NETWORKS THAT WORK A REVIEW OF 2 NETWORK RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Informational Systems Management Amy Raley ET 8005

Student Activities for Classroom Teachers: Lesson Gateway Overview This website collects and organizes internet links and sources for teachers to use in their classroom, and a brief description is given for each source. Special Features Sources are listed by “Most Popular”, “Most Reviewed”, “Highly Rated”, and “New Listings” Sources are organized by subject and grade level Teachers are able to share, rate, and review resources Technology resources and links to free and open source software, wikis, clip art, and online games are listed Teachers can also find links to assessments, worksheets, classroom management activities, lesson plans, and professional development sites

Why this Network? Great tool for teachers who want to integrate technology into their daily lessons and classrooms Allows teachers to share their favorite links with other educators and to review/give feedback on suggested sites Website is easy to navigate and organized Free

How will I use this Network?  To search for internet sites and resources that I may use to teach mathematics  Get new ideas for teaching the same concepts  Help streamline my search for new on-line resources  Share and post my own favorite sources  Find more interactive activities to use in my classroom  Share with colleagues to promote more technology- based instruction among the district

Impact on Professional Practice  Teachers can try new ideas to teach the same concepts  Teachers can get feedback on a particular site to determine if it is something they could use in their classroom  Lessons will become more “blended” as teachers incorporate on-line technology with face-to-face teaching (see slide on “What is Blended Learning?”)  Students will become more interested in what is being taught and result in a highly-engaged classroom  Teachers can meet the needs of diverse learners using 21 st century technology

What is Blended Learning? Definition: Blended learning combines online delivery of educational content with the best features of classroom interaction and live instruction to personalize learning, allow thoughtful reflection, and differentiate instruction from student to student across a diverse group of learners (Watson, 2010). As education continues to incorporate technology into their schools, classrooms will continue to become a venue for blended learning. Experts in the field describe blended learning as the “fundamental redesign of the instructional model with the following characteristics:  A shift from lecture-centered to student-centered instruction in which students become active participants  Interactive learners (this shift should apply to the entire course, including face-to-face contact sessions)  „Increases in interaction between student-instructor, student-student, student-content, and student-outside resources  „Integrated formative and summative assessment” (Dziuban, Hartman, & Moskal, 2004)

Assessment FOR Learning: Sharing assessment strategies that help students learn Overview This network began out of Salem, VA, as a forum where teachers can share Assessment FOR Learning strategies. Special Features Defines Assessment FOR Learning (AFL) Explains the difference between formative and summative assessment Rubric-maker resource Provides downloadable handouts from workshops on AFL Features blogs and discussion forums for teachers Hosts video links from YouTube and posted videos made by teachers using AFL

Why this Network? Great tool for teachers who want to integrate Assessment FOR Learning strategies into their classroom Allows teachers to give/get feedback from fellow educators and to ask questions on how they use formative assessment Teachers can get new ideas and strategies that are proven to work from fellow teachers Can see videos of how teachers use AFL strategies effectively

How will I use this Network?  Get new ideas and strategies for using AFL  Provide strategies that I use and that work in my classroom  Ask for advice from other teachers about what works in a mathematics classroom  Use and try things suggested on this website and comment on their effectiveness in my classroom  Share new AFL strategies with colleagues

Impact on Professional Practice  Get more teachers using AFL strategies in their classrooms across the district  Increase student responsibility for own learning  Teach students how to self-assess and monitor their own learning  Learn how to obtain effective feedback from students about learning style and progress  Learn how to give effective feedback to students and parents (see slide on “Feedback”)

Feedback Definition The process where a person, along with another party, examine together that person’s performance, progress, success, and development in comparison with what is expected of them. ( logontocare, 2010) One of the most important criteria of Assessment FOR Learning strategies is “providing effective feedback” to students. What are the characteristics of effective feedback?  Timely Students must be able to see how they are performing and have an opportunity to correct any mistakes before a major assessment.  Specific Tell the student specifically where they are making mistakes.  Understood by the receiver Make sure the student understands what the giver of the feedback is saying.  Delivered in a supportive climate Be careful of what is said and how it is said as to not discourage students from trying.  Followed-up with an action plan Formulate a plan to improve performance such as tutorials or extra practice. (Morfield, 2000)

Lesson Gateway. (2009). Retrieved January 23, 2010, from Watson, J.(n.d.). Promising Practices in Online Learning. Blending Learning:The Convergence of Online and Face- to-Face Education. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from Dziuban, C., Hartman, J., Moskal, P. (2004). EDUCAUSE review. Blended Learning. 2004(7). Habeeb, S. (2010, January). Assessment FOR learning: Sharing assessment strategies that help students learn. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from Morfeld, C. (2000, February 1). Guidelines for Effective Feedback. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from suite 101website at Logontocare. Retrieved January 23, 2010 from 8&rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS350US350&q=EFFECTIVE+FEEDBACK+DEFINITION. 8&rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS350US350&q=EFFECTIVE+FEEDBACK+DEFINITION References