Join Me On My Journey

Topic Description and Reflection of Choice of Module Topic

I am about to embark on a new adventure which is both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time! For the past 10 months I have been a graduate student and now I have the opportunity to lead a 2 hour module...but how can I narrow down a topic when education technology has so many amazing avenues to discuss? It is completely overwhelming!

I have decided to focus on an area which I found troublesome when I was teaching...providing feedback.  I always equated feedback with a test score or a rubric; basically as a culminating tool so I'd know what mark to assign for the unit.  Clearly this is not feedback...it's just a mark...for one task...at the end.  Surely there were many who were struggling long before the quiz or test and they slipped through the cracks.  What if there was a way to keep track of their learning throughout the unit?  It would change the outcome...and basically the entire process.  I realize that I need to know what they understand throughout the learning process so I can then adjust my teaching accordingly.  Of course, it was only once I began my graduate studies that I realized I had been very wrong in what I had believed while I was teaching.  I now realize that feedback isn't just for my students...it's also for me! Feedback doesn't mean I need to give daily pop quizzes.  There are so many digital tools that allow for quick feedback like polls or games.  There are also tools for reflection and for students to show exactly what they know in formats other than tests.

Another important distinction I learned is that cooperative and collaborative are NOT THE SAME!  I used to assign group work but had the students divide the tasks and put it together at the end.  That is not collaboration and I have since learned the value of collaborative tasks.  Learning is social!  The best learning comes from a constructivist framework.  You might question why I am choosing to link constructivism and formative assessment; great question! I am doing so because I believe one needs to understand the pedagogues behind authentic learning in order to be able to provide an appropriate learning environment.  Once that is accomplished, the formative assessment  will be that much more valid and beneficial to both my students and myself.

This was the thought process that helped me narrow down my topic. Now that I have my topic, I need to figure out what I am going to do with it.  Stay tuned, folks!