Degrading the Grading: Journal Posting #3

Growing up as a student I always was always very concerned with the grade I was getting on every assignment or test. This purpose of worrying about grades so much drove me to try and do every assignment or study for every test to the best of my ability. I was so worried about getting a bad grade and what my teacher, parents, fellow students would think of me that I would continue to stress myself out to get the best grade. Many times when I received a grade I did not get any feedback other than one comment on a test, such as "Good work" or "Nice!" for good grades and no comment at all if it was an average or poor grade. There were few times where a teacher asked me to discuss a good or bad grade. Especially due to the fact that receiving poor grades was not something that I got on a regular basis, teachers didn't seem it was worth it to talk to me individually about the grade or give me feedback because I felt they thought that was "out of my character" or I just didn't study. I felt growing up and currently still as a student now that I have been engrained to worry so much about the grade you get in the class, you don't fully immerse yourself into learning the content. I always thought, especially in college , that it would be so great that the content was the main purpose of the course and that the grade was perceived in a different light, such as a pass or fail element or a quality of engagement in the course. I was so frustrated that after I took a class I forgot the material after a short couple of months after receiving my final grade. After stating all of this I pretty much felt that grades were the most important aspect of school rather than what I was actually learning. The better the grades I got the more opportunities I felt I received, both socially and educationally.

In regards to a grading scale, I feel that it provides definite choices when it comes to taking ownership for a students own learning. There are two choices that I feel are obvious for students when it comes to a grading scale. Students can view grades as important and take their studies seriously or students can see the difficult and unobtainable. Grades teachers feel keep students on track and helps the educator take and keep control of students. There is also discussion that students need grades because of the fact that colleges demand them. Which I feel is very true because there is so much emphasis on high school students to get the best grades, perform exceptionally well on state/national tests, and have many extra-curricular activities. Potentially if colleges did not put so much emphasis on high grades this would ease elementary and secondary schooling to maybe not emphasize grades so much and truly focus on LEARNING!

EDUC 422 - Project #3

Project #3

Using the Internet While Test Taking

When I was younger I always thought about how great it would be if were able to use a computer to help with taking our tests. I thought how easy it would be browse the internet and be able to get every answer on the test. I also thought about how great it would be having the computer as my aide, which meant that I wouldn't need to study as much. In college I had a couple tests that were strictly online exams, I did not study enough for the test and the questions were definitely much harder than what I anticipated. I didn't do as well as I thought I would have and was thoroughly disappointed. Even though this was a personal experience that appears to be against the use of computers during test taking, I definitely couldn't agree more with the side on enabling students to use technology during tests.

Both sides have valid points and arguments that should be equally assessed. The side that believes internet integration during tests is acceptable states that with the use of computers students will hopefully engage in higher level thinking situations. These situations include critical analysis, idea synthesis, or delineation of evaluative arguments which are posed to challenge the thinking of the students and push them to step out of the repetitive memorization of facts and dates. On the other end of the spectrum, individuals feel that with the use of computers while students take tests, takes away from the purpose of what the test is suppose to represent, which is the knowledge of the student not the computers capabilty. They feel that if students are allowed to use computers on tests it takes away from them doing the actual thinkings themselves and it would pose great difficulty monitoring what the students will be accessing while the test is in session.

Now knowing the different arguments from both sides and having personal experience of the issue, I feel that there are both valid arguments on both sides. I don't personally think that having the ability to use computers on every test would be wise, but for specific subjects I think it would be a great addition to the way students are tested. It makes them think of the material in a different perspective having to give answers that aren't just from memory. I definitely do think that it will help aide students down the line when they get in the work force due to the fact that technology is already such a strong asset in society. Why not prepare our students for what they will be using to assess real life situations?

Technology Integration: A Short History

Growing up in a very tech-centered society I was already somewhat aware of how much technology was integrated into our classrooms. I know some districts and schools are very well off, which ables them to provide more technology based learning environments for their students, and vise versa for the schools that aren't as well off. What surprised me the most was how many different ways technology can be used in a positive light to promote individual based learning for the unique needs of every student. I still don't think that the social aspect of school should be removed, but applying a new technological perspective to help children learn I think is fantastic. It really touched me to read that through technology students are able to take their learning environment into their own hands and feel a sense of control about what they are learning. It was also intriguing to read that with the use of technology, students can have a better handle on the higher learning goals which set for them, promoting high expectations and the needs to succeed. When used in the appropriate manner I was read that it truly helps develop students with higher-level thinking skills, creativity, and research abilities. These tools have been proven to be essential for when you are older in the work force.

Before reading the article, I was very much skeptical about technology being such a key part in our students educational world. But now having read what I have and been provided with numerous examples of how technology can complement education and the way teachers teach, shows me the great benefits that could come with this form of integration. Our society like mentioned before is very much tech driven and providing our students with the successful tools will give them the experiences and recipe for success. With such a big push for technology in our education system, major efforts need to be made to make sure that teachers are professionally and adequately taught to use this form of educating. If integrating technology into the classroom is proving to be beneficial for the students, and it being done in a safe, professional atmosphere, then absolutely there needs to be a technology function in our education environment.

Boss, Susie. (2011, September). Technology Integration: A Short History. EDUtopia. http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history