k-6

Dipity offers the opportunity to create an interactive timeline where students can display events and organize activities. Students can import videos and pictures to display moments in time or plans for the future.

Describe the technology being used?
(Provide links and references so others can visit)

Smart Board Smart Recorder an aspect of the Smart Technologies Interactive Whiteboard http://smarttech.com/

How was the technology integrated into the assessment environment?
The technology can be integrated by recording student response, assessing reading skills and documenting student learning.
Digital Imaging:
Use Digital Photography to Document Children’s Learning
• Make children’s learning visible
• Document children’s development
• Communicate findings with parents
and school personnel
• Include digital photographs and narrative
descriptions of artifacts in students’ portfolios
• Document students’ achievement on state and
local standards
• Plan appropriate instruction
Digital Video:
Student made documentaries
Travel videos
News casts
Digital Story Telling:

-What method (observation, selected response, written response, personal communication, performance, student reflection) of assessments were implemented using the technology? (Questions, see Stuart chapter ?)

The method of assessment is observation, personal communication, performance and student reflection.

Was this a technology that replaced a current method of assessment or does it provide assessment opportunities previously not available without the advent of this technology. (For an in depth discussion of this, refer to the NAP article)

The technology can replace as well as provide for opportunities previously not available.

In your opinion, what were some of the benefits of the tool?

This tool allows students to demonstrate their learning in a fun and creative way.

In your opinion, what are the limitations of the tool?
The expense of the equipment.

Do you see this as a tool that could be used in your educational setting?

I have used this tool to assess reading fluency. I used the recorder and a webcam to record a student reading a poem.

Where did you learn about the tool (formal evaluation reports, vender case studies, etc.)?
Smart Technologies

Describe the technology being used?
(Provide links and references so others can visit)

The AlphaSmart is a writing tool. www.alphasmart.com

How was the technology integrated into the assessment environment?

This tool is a combination handheld and laptop. It can be synchronized with any computer (pc or mac) and includes built-in wireless. This tool allows the student to complete assessments and e-mail them to the teacher or synchronize to the teacher’s computer, or print out the completed assessment from any printer.

-What method (observation, selected response, written response, personal communication, performance, student reflection) of assessments were implemented using the technology? (Questions, see Stuart chapter ?)

The method can be any or all of the above. In my teaching experience (using a similar model) it was used for written response and student reflection.

Was this a technology that replaced a current method of assessment or does it provide assessment opportunities previously not available without the advent of this technology. (For an in depth discussion of this, refer to the NAP article)

This technology replaced a current method of paper and pencil assessment. It also allowed the student access to technology without requiring the student to be in a classroom or lab.

In your opinion, what were some of the benefits of the tool?

The tool is compatible with Palm software and all MS Office, it has e-mail capability and wireless. This tool does not need to be in a classroom or lab, it can be used anywhere as it has a long battery life. There isn’t any need to install printer software and it has a full size keyboard and easy to read screen.

In your opinion, what are the limitations of the tool?

I have not experienced any limitations.

Do you see this as a tool that could be used in your educational setting?

It has been used successfully.

Where did you learn about the tool (formal evaluation reports, vender case studies, etc.)?

The school already had them when I arrived.

**Post the contents of this form into the “Tech Review” Discussion**

Describe the technology being used?
(Provide links and references so others can visit)

Renaissance Learning www.renlearn.com

How was the technology integrated into the assessment environment?

The Renaissance Learning tools provides formative assessments and periodic progress- monitoring for reading and math in grades K-12.

-What method (observation, selected response, written response, personal communication, performance, student reflection) of assessments were implemented using the technology? (Questions, see Stuart chapter ?)

The method used is selected response.

Was this a technology that replaced a current method of assessment or does it provide assessment opportunities previously not available without the advent of this technology. (For an in depth discussion of this, refer to the NAP article)

This technology replaced a current method of assessment.

In your opinion, what were some of the benefits of the tool?

This tool incoporates reading, math as well as writing practice and assessment. It also contains a responder system for immediate feedback. It also contains instructional materials to help the student improve their reading, math and writing skills.

In your opinion, what are the limitations of the tool?

The reporting and administration process can be a little cumbersome for teachers to use without sufficient training.

Do you see this as a tool that could be used in your educational setting?

Yes, we actually used 3 components this past year and many teachers were pleased with the information it provided for them.

Where did you learn about the tool (formal evaluation reports, vender case studies, etc.)?

From researching web-based assessments for our school district.

Describe the technology being used?

Kompozer (formally NVU) is an free web editor that is available for Windows, Mac, or Linux. From their website: "

KompoZer is a complete web authoring system that combines web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG web page editing.

KompoZer is designed to be extremely easy to use, making it ideal for non-technical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking web site without needing to know HTML or web coding"

Their website is http://www.kompozer.net

How was the technology integrated into the assessment environment?

I did a unit this year with a literacy teacher and a small group of 5th grade students. The students were reading a book and were asked a guiding question. They made webpages with Kompozer and typed their questions and answers into the webpage. They were showed how to make a link and insert a picture. The literacy teacher had me print out the pages so she could correct them. Then we would meet again and edit. I reinforced some basics about web page making - mainly that simple is better. The criteria about what the kids could put on their pages was strict.

http://www.anwsu.org/vues/louisegee.html

-What method (observation, selected response, written response, personal communication, performance, student reflection) of assessments were implemented using the technology? (Questions, see Stuart chapter ?)

The main method was observation. I reinforced to the students that after they edited their pages, they had to save, and then open in a web browser to see what it looked like. The literacy teacher kept track of the text to make sure it was acceptable. We uploaded the pages to our website when they were finished. The kids loved seeing their work online.

Was this a technology that replaced a current method of assessment or does it provide assessment opportunities previously not available without the advent of this technology. (For an in depth discussion of this, refer to the NAP article)

It was just a different way to get the kids to do some writing, while also teaching them a bit about webpage making. Also, we were teaching the kids that if you are going to make something public, like a webpage, then you have to be careful about editing.

In your opinion, what were some of the benefits of the tool?

I discussed with students that computer files have formats. I explained what .html was, and how that was one of the file formats used in webpage making. Kompozer is much like a word processor, and is pretty easy to use. It also has the ability to do complex web editing. Best of all, it is free!

In your opinion, what are the limitations of the tool?

Kompozer could be seen as confusing for someone with very limited computer skills. Students seem to be able to work with it. It is necessary to have someone competent with the program available for support.

Do you see this as a tool that could be used in your educational setting?

I hope to use Kompozer often next year. Creating the webpages is one thing, uploading them via ftp to our host is another. At this point, I control that exclusively.

Where did you learn about the tool (formal evaluation reports, vender case studies, etc.)?

I began using the previous version of Kompozer, called NVU a couple years ago. It was free, and available for Linux.