Assessment
Literature
Review of Testing Accommodations and Accessibility Tools for Students with Disabilities.
Cara
Laitusis, Heather Buzick, Elizabeth Stone, Eric Hansen and Mark Hakkinen. Educational
Testing Service, Princeton, NJ. Smarter
Balanced Assessment Consortium. http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Smarter-Balanced-Students-with-Disabilities-Literature-Review.pdf
This is an in-depth review of the research on test
accommodations, including controversial ones, for students with disabilities,
along with implementation and policy considerations for each. Many of these are
fascinating. For example, When a child with a learning disability gets an audio
math test, his reader must voice “twelve minus three” rather than “twelve take
away three” to avoid giving an unfair hint. Likewise, bias may make a
handwritten English essay appear better to a marker than a typed one, impacting
students who use computers for disability-related reasons. It’s a fascinating
read with far-reaching consequences to think about.
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
IDS Bloom’s Taxonomy: All Three Domains. University of
Minnesota Duluth. http://www.d.umn.edu/ids/Assessment/Bloom%20Overview.htm
This is a simple, linear set of notes describing all
three domains of Bloom’s taxonomy in concise, almost conversational tone. For
each level in the hierarchy within a domain, the behaviour, or action, is
described along with examples of activities that correspond to the action, or
facilitate it; as well as key verbs associated with it. For example, the lowest
level of the cognitive domain is where students simply recall information, or
facts, and a multiple-choice exam is presented as a possible activity that could
be assessed for this level. I could use this to plan activities for each level
of the taxonomy, to ensure that the learner’s experience was as complete as
possible.
Creating
a Positive Learning Environment
Managing Students with Computers: Best Practice. PBS,
New York. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/workshops/managing_students/practice.html
This is a rich set of content and advice about management
techniques for classrooms with computers. Solutions are discussed for keeping
students interested when there is a high ratio of students to computers,
including delivering whole-class presentations, or dividing the classroom into
multiple group workstations (e.g. . a drawing station, textbook/reference
centre, a multimedia centre, and so forth). For whole-class presentations, rich
multimedia tools should be used to keep students’ attention engaged, while for
group workstations, limiting group sizes to five prevents disengagement due to
feeling redundant. This is a plum resource for developing a classroom
management plan.
Motivational
techniques
Praise
in the Classroom. Eric Digests. http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9213/praise.htm
This is a
worthwhile read reminding instructors to be careful about using praise as a
motivational technique, because students’ behaviours and reactions may not be
as expected. The article focusses upon early childhood education, but would
apply in any classroom. Non-specific praise can be detrimental, as students learn
to respond to the extrinsic motivation of instructor approval or disapproval
rather than natural curiosity (an intrinsic desire to learn). Worse still, when
used as a classroom management technique to seek conformity, students can grow
resentful as they detect this manipulation. It is both a philosophical and a
practical piece to review.
Media
Education
videos: ten ways to use them well. BBC Active. http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/EducationvideosTenwaystousethemwell.aspx
This
is a resource from the BBC detailing best practices for using videos in the
classroom. The tips include asking students to follow along with a
questionnaire or handout while watching the video to ensure they are focussing
upon certain key points, as well as splitting viewing up into several short,
sequential clips rather than one long film, for maximum student engagement. It
also links to other resources, such as BBC’s own trove of educational videos. While
an article about the media, the advice touches on other core principles of
teaching, from classroom management techniques to learning theories.
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