My Department has been engaged in creating common assessments through Project Based Learning over the past three years. During our department meeting and collaboration time we have discussed that we are not reinventing wheel, simply modifying assessments to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. By giving existing assessments 21st century mediums and tasks, we hope to make the assignments more authentic. This policy was strictly enforced by administration as we switched over from a traditional school approach to teaching, to a 1:1 school in which each student has an iPad from fourth grade until graduation. The hope was to create a schooling environment clearly anticipating and fostering the technology based skills needed to compete in this new, digitalized workplace. Though the mediums for which we were presenting, instructing, and grading were changing, iPads were not, and are still not the, “be all end all” in our classrooms. Best practices and strategies that teachers had used for years were not being replaced; only modified to reflect the needs of 21st century learners. Devices in the classrooms were to be used as tools, so that students could see how technology was changing their world, and how they could adapt and use that technology for their benefit. This theory can be seen in practice in Dr. Brent Daigle’s experiment with a fourth grade classroom. What he did was change the medium for which an assessment was to be presented. Instead of having the students write out a research report on an animal, they were assigned to make a movie: a mini documentary. The students were required to still do all the research necessary, but used new technology to present their findings. Reading, writing, and fluency skills were still accessed while increasing engagement by making the project more fun, student centered, and involved. In this way, Dr. Daigle created an authentic assessment that help foster creative 21st century skills while still adhering to the original standards and outcomes. As teachers and students shift into a new way of teaching and learning, it is important to stay current with trends and best practices. RSS feeds are a great way to accomplish this goal. As students bog, create, and share, RSS feeds can provide a plethora of information for students, as well as a medium to share their ideas and activities with others. Teachers can use these same feeds to personalize information for their subject and classroom, as well as help facilitate personal learning networks of teachers across the globe using new and innovative practices.
References
Daigle, B. (2011, June 12). How to Use iPads in the Classroom. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnWAhFcDPrY&feature=youtu.be