Alternative Assessment Strategies

Hi everyone, I’m Amy Perrin. I am your discussion leader for the final week! I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and ideas throughout the semester, and I can’t wait to get your input this week as well. I chose one brief article and one video (both related to Zull chapters 11 & 12) that I’d like to discuss with everyone.

In chapter 11, Zull discusses the need for students to test their ideas in a concrete way in order to complete the learning process. Testing ideas could take many forms: discussion, writing, research using technology, experiment.

In chapter 12, Zull recognizes the need for students to take control of their own learning. Zull discusses how motivation stems from learning, which is an intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic. Students learn and become motivated when they encounter things that connect with their own lives and experiences. 

The article that I chose is just a brief list of 40 ideas for alternative assessment strategies: 

Alternative Assessment Strategies

1.       Before now, have you considered the fact that we need to allow students to test their ideas rather than just hand them our ideas?

2.       Do you think that any of these alternative assessments could help students complete the learning process more than a “traditional” test?

3.       Would you consider using any of these alternative assessments in your classroom?

4.       Do you think there is an over emphasis on standardized/traditional testing (are we too focused on answers rather than the knowledge)?

5.       Please feel free to discuss any connections you made between the alternative assessment suggestions and Zull chapters 11 & 12.

The video is a TED talk given by Salman Khan, creator of Khan Academy. The video is about 20 minutes long (I apologize), but it is very interesting! 

Khan Academy 

1.       What are your general thoughts on the video?

2.       What are your thoughts on the flipped classroom model (videos/internet research as homework and working problems during class)?

3.       Do you think that the flipped classroom model would allow for a more personalized curriculum for individual students (students could have input as to how they actively test their ideas)?

4.       Khan Academy will generate similar questions until you get a certain number in a row correct, then you move on to more advanced problems. Do you think using a program such as this could help students succeed in learning and consequently become more intrinsically motivated?

5.       Again, please feel free to discuss any connections you made between the video and Zull chapters 11 & 12. 

Working Memory

Hey everyone. I am your discussion leader for this week. In the opening paragraphs of chapter 8 in Zull’s book, he recalls a time when he gave an amazingly effective lecture and how everyone seemed to be entirely engaged only to realize the next day that none of the information or concepts stuck with the students.

The following is a TED Talk given by Peter Doolittle about the importance of working memory. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_doolittle_how_your_working_memory_makes_sense_of_the_world#t-547164

Toward the end of the video, Doolittle lays out some strategies for how to increase memory retention. This is where I'd like to begin our discussion for this week, using some of the following questions as a guide.

• ·      What are your thoughts on the video?
• ·      Can the strategies discussed in the video be applied when teaching?
• ·      If so, which ones and how?
• ·      Do we already apply some or all of the strategies mentioned when teaching?
• ·      Are some of the strategies--such as visualization--more effective than others?

Learning about how neuronal networks

Throughout this course we have been learning a lot about the structure of the brain. It hasn't been the major focus of the class- to learn the anatomy of the brain. However, I suspect that you have learned, or recalled many of the major structures from your anatomy classes. In Chapter 7 I was particularly impressed by a couple of things. First, the discussion about the physical structure of the neuronal network (actually from Chapter 6, p. 95) and second, the picture of the development of synapses (p. 116). What have you learned this semester about the brain that has surprised you?

Learning and Emotion

In the powerpoint today (sorry it was a little late getting loaded- all up now!) I reviewed the 3 important rules for helping people to learn that Zull describes in Chapter 4. The first two: the learner must have some control and the learner must see how it matters to his/her life, are likely not new to most teachers and we have discussed both already this semester. The third rule however I think deserves some additional discussion: We must expect to encounter emotion (in learning) and we must take it seriously (p.52). How have you seen emotion in learning with your students? How do you think we as teachers take it seriously? If all learning involves emotion, how does this impact teaching?

Memorization and Fluency

Hey everybody! I am your discussion leader for the week. I am so excited to get everyone's input and opinions on memorization. In chapter 5, Zull tells an interesting story about the memory of her former student Anita. I want to get all of your opinions on memorization. These are the two articles I would like to discuss and a video to go along with them.

http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2015/02/03/math-and-the-brain-memorization-is-overrated-says-education-expert/

http://www.youcubed.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FluencyWithoutFear-Jan-28-2015.pdf

These are some questions to guide the discussion:

1. What are your thoughts about this research?

2. Do you require students to memorize anything in your class?

3. Do you see any advantages or disadvantages in your classroom of students memorizing facts?

4. What is your opinion of timed tests and do you use them?

5. Do you see students freeze up when taking timed tests or tests where they are required to memorize facts ?

Possible Effects of Internet Use on the Adolescent Brain

Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Watts and I will be leading our weekly discussion. This week we will be reading chapters three and four from the book, The Art of Changing the Brain. These chapters discuss brain connections and motivation of the learner. Along with reading these chapters, you will also need to read the article on possible effects of the Internet on the adolescent brain. This article, along with a review of the article, can be found on Moodle. Below are some topics for discussion. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone!

