The use of rubrics is more helpful to the students but causes more work for the teacher. I think they are helpful because then there is no confusion of what the teacher is asking for in the assignment. I have found them very helpful in my college classes, it gives me a base to work off of and a guideline to follow when doing my assignments.
I believe that Clicker Assessment Tools can be used for certain types of assessments but there would need to be guidlelines set for the students, in some studies they showed that students being able to cheat had increased. Using Clicker tools instead of paper tests keeps the use of paper to a limit which can be environmentally helpful. The use of technology is growing this is just another way to use technology for assessment purposes.
Kidspiration is a great educational software that K-5 students would love to use to learn. There are many different types of software that Kidspiration offers, math, reading, writing, vocabulary, maps, etc. This would be a great option for students to use when they have free time to choose an educational activity to play with. Students like to use things to learn with that don't seem like they are learning, this type of software is just that, they make it fun to learn.
Rubrics are very helpful for students so they can know exactly what the teacher expects in an assignment, it is more work for the teacher but it is worth it so there is no confusion on assignments. I think rubrics are great for older ages but might not work as well for the younger ages. Clicker Assessment Tools would be a great way to test for learning and comprehension, it is more fun than the normal paper and pencil tests. I also like Kidspiration and would like to use it in my classroom.
Reference:
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful learning With Technology (3rd Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall
Kidspiration http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration
I agree with you regarding the Rubrics. It has been helpful to me with my collge classes knowing exactly how my grades will be calculated. It may be additional work for teachers but in the long run it also helps teachers with grading accordingly.
ReplyDelete"Students like to use things to learn with that don't seem like they are learning, this type of software is just that, they make it fun to learn."
ReplyDeleteIt's odd, but so true! They are much more motivated to learn when they do not think they are actually learning! In fact, according to my journal critique, using software that involves games, visual ques, and the like is extremely beneficial as seen by a huge increase in the knowledge retained vs a lecture.
I agree with Chad. Kids today love to play games and if we can somehow channel their motivation into learning we have a recipe for success.
ReplyDeleteI agree rubrics are great at the college level. We have so many different teachers and its so hard to get to know them and knowing their expectations and how they grade is really helpful. I think rubrics can be used at any age though. It really helps because there alot of students that feel like they need to be walked through step by step and if they see what they need to accomplish to get a good grade they will learn how to get there.
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