Well, I thought I had this whole blog thing figured out, but I'm realizing I might not be as "tech savvy" as I once thought. I logged on to my blog today and saw that my original post has disappeared! I'm not sure what happened, but let's try this again.
I am still continuing on my journey of becoming a tech savvy educator. I am not quite where I want to be, but I have had fun learning about new tools and various technology based instruction that I can implement in my classroom. I am currently taking a class where I am learning about the connection of learning theory, instruction and technology. In this week's resources I learned about the instructional strategy of reinforcing students' efforts through the use of technology. Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback (Pitlet, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 156).
Spreadsheets are a great way to reinforce students' efforts. My students participate in an online reading program called Accelerated Reader. This programs allows students to read books and then take quizzes online about the book they have read. Every few weeks I print out a spreadsheet that keeps track of the books and quizzes the students have completed and a chart of the progress they have made. By looking at the chart, students can clearly see the relation between their efforts and grades they earned on their tests (Pitlet, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 159). I would like to take this strategy a step further and have my students keep track of their own progress by having them create a spreadsheet through Microsoft Excel. I have 10 computers in my classroom so each student would have ample opportunity to keep track of their progress on the computer.
This strategy goes right along with the behaviorist theory in teaching. Accelerated Reader, along with the use of the spreadsheet to track progress, is a type of positive reinforcement. At the beginning of each 9 weeks, each student, with my help, sets a goal that they would like to reach. The goal usually involves raising the percentage correct on tests and the number of books read at each student's level. At the end of each 9 weeks, we have an AR celebration for those students that met their goals. This positive reinforcement encourages the students to work hard and improve their efforts to create positive outcomes.
As I said before, I have had a lot of fun learning about the various ways to use technology in my classroom. I have enjoyed trying new things that I have learned in class and implementing them in my classroom. I am not only teaching my students about these new tools in technology, but I am learning myself as we go!
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., (2007). Using Technolgoy with Classroom Instruction that Works, Alexandria, VA: ASCD
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For years I have used spreadsheets in my classroom to keep track of what my student know. I had never thought of having students become involved in looking at their data. I really like this idea. I also like what you do with students setting a goal for themselves. I think this is so important. I believe that goal setting is a great motiviator for students.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of the Accelerated Reader program as it is used at other campuses in my district. I unfortunately, have not had the opportunity to use it in my classroom. After reading your description of its features, I am likely to ask my principal if it will be possible to get it on our campus as well.
ReplyDeleteThe Accelerated Reader program reminds me of a pilot program my students participated in a couple of years ago called Earning by Learning. In this program students were encouraged to read books of their choice and complete online quizzes about the books. If they were successful in passing the quiz, they received two dollars. Each month, we had a celebration and the students received their checks. Although some educators disagree with paying children to learn, this program boosted the reading levels of all of the students that participated. It was also a form of positive reinforcement. I am hoping that we will be able to participate again next year.
Abby,
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of Accelerated Reader program before. I'd like to explore it. Can you send us a link to the website?
Thank you for sharing,
Elif