3.2 Managing Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences. (PSC 3.2/ISTE 3b)
Artifact: Inclement Weather Assignments
The artifacts I've chosen for this standard are a series of assignments I created in my LMS for my current social studies classes. I was the only contributor, creator of these artifacts, although I did share the we assignments with the other content area teachers in my building.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of standard 3.2 because it requires the ability to manage a variety of digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience. These screenshots are of assignments I created for my students to be implemented during the inclement weather days in my district in February, 2015. In an effort to not lose any class time, our district required teachers to create, assign, deliver and assess standards based lessons to all students. The digital tools and resources I used in the creation of this artifact include tools both within Its Learning (my district's LMS) and other web 2.0 tools. Within Its Learning I primarily used the Assignments application and the Planner tool. Each of these offer educators the means to use digital tool and resources to assist student learning. Outside of Its Learning this artifact includes socrative.com to formatively assess students, as well as Google docs and forms to share resources. During this learning experience was able to managing these tools seamlessly and efficiently.
The artifact is a snapshot of my efforts to deliver content to my social studies students on our "snow days." I felt that this artifact (or artifacts) would be the best evidence of my ability to manage digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience. In completing this artifact, I learned a few things about blended learning that I suspected, but could never confirm until experiencing it firsthand. I'll sum it up like this - digital leaning is a powerful way to reach students when school is cancelled. But, there are two areas within the context of digital learning that I would call the "elephant in the room." These obvious, but uncomfortable corollaries are 1) If teachers cannot manage digital tools effectively then they will not be able to take advantage of this technology and 2) Unmotivated students, or those with poor work habits, will be underserved in this environment. Students who don't finish assignments in school, likewise tend not to finish assignments in a blended environment. Many of these students suggested that they could not access the internet or that they "did not know what to do." Because of these responses, should I have the opportunity to do this over again, I will spend more time teaching students how to access and use the different elements of the LMS.
The process that went into creating these artifacts will improve student learning because it enabled students to engage in the learning process on days when they otherwise would not have been in school. Impact of the work that I put into this learning can be assessed formatively when I check for student learning, and impact can also be assessed by comparing the results of the students who completed all their "inclement weather assignments" to those who did not.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of standard 3.2 because it requires the ability to manage a variety of digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience. These screenshots are of assignments I created for my students to be implemented during the inclement weather days in my district in February, 2015. In an effort to not lose any class time, our district required teachers to create, assign, deliver and assess standards based lessons to all students. The digital tools and resources I used in the creation of this artifact include tools both within Its Learning (my district's LMS) and other web 2.0 tools. Within Its Learning I primarily used the Assignments application and the Planner tool. Each of these offer educators the means to use digital tool and resources to assist student learning. Outside of Its Learning this artifact includes socrative.com to formatively assess students, as well as Google docs and forms to share resources. During this learning experience was able to managing these tools seamlessly and efficiently.
The artifact is a snapshot of my efforts to deliver content to my social studies students on our "snow days." I felt that this artifact (or artifacts) would be the best evidence of my ability to manage digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience. In completing this artifact, I learned a few things about blended learning that I suspected, but could never confirm until experiencing it firsthand. I'll sum it up like this - digital leaning is a powerful way to reach students when school is cancelled. But, there are two areas within the context of digital learning that I would call the "elephant in the room." These obvious, but uncomfortable corollaries are 1) If teachers cannot manage digital tools effectively then they will not be able to take advantage of this technology and 2) Unmotivated students, or those with poor work habits, will be underserved in this environment. Students who don't finish assignments in school, likewise tend not to finish assignments in a blended environment. Many of these students suggested that they could not access the internet or that they "did not know what to do." Because of these responses, should I have the opportunity to do this over again, I will spend more time teaching students how to access and use the different elements of the LMS.
The process that went into creating these artifacts will improve student learning because it enabled students to engage in the learning process on days when they otherwise would not have been in school. Impact of the work that I put into this learning can be assessed formatively when I check for student learning, and impact can also be assessed by comparing the results of the students who completed all their "inclement weather assignments" to those who did not.