Summary of ISTE Class

To document my experiences in this course, let me start by saying that I really did learn so very much!
I learned how to use a blog  (blogger) and I learned how to use an online organizer for my site links. (diigo)
I gained quite a bit of knowledge through the readings and discussion groups.

Admittedly, this class was very time intense and hard to keep up with at times.  I literally spent hours every Sunday doing homework, reading the required studies and responding to discussions.  This was hard to fit in on top of my regular teaching, and everything else that occupies my time.  Creating and improving digital lessons requires quite a bit of time commitment!

Besides the intensity of the class, I did enjoy the skill and knowledge gained through all the lessons and activities and am confident that I will continue to use all that I have learned.

It's too bad my fellow classmates dropped out---they truly missed out.

Student Assessments

Student assessment is very important in order to determine growth and over-all comprehension of what is being taught.  I assign projects where the over-all end product is assessed.  It is necessary for me to use rubrics to score each part of the project and to assess the projects fairly and consistently.  It also allows the students to know my expectations for the project and what they need to do in order to achieve the desired score.

My school has used rubrics for years as we have a 1-4 grading system with 1 being below basic and 4 being advanced proficient.

Formative assessments are also necessary for scoring and assessing the students comprehension and growth throughout the unit.  I give short quizzes in classmarker on Fridays as well as quizzes on the promethean board using the activotes.  Students love these type of assessments and its a great way to check for understanding.
Another technique I use is a "warm up" at the start of class where I have a question relating to the previous days lesson on the board.  Students write their answers on a note card and turn it in.  This way, I know if they are grasping the concept.

Student Assessments

Student assessment is very important in order to determine growth and over-all comprehension of what is being taught.  I assign projects where the over-all end product is assessed.  It is necessary for me to use rubrics to score each part of the project and to assess the projects fairly and consistently.  It also allows the students to know my expectations for the project and what they need to do in order to achieve the desired score.

My school has used rubrics for years as we have a 1-4 grading system with 1 being below basic and 4 being advanced proficient.

Formative assessments are also necessary for scoring and assessing the students comprehension and growth throughout the unit.  I give short quizzes in classmarker on Fridays as well as quizzes on the promethean board using the activotes.  Students love these type of assessments and its a great way to check for understanding.
Another technique I use is a "warm up" at the start of class where I have a question relating to the previous days lesson on the board.  Students write their answers on a note card and turn it in.  This way, I know if they are grasping the concept.

Multiple Intelligences

In reading an article by ACEI describing multiple intelligences and the different ways that we learn, I was amazed.  There are Seven types of learners that I should be addressing?!
Visual, Verbal, logical, musical, introvert, extrovert and physical. According to Howard Gardner,  there are nine types of intelligences.
Intelligences Defined

• Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence 
  The ability to express oneself verbally, with a sensitivity to the sounds, meanings, and rhythms of words.
• Mathematical-Logical Intelligence 
  The ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns.
• Musical Intelligence 
  The ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timbre.
• Visual-Spatial Intelligence
  The capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize spatially, accurately and abstractly.
  
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
  The ability to control one's movements and handle objects dexterously.
• Interpersonal Intelligence
  The capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence
  The capacity to be self-aware and in tune with one's feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes.
• Naturalist Intelligence
  The ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature.
• Existential Intelligence
  The sensitivity and capacity to tackle complex questions about human existence such as the meaning of life, why we die and how we got here.

Seems almost impossible to tailor every lesson to meet every style of learning.

ISTE CLASS BLog Comments

The blog is used to facilitate the documentation of knowledge you are constructing throughout the course. You will use it to record reflections each session in addition to taking notes on readings, planning portfolio entries, etc. 

• There should be at least blog post for each session of the course.
• In each blog post there should be at least two paragraphs devoted to reflection and additional paragraphs detailing your notes and ideas for using course resources and strategies in your professional practice.
• Reflections should be written during the session in which they are being addressed. Keep in mind the main purpose of this exercise is to help you construct meaning and self-assess your progress.
• Reflections should be thorough and thoughtful. Support your ideas by using examples, readings, experiences from your own professional practice, other course work, etc.
• Reflections should be complete and free of grammatical or structural errors.