Week 13: Rubrics and other tools

Speaking in general terms, I love the idea of using rubrics in the classroom. Teachers benefit from rubrics because they are able to set out their expectations clearly and specifically. For students, they gain much the same benefit from knowing what the teacher expects them to produce. To go a step further, I love the idea of technology based rubrics, from the experiences I have had with them. Incorporating technology into the classroom should be a part of every element of the classroom, wherever it is possible. Students who are expected to use technology in their assignments and to produce assignments incorporating technological aspects and elements should have a rubric and a classroom using technology as well. Creating a technology based rubric does just that, in that it combines both.

Clicker assessment tools are something that I have not yet seen first hand in an elementary school setting. I have, however, used one first hand in a class that I was enrolled in. Clickers allow students to take a hands on approach to their learning because they are becoming a part of the lesson and making it interactive. Teachers are able to gauge their understanding during the lesson, instead of waiting until they get the papers graded or look over the exams. Teachers can see during the lesson how much of the class is comprehending, and which areas may need work or more reteaching than the others. This idea of taking clickers into the classroom is a great idea and I think it could be used even in the elementary grades. Teachers could incorporate it easily into math, which could require multiple choice questions during the lesson and the assignment. They could also get creative and put it into other subjects as well.

Kidspiration, and other software like it is a new concept to me, although from what I have seen I love it! This is another way of incorporating current technology into the classroom, and it has the capability of incorporating multiple subject areas. For instance, students can use this software to work on their mathematical skills and they can also use it to work on their literature or grammer skills. This idea could be used in the classroom as individual group work, or it could be incorporated into literacy centers. This software gives students the opportunity to make their work station their own and to save their work as they go. It also gives teachers the opportunity to track their students progress and give them opportunities to work successfully as individuals. I would absolutely look into incorporating this into my future classroom.