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