Blog 13 - Assessments

This week in class we talked about and worked with the idea of assessments. There are two main types of assessments which we covered. The first is a formative assessment. A formative assessment is some assignment, quiz, activity, or other learning tool which is used to help students gain an understanding of content.  The other is a summative assessment. These are tests or quizzes which are usually assigned at the end of a unit or class which measures a students understanding of material and thus tracks their proficiency. These relationship between these two types of assessments is that the formative assessment is more of a tool to prepare students and help them learn the material that they will be accountable for during the summative assessment.  This relationship is the guidepost by which we understand how we might use these tools in the classroom. One or several formative assessments could (and should) be used throughout a single unit to help the student grow in understanding of the material. For example, a science instructor might include lab activities or take home worksheets for which students explore concepts and see how they play out practically. Then, at the end of a unit, a summative assessment, such as a test, is a good way to hold students accountable for the material, and to make sure they have reached a proficient level to be able to move deeper into the course. Instructional technologies are very beneficial when creating assessments. They provide many options for interactive activities which can be made into excellent formative assessments, as well as many platforms by which to form and administer a summative assessment. As a future teacher, I believe that this is one area where instructional technology will be of one of its most impactful benefits in the classroom.

Blog 12 - Professional Organizations

As the name suggests, a professional organization is simply an organization for individuals within a certain profession. There are numerous organizations available for teachers from local and state levels to international. The purpose of these is to aid professionals in their development within their career and provide them with resources (publications, conferences, connections, etc.) to do so.

As an aspiring high school science teacher and coach, there are many organizations which are available. For example, the American Educational Research Association (www.aera.net) is a national organization for educators. More specifically, there is the National Science Teachers Association (www.nsta.org) and the Nebraska Coaches Association (www.ncacoach.org). While these all require fees for membership, they all contain valuable resources within their specific realms. They all provide publications and yearly conferences for their members to grow professionally. Personally, should I end up in the teaching profession, I will seriously consider joining both the National Science Teachers Association and the Nebraska Coaches Association.

Blog 11 - Importance of Portfolios

Creating a personal portfolio is a vital endeavor for any aspiring future educator. There are two main reasons for this. First, it is important to use when applying for further schooling or a job. Having a portfolio - complete with resume, philosophy of teaching, etc. - will allow you to have all that you need to apply for positions in one place, and could even be submitted all together. The potentially will give applicants the edge when it comes to beginning a career. Secondly, it allows the student to practice and prepare for different aspects of education. They will be able to think about the kind of teacher they wish to be, and how they plan to go about achieving that. They will also be able to compile all of the resources and projects they undergo in one place, to be referred to later. These could prove extremely helpful, especially during teachers first few years. There are many benefits to creating an ePortfolio, but I feel that these two are the most impactful and noteworthy. I would highly encourage any student who is aspiring to be an educator to begin working on and updating a personal portfolio online.