1. Before reading the article, what were your thoughts on how the Internet impacted adolescents in the classroom?

2. Did your thoughts change after reading the article? If so, in what way(s)?

3. In chapter 8 of Zadina’s book, she discusses how technology is rewiring the adolescent brain. Some ways positive, some negative. It is stated that learning games can be motivating, but multitasking can impair learning. How would you create an equal balance among your students?

4. In chapter four of The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull discusses motivation. He states that extrinsic motivation is usually aimed at the wrong target and intrinsic motivation leads to learning being the reward. Do you think the use of the Internet in learning motivates the students extrinsically or intrinsically? Have you seen examples of these types of motivation in your own classroom?

The Physical Classroom Environment

Hi Class, My name is Katy and I will be your discussion leader for the week.

This week we are wrapping up our Zadina text by taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Zadina includes a small section in which she discusses the physical environment of a school, specifically students feeling safe and relaxed in their school environment. This piqued my interest. I teach at a school where the heating and cooling system is so old that it takes 2 days to turn on or off the boiler system, so those two days in early March where it was 80 degrees on Wednesday and 40 degrees on Thursday, the physical environment (hot and sticky) truly impacted my students ability to concentrate. When looking more into classroom environment I found a lot of literature on classroom environment in terms of classroom culture, but very little on the physical environment. This surprised me. I know that I get a “feel” for a class and a teacher just by walking in the room, even when no one is present.

I have submitted two articles and a youtube video for you all to enjoy this week. I am excited to get this conversation going.

This week I would love to hear your thoughts on:

1. What pre-service training (in college or certification program) or support from your school did you receive concerning your physical classroom environment?

2. My first year teaching I rearranged my classroom 3-4 times the first semester… what mistakes did you make with your environment and what have you learned? Or, if you are not in the classroom, describe some really great or poor examples of classroom environment?

3. Based on your readings this week, what is one thing you might like to try this year, next year, or when you are in the classroom, in terms of your classroom’s physical environment?

Is online learning social?

This week's discussion about the importance of social interaction for learning makes me think about online learning. Do you think of online learning in your online class as social? What do you think?

The Importance of the Arts on the Brain and Achievement

Hi, all!  I'm extremely excited about leading this week's discussion! Please refer to the Microsoft Word document attached to the Week 8 Section of Moodle. You will also find a video there of my review of resources in lieu of a Powerpoint.  I will post the links and questions here as well, as it will be easier than going back and forth.  

 http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/Arts-At-Risk-Youth.pdf

-Did any statistics surprise you? 

-For those of you that have arts programs at schools where you teach, have you seen evidence of arts-involvement benefits in students?  If you are not currently teaching, perhaps you attended schools where the arts were prevalent.   Thinking back, can you remember any evidence from the primary or secondary grades showing benefits of arts involvement?

-For those of you who do not have arts programs in schools, do you see a distinct need for them?

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/VideoStories/diane-ravitch.aspx

-Diane Ravitch states “The Arts Are Experience.” In Chapter 2 of The Art of Changing The Brain, Dr. James Zull cites Dr. David Kolb’s book, Experiential Learning and the concept of the learning cycle.  In thinking about experiential learning, how can the arts “be experience?”

-What solution(s) can you propose to the problem that most low SES schools are facing in the loss of arts programs?

http://www.dana.org/publications/reportdetails.aspx?id=44249

-Based on this research, what are the implications for educators?

I can't wait to watch our discussion grow!

-Jamie Hipp

FOCUS: Learning Strategy for Students with ADHD

Hello everyone I am Morgan and I will be leading discussion this week!

This week I wanted to extend our previous discussion on chapter 5 about listening and memory. My background is in special education but I have also taught in the classroom as a general education teacher. I wanted to find a topic that most, if not all teachers could relate to and that is teaching students with ADHD. 

I found this article about a learning strategy developed to teach listening skills to students with ADHD. The name of the strategy is called FOCUS and the article can be found on moodle. The article states that FOCUS teaches students to become active listeners to improve learning, but I saw it as more of a way to teach students how to focus their attention in the classroom. What were your thoughts?

I have posted a powerpoint and TED talk on moodle as well as the article. The TED talk gives a different perspective of ADHD and how students can use this to their advantage. 

