Week 2 Readings for Enhancing Learning Material through Technology

The first article I read this week was called "Feedback that Fits" by Susan Brookhart.  One thing that I took out of this reading is to realize how quickly feedback should be given to students.  If a student is working on something such as math or other subjects that require the student to memorize facts, it's good to have instant feedback with the student.  For example, if you are working with a student how to figure out pay they would earn based on the number of hours they've worked.  Instant feedback would be beneficial because the student would know whether or not if they did the problem correctly.  On the flip side, you may not want to give feedback right away on something like a written paper.  You may need to see a few examples before you give meaningful feedback to the student.  As for the kind of feedback to give a kid, I have always felt, and this feeling was confirmed in this reading, that talking to a student one on one does the best for providing good feedback.  Though it's not always practical, I like to try to talk to each of my students one on one regarding their work as often as I can.  Overall, I feel that I do a good job at providing feedback to students I work with, but I know I can always get better.  I can do it more often and do it in a variety of ways, whether if it is written, vocal in class or a one on one conversation. 

Another thing I investigated this week was a rubric creating website and a quiz creating website.  I don't use rubrics too often, but when I do they seem to take time and I'm really not sure if I make them as accurately as I could.  The website Rubrix.com allows anyone to make rubrics online for nearly any time of evaluation.  One thing I thought interesting was that you can use the rubrics made on Rubrix.com either on your computer or on a mobile device.  That can make it easy if you want to move around and look at student work and at the same time show them if they are following the rubric correctly.  Besides Rubrix.com, I signed up for a quiz creating site called http://quizstar.4teachers.org/ .   A great feature of this site is that it is free to join.  I really can't wait to use this with my Civics class.  I have always had the students take their tests and quizzes with paper and pen, but I want to try to make a quiz that they can take in the computer lab.  This site will enable me to do that and I will be able to have it graded online.  I really think this is the way everyone should go, because how often do you use pens or pencils anymore?  

Besides the sites I was to look at this week, I also need to comment a little about setting objectives, providing feedback and providing recognition.  Since I have already talked quite a bit about providing feedback earlier, I am just going to talk about setting objectives and providing recognition to summarize this weeks blog.   As we were talking about in class and read in our book, objectives are really important for students.  Without a real set goal in place, students will not work as hard as they are capable of and they may get lost with the topics the class is working on.  Just by setting up the class with the end in site, this can help our students feel a little more comfortable with what they are studying and have something to strive for by the end of the chapter or unit.  Finally, providing recognition is also a very important element in the classroom.  I like to think of this in the terms of my own life.  When I have done something really well or have done something the way it's supposed to be done, being recognized for my work gives me a charge and makes me want to do well again.  I know that this is the case also with many of my students.  I think many of my students don't get the chance to hear they are doing well as much as they should.  Many of them think they are not "good" at school and that builds up on them.  When I think of all of my students, there isn't anyone I can't give recognition to for something in school, though sometimes it may take a little thinking to what that something is.   One example that comes to mind is a freshman girl who I case manage and have in two classes.  She started the year off really rough.  She would not do her work and her grades failed miserably.  The minute I saw that she was doing something well, I let her have as much recognition as I could.  I made her know that I thought she was doing a good job and that she has the ability to do what needs to be done.  As I have been letting her hear more of that, her grades are no much better and she is failing one class instead of six.  I like to think that some of my recognition has helped her change her outlook of school.