INVOLVING STUDENTS IN LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT:
According to the textbook their is a link, that should be rather obvious when you actually consider it, that children who are asked to be involved in the classroom have a better chance at success in a democratic society. Some psychologists suggest that students are more motivated to do their homework, if the student is give a choice in the homework. I think that this could be an excellent addition to the classroom, as long as the teacher is ultimately in charge of the lessons. For example, if you give a child the option to wear the blue shirt or the orange shirt, so long as they are wearing an adequate shirt, it does not matter which one they choose, however they are still given the choice. This approach could be utilized during assignments and homework as well.
DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS FOR STUDENTS:
Whenever sustainability is involved, my ears are usually perked and ready to listen. I love the idea of a digital portfolio for several reasons. One being, sustainability of course. Another would be though the accountability. There is a small chance that the dog ate the entire computer, and if that were the case I would be more than willing to listen to the details, however when students are asked to back up their work with a computer, they are taking a lot of the guesswork out of it. Sure, there are computer errors, however with the rate at which technology is advancing the excuses are limited. We can do our homework, email it to ourselves, and back it up in several different free forms. Another concept that could catapult digital portfolios into the future, is that students would be able to access it and use it as both a reference and an outline. If entire schools or counties used a portfolio system, they would be able to take these through their entire schooling process. The possibilities would be endless. They could also be used as a sort of resume putting their work out in the the world and getting potentially scouted by colleges or companies, they would not normally have access to.
PREPARING FOR HIGH STAKES TESTS:
By involving the student in a more engaged classroom, we are preparing them much more efficiently for a high stakes exam. According to the textbook, when the student is more involved in their learning process, it helps them to think deeper about the content of their learning. This may help them to think more deeply about the questions during their county or statewide testing. By taking the time to read an entire question and not being mislead by distractions within the question, they have a better chance in passing the exam. This can be achieved by taking a dominant role in their own education.
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Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