• After reading about this specific learning strategy, would this be something you might consider using in your classroom? Why? Why not?
• After watching the TED talk video on ADHD did your perception of ADHD change? 
• What other strategies do you use in your classroom to engage students who struggle with inattentiveness or hyperactivity-impulsivity to improve attention and working memory? 
• Addition thoughts about the article or TED talk. 

I understand it, I know it- but I can't say it

This week we are talking about language and math pathways. Zadina talks about students that struggle with issues such as knowing information, but are unable to say it or pronounce a sound or have trouble remembering math formulas. Have you had an experience with a student that has exhibited a problem discussed in the chapter? How did the student behave? What id you believe the problem to be at the time? How did you address it then? What would you do differently now?

Standardized Testing and Working Memory

Janet Zadina made a post just this week on her Facebook page. She linked to the following and made this comment: 'Many of the questions are actually testing working memory, rather than rote or long term memory-knowledge. This is a problem. Deficits in working memory are associated with poverty achievement gap, as well as other situations. So the tests are not measuring what they purport to measure." http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/ar-buds-computers-needed-new-standardized-tests/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour

What are your thoughts, based on what you have learned so far? 

The Adaptable Brain

Greetings everyone! I have been waiting to start this discussion for a few weeks now, so I am eager to get things started! I am Shelli, your discussion leader for this week, and we are going to talk about the adolescent brain and its adaptability! The adolescent brain's adaptability is important to teaching because you, as the teacher, have so much power in shaping your students' brains and social development. Please watch the TED talk posted on Moodle for this week and take a look at the Powerpoint review of the talk. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this topic. I'll start by posing a few questions and we will progress from there.

Now knowing that development is still taking place in the adolescent brain as late as 30 years old, does this change how you view your teaching? Do you feel like you can really make an impact on your high school or above aged students?

One thing that I found interesting was that during adolescence risk taking is high, but I find that students are so reluctant to take risks in school. What are your thoughts on this?

Have a great week!

J. Livingston Intro Video

Can music improve attention and learning?

Hi all, here's another article that I thought was really interesting: Bridging Music Neuroscience Evidence to Music Therapy Best Practice in the Early Childhood Classroom.
You can find a summary of the article here.

Do you use music in your classroom?  If so, do you think it has helped students learned?  How does the information in this article align with and/or contradict other chapters/ articles we've read so far this semester?

Have technology and multitasking rewired how students learn?

Hi everyone! I'll be posting two articles for discussion this week.  The first is an article on how technology impacts thinking and learning, and implications for technology use in the classroom.
You can find the article here and an overview of the article here.
Please comment on the following questions...
-What have you observed when students interact with technology in your classroom?  What are you currently doing and how can you use technology more effectively after reading this article?
-What role does working memory play in the effectiveness of technology?  What considerations need to be made to differentiate for all learners when we use technology in the classroom?

Why focus on the negative?

So in the powerpoint yesterday I posed a question: Why do you think researchers started with the negative emotions first? And do you think it is important to consider the positive emotions? If we could really understand, completely understand the implications of negative emotions and how they work, would it be important to know about positive emotions? Love to hear your thoughts.

Maya's Intro Video

Hi all, here's my intro video.  Hopefully it works. :)

Creating new knowledge while sleeping

I thought this might be of interest to our class. Here is a post from Zadina's Facebook page today. She noted that sleeping helps learning at all ages. .http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150129125546.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain+%28Mind+%26+Brain+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Morgan's intro video

file:///Users/morganwalker/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library.photolibrary/Masters/2015/01/28/20150128-115704/IMG_0022.MOV

My apologies for the late video. I was having some technical difficulties. 

Heather's Intro

 

Amy Perrin Intro Video

Hi everyone, here is my introduction video! -Amy

Hi! I'm Jamie Hipp!

(What a weird face I'm making in the still shot from the video!  Eww!)

Ashley's Intro

Chapter 1: What is learning anyway?

Here we are!! Now we can begin! We have so much to talk about as we begin to read and learn about the brain and learning. So I am going to start with a very basic question and one that is outlined in your text (all of the discussion questions won't be this straight forward- I promise!): What is learning? As you read the Chapter 1- what were your thoughts about how learning differs from thinking? We use these words interchangeably- but they really are quite different. I would love to hear your thoughts. Particularly how this might impact what you do as teachers.

Katy's Intro

Meredith Intro

Shelli Intro

Welcome!

Welcome to the course blog! This is the place where we will have our class discussions this semester. I am searching for a great picture to add to the blog. If you find a great one- let me know :) We need something to make it look a little more appealing. In the coming days, we will start to fill this site with the introductory videos or prezis of each of you. Since this isn't a face to face class, and we may never have an opportunity to meet, I find that these videos are really important to get to put a face with the name. Please tell us a little about yourself and what you want to learn this semester. Looking forward to it!