Semester: Spring 2012

Instructor: Dr. Jane Howland

Credits: 3

 

Course Description

Learn how to assess specific types of knowledge, using technology to enhance the process. Explore innovative tools and means of assessment that help teachers individualize and differentiate instruction to improve learning. Develop technology-enhanced assessment of student learning.

Reflection Statement

This class was a great way to end my degree.  It helped put many pieces together and gave me time to explore big ideas of student learning and how we know what they know.  The ability to adapt the assignments to my needs made it immediately practical and allowed me to plan for future lessons that I intend to use rather than file away.  Taking this class immediately after completing my portfolio gave me the opportunity to view the contents of my portfolio in a new light. 

 

The biggest learning experience of this class was putting together the performance assessment.  I have prepared many public concerts and classroom performances when teaching music in the past, but this is the most effort and thought I have put into backwards designing a non-musical project.  Although the process is similar, it was difficult to make the transfer from musical performance to academic performance in the beginning stages of designing the performance assessment.  Once I was able to clarify my ideas and decide the objectives and desired evidence, things flowed more smoothly.  If I understand backwards design correctly, this is how it is supposed to work; the hard decisions are made first, and then the following decisions are easier because they are based on a foundation of good planning.  At least this was the case with my experience.  Doing things this way in the future will help me design assignments and tasks that improve student understanding in less time with less reactive measures once the task has begun.

Artifacts

• Performance Assessment