Evaluating Educational Technology and Integration Strategies By: Dakota Tucker, Derrick Haney, Demi Ford, and Kent Elmore Chapter 7

Objectives  Identify sources of information for evaluating educational technology and digital media.  Outline the considerations and tools used to evaluate software applications.  Describe and explain the key criteria used to evaluate Web resources  Describe the tools for evaluating the effectiveness of technology.  Compare and analyze the methods used to evaluate student projects. Dakota Tucker

Objectives  Identify different technology integration strategies by classroom layout and design.  Define and describe the value of a curriculum page.  Describe ways to integrate technology into specific curriculum subject areas.  Describe authentic assessment tools for student projects.  Identify and compare possible sources of funding for classroom technology. Dakota Tucker

Evaluating Educational Technology  Sources of Information  School District and State Departments of Education  Professional Educational Organizations  Catalogs  Colleague Recommendations  Published Evaluations  Conferences  The Web Dakota Tucker

Documentation and Technical Support  Documentation is any printed or online information that provides assistance in installing, using, maintaining, and updating the software.  Technical Support is a service that hardware and software manufacturers and third-party companies offer to customers to provide answers to questions, repairs and other assistance. Derrick Haney

Ability Levels and Assessment  Ability Level refers to a student’s current competency level or the skill level the student can achieve for a specific learning objective.  Assessment is any method used to understand the current knowledge a student possesses. Derrick Haney

Technical Quality and Ease of Use  Technical Quality refers to how well the software presents itself and how well it works.  Ease of Use, or user friendliness, refers to anything that makes software easier to use. Derrick Haney

Evaluation Web Resources  The web is a great source for teachers and students to use in the classroom if it is a reliable source.  When evaluating a Web site as an instructional source, you should consider criteria such as authority, affiliation, purpose, objectivity, content, learning process, audience, currency, and Web design. Derrick Haney

Authority  Authority is the credibility of the person or persons who author and maintain the site.  When reviewing a Web site you will need to answer the following question: Is the author clearly identified? What evidence is indicated that the author is qualified to write on the topic? Has the author listed experience, position, education, or other credentials? Can the author be contacted for clarification? Derrick Haney

Affiliation  Affiliation refers to the professional organization, school, school district, university, company, or government office with which a particular Web site is associated. Derrick Haney

Purpose and Objectivity  Purpose is the reason a Web site is created or the intent of the Web site  Objectivity is the process of determining or interpreting the intent or purpose of a Web page and if it is free of bias, such as advertising. Derrick Haney

Content and Learning Process  Content is the information a Web page provides. It is usually fact or opinion.  Learning Process is when content engages students to use higher-order thinking skills to go beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge and become participatory learners. Derrick Haney

Audience and Currency  Audience is the individual or group intended to view and use the Web page.  Currency is the measure of how up to date, or timely, the Web page content is and how often it is updated. Derrick Haney

Design  Design of a Web site is the way it is arranged – that is, the way it uses instructional design principles to deliver content to the user. Derrick Haney

Web Evaluation Rubric  Web Evaluation Rubric is a detailed scoring guide for assessing the value and content of Web sites.  When making a rubric for a Web page, student’s rubric should not be as detailed as a teacher’s rubric. Derrick Haney

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration  Project-based Assessment- an innovative approach to assessment that focuses on assessing student projects.  Portfolio Assessment- evaluates students assignments or projects over a period of time.  Checklists- a predetermined life of performance criteria used in project-based or portfolio assessments.  Rating Scales- a more complex form of a checklist that lists a numerical value for each criteria.  Rubrics-a detailed assessment tool that makes it easy for teachers to assess the quality of a project. Demi Ford

Evaluating Planning  A software planning tool such as Inspiration helps students and teachers quickly develop and communicate ideas using flowcharts, concept maps, and story webs  Flow charts- diagrams that show the step-by-step actions that must take place by plotting a sequence of events.  Concept map/story web- helps students to understand the attributes and relationships of the main subject and provides visual tools for brainstorming and planning. Demi Ford

Evaluating Creativity  When evaluating student projects, teachers should consider students’ originality, imagination and innovative approach, and artistic abilities.  Color, clip art, and artwork are strengthening content. Demi Ford

Integration Strategies  to help keep students motivated teachers must change their traditional roles and become facilitators of learning. Technology can play a big role in enhancing students learning environment. Kent Elmore

One Computer Classroom  Classrooms usually consist of one digital computer in a classroom and can be used for presentations, or have small groups work on the computer in intervals. It helps students create real-world skills. Kent Elmore

Multicomputer classrooms  these are helpful as you can set up the computers as separate learning centers for students to use. Students can also locate information more quickly about daily issues by using the World Wide Web. Students can also import and edit images taken with a digital camera to enhance their projects. Kent Elmore

 Computer labs: students gain hands on experience using computer technology. These can help students anywhere from typing skills to enhancing their benchmark education and core curriculums.  Web Scavenger Hunt-activities in which students explore the resources of the Web using discovery learning to find the answers to teacher created questions. This allow students to become involved with their real-world situations. Kent Elmore

 how teachers use computers as resources- curriculum pages, lesson plans, project plans, curriculum integration activities over all the different subjects.  All these classroom technology integrations can be funded either by grants, fundraisers, or even academic contest. Grants are a great way for teachers to bring new technology into their classroom. Kent Elmore