Module 8 Reflection

Of everything you learned, what do you think will have the biggest impact on learning?

Its really hard to choose one thing from all the activities that will have the biggest impact because all of it was so important. If I had to choose one thing though it would be module 5. This unit will have a huge impact because students now dont have to wait on teachers to assess them. They now have all the tools and hopefully the will to assess themselves. With student centered classrooms, students are more involved in all processes.

Module 6 Reflection

This module has helped me think about self-directed learners and the role of differentiation in the following ways...

Differentiated instruction requires careful planning. For it to be effective, a teacher must know how his students learn---kinetically, aesthetically, or visually. Once the teacher is aware of his class's needs, he can design or research activities that will help students gain mastery of skills.

Secondly, this module has taught me that self-directed learners(SDL) are the individuals who takes the initiative and the responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage, and assess their own learning activities, which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any means, at any age.

Module 5 Reflection

This module has helped me think about student-centered assessment in the following ways...

First it has taught me that classroom assessments do more than just measure learning. What we assess, how we assess, and how we communicate the results send a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how it should be learned,and how well we expect them to perform.

Secondly, it has taught me that assessments should also reflect real-world ways that knowledge and understanding are used. Assessments based on situations relevant to students’ own experiences can motivate them to give their best performances.

Assessment Link:
http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/4741216/12662844

Module 4 Reflection

How can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning?

When students are using technology as a tool or a support for communicating with others, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information transmitted by a teacher or textbook. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, or display information. Technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress.

Technology Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al8lQSGaHYA

Pedagogical Practices, Mod. 5.

1. Challenges in using student assessment in your classroom and possible solutions. The problem that I would have is that they probably would take a while to get used to the idea of student assessment.

2. Which challenges will be the most difficult for you to overcome? The challenge would be time. Students would take a while to getting used to assessing from their fellow classmates.

3. What steps could you take to implement some of the solutions you are considering? I would do them slowly. Introduce rubrics, then seld assessment and so on. As mentioned, studenta are engaged in assessment at this level, they develop feelings on control overlearning and see themselves as successful, capable leaners.

Module 3 Reflection

This module has helped me think about the impact of the Internet on my students' learning in the following way: Web-based collaboration. All the information in this Module was really helpful but this activity was very helpful. Teachers, students, and parents have to be able to effectively communicate with one another and this activity was very helpful in doing that. I now know what to take back to the classroom and show my students.

Module 2 Reflection

• How can Curriculum-Framing Questions help support my learners' learning? CFQs help support my learner's learning by the outcomes and assessment standards they teach and then I see how the project idea fits and how they can challenge thinking with a Focus Question.
• How can I plan ongoing learner-centred assessment? I can plan ongoing learner-centered assessment by actively engaging my students in in the process of knowledge instruction. Students have to be engaged in projects and things of that sort.

Module 2 Key Points:

• Curriculum-Framing Questions encourage learners to use higher-order thinking skills, help learners fully understand essential concepts, and provide a structure for organizing factual information. Curriculum-Framing Questions consist of:
• Focus Questions, which are open-ended questions tied directly to a project or project and support investigation including higher order thinking.
• Content Questions, which are fact-based, concrete questions that have a narrow set of correct answers.
• Assessments for project-based projects should:
• Be embedded throughout the learning cycle
• Assess the important learning goals of the project
• Engage learners in assessment processes
• Use a variety of assessment strategies that:
• Gauge learner needs
• Encourage self-direction and collaboration
• Monitor progress
• Check for understanding and encourage metacognition
• Demonstrate understanding and skill

This module has helped me think about using assessments standards, CFQs, or formative assessment in new innovative ways. It explained in great detail formative and summative assessments which are really important. It explained how formative assessment were assessments that occurred before and during a project and summative assessments occurred at the end of a project.

This module explained why all of this things are important when introducing a new project and knowing how to assess your students throughout.