On the Edge of a New Frontier

by Matthew Joachim

As the snow begins to fall, I cannot help but think of how the countless number of tiny, individual snowflakes reminds me of each individual student all teachers will encounter over the course of their careers.  As they fall to earth, the flakes combine to form a fresh, white blanket of snow which will cover everything for the next few days.  This coming together is most like our classrooms, where students gather together each day to learn the same material and carry that knowledge with them as they progress through life.  However, the blanket is only possible due to the combination of these individual flakes, just as our students retain their individuality when in the communal environments represented by their classes.

After our first class discussion about the threefold integration of content area, pedagogical and technological knowledge into teaching, I am far more confident that the traditional methods which have served education well will be retained and enhanced by the arrival of high technologies such as SmartBoards, mini laptops, i-pads, etc.  Additionally, I am absolutely relieved that the integration of technology does not mean the elimination of content and pedagogy from education.  Consequently, I am much more comfortable when discussions about the future of technology in education arise.

One of the greatest assets technology holds is the ability to provide authentic assessments in greater frequency and of higher quality.  As stated by the text, “Not surprisingly, new teachers are unaware or unsure of the different ways they might assess students’ learning.  Three factors strongly influence how teachers think about assessments: personal experiences, standardized testing and teacher tests” (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Wolf, 2011, p. 67-70).  For me, the first two factors have had the greatest impact on inhibiting the creation of more effective assessments.  From my own childhood, I am used to only considering tests and quizzes as indicators of academic progress.  At the same time, I also feel handicapped by the strict adhesion to only the content that will be covered on state tests.  As a result, I find many of my lessons start off strong with engaging motivational and do now activities, but seem to lose their edge when the time comes for assessment.  Additionally, relying on tests and quizzes forces teachers to assess all students based on a single, one-time standard, one whose results could be skewed for different students by any number of outside forces.  It is difficult because so many teachers have the ability and willingness to design the activities described by the text, but fail to do so because they are unsure whether they constitute authentic assessments of student learning.

Town Hall Meeting Module from iCivics

However, as time goes on, I increasingly see the value in utilizing performance assessments, which “measure what someone actually does in a certain activity, assessing performance within the context of that activity” (p. 76).  It is important to consider these alternatives in addition to or in place of standardized, norm- or criterion-referenced tests because they evaluate each student’s individual performance, identifying and assessing their unique strengths, weakness and preferences.  This helps teachers gain a fuller understanding of students’ individual needs and allows them to design instruction to meet those needs.

Take the iCivics online program.  Designed by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the program is an interactive, multisensory approach that allows students to engage in the various functions of US civil government through simulated experiences.  This program allows teachers to take the pages and pages of complicated text which traditionally formed the basis of civics instruction and provide real-world applications so students gain an accurate picture of how our government functions while engaging in various processes themselves including town hall meetings, elections, debates, campaigns, petitions, etc.  What online world maps did to revitalize geography instruction, iCivics promises to do for politics and government.  Such an extensive and interactive program will surely provide numerous authentic performance assessments that ascertain student learning far more efficiently and effectively over the course of its use than a single quiz or test.

Traditional assessments such as the aforementioned tests fall short in that they treat all students like a fresh blanket of snow, thinking of them as one, monolithic whole which must act, think and perform in a particular manner.  However, performance assessments and the technology that makes them possible, such as programs like iCivics, recognize and cultivate the individuality of each student.  In this manner, they seek to engage the individual in order to, where appropriate, best tailor instruction towards particular strengths and preferences.  Additionally, these technologically-integrated assessments provide the essential content area knowledge required for learning and are delivered through carefully constructed and executed pedagogical strategies, bringing full circle the integration of the three domains of knowledge.


Three Questions:

1. What are some other kinds of technology that will help us create more performance
     assessments?

2. Should teacher preparation programs be altered to focus more on the creation of alternative

    assessments?

3. How does the class feel about the use of rubrics to evaluate student work?