The Changing Paradigm of Classroom Assessments with Technology.

Dreaming.

I have been doing a lot of that these days.

Thinking about this upcoming school year all it entails.  Specifically, how I want my classroom environment to be. 

This week I watched a video by a teacher named Mr. McComb.  Watching his classroom was like watching my all the dreams in video format (Imagine if someday that was a reality).  If you have not watched it, I highly encourage you to do so.   

Making Learning Personalized and Customized

Mr. McComb's approach to teaching is exactly what I hope to achieve with my new students.           



"Workshop model allows students to make choices around content while we are still unified in our work around skills." -Mr. McComb 



I appreciated how the whole lesson starts from student voices.  Having student surveys at the beginning of a unit allows them to have a say in how the rest of the lessons will run.  It gets them immediately engaged and helps the teacher better understand their class.
 
Starting fresh with new students and a new school year (in Korea the school year started and ends around Lunar New Year)  I feel it is important to do some sort of survey to help get a better grasp on each of my students.  It will let my students know that this is a community where their voice will be heard and appreciated.  As a teacher, I will be able combine these surveys with their other student records to create a good starting point for the class.

That is only the beginning.  To then achieve what Mr. McCombs could take months and involve lots of strategic planning.  Though the length of time can be discouraging, it will be something that I will have to accept as being part of the process. 



"What I am looking for within class and this model is for students to be authentically engaged and making progress in their learning, enough that I am able to give my attention to small groups of students in targeted ways that can really help them close gaps, while other students are still continuing to make progress." -Mr. McCombs



Mr. McComb breaks his class down into a few separate areas.  Essentially he teaches a mini lesson of the important skills they should be focusing on and then gives them the opportunity to practice the skills within their focused workshop stations.  I like this approach because it focuses the students in such a way that it provides them with the information and then allows them to use it in a practical setting. 

My hope is that my students will understand that everything we do in class can be used outside the school walls. (there are many other things he does during this time however it would take to long to dig deep into his tactics). 



"What we really need to do is raise awareness, so that other people who have the ability to do that stuff can."  - Student A

"You can probably try making a YouTube Channel." -Student B



During the video you hear students discussing different tactics and approaches to their assignments.  They seem to have a good grasp on how and when to appropriately use technology.  They also know how to effectively give and receive feedback by recording their progress and determining future goals.  These are important skills are important even outside the classroom. 

I want to teach my students about the importance of feedback and progress monitoring because it is something that many students don't know how to do.  It is something that will benefit both myself and them. 


I realize that this is more like a summary of the video, but it is an important example when thinking about how classroom assessments are changing.  Assessments are being embedded into the curriculum and are allowing students to be more involved in their learning process.  Many of the strategies that Mr. McComb reflect this change in approach.  My hope is that I can use some of his ideas to create an authentic learning environment for my incoming students.