Proficiency A

Advanced Achievement Level

Design, develop and implement student learning activities that integrate information technology for a variety of student grouping strategies and diverse student populations.

Student Learning

In my classroom, educational technology is used to enhance student learning.

Learning is facilitated through technology.

Students in my classroom plan virtual field trips, view websites which pertain to pertinent topics, create research projects which require internet searches and understanding of copyright issues, and use the digital camera to enhance the school newspaper. This use of technology increases student interest, involves students that may not otherwise be actively involved, and addresses the “hands-on” needs of kinesthetic learners.

Technology is appropriate for the learning situation and engages students.

Students use technology to reinforce skills and create presentations. For example, they use handheld computers to practice spelling words, math skills, and write stories with younger students. They also are able to earn “free time” certificates using the handhelds. The certificate shown was awarded to students who successfully completed a unit assessment in reading. Power Point presentations, such as "Falconry”, are created by students to demonstrate and assess their learning. This example was completed after reading an informational selection on birds of prey.

One way we determine student strengths and weaknesses with technology is through our Technology Assessment which is given annually to each student by a parent volunteer. This assessment allows us to address individual needs of each student in terms of technology as well as document student progress in these areas from year to year.

Use of national technology standards is seamless, meets curricular goals and facilitates learning.

When planning units, my partners and I include the National Technology Standards that best fit with the Michigan Core Curriculum benchmarks that we are addressing. For example, for an economics unit, students completed a webquest, created a publication using Microsoft Publisher, and, as an assessment, created and presented an economics presentation using Power Point. These assignments reinforce economic objectives, enhance the main concepts of the lessons and include technology standards appropriate for those benchmarks.

Technology is used to achieve higher level learning goals and addresses individual learning needs of students.

In our classroom, we have small groups of students who work independently above grade level in math and reading. Quite often, they are given assignments which require higher level thinking skills and more complex processing. Their assignments often include technological requirements, such as conducting internet searches and creating presentations to share with other classes using Power Point. Two examples include "Lions at Lunchtime" and "Wolf at the Window", two presentations created by two ability grouped groups of students who had completed a book in Literacy Circles. We often choose activities which allow us to modify our instruction to meet student needs. I often refer to materials, such as this, that I received while completing Intel Teach to Tomorrow training. One example of such an assignment is “Michelangelo”, which involved a student researching the artist and the Metropolitan Museum of Art after reading The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.