My name is Paige Schoolman, I have been a Technology Teacher at Minooka Community High School since the 2000-2001 school year. I teach mostly 9th and 10th graders but will occasionally be given some sections with 11th & 12th graders. Most of my schedule is filled with an Introduction to Computer Applications course. This course is designed to be an introduction to all the technologies available at MCHS. I am always looking for new and innovative ideas for this course. In addition to Computer Apps, I also teach an Google Apps course as well as Microsoft Certification Prep.
As a technology teacher I have a high level of comfort with old and new technologies. Throughout my years as an educator, I have seen technology change and have learned to be a life-long learner when it comes to teaching technology. Each year is a new adventure and I look forward to the challenges and discoveries that we make in my classroom.
My current favorite tech tool is Google Classroom. Our school transitioned to a google school multiple years ago. I had the pleasure of piloting the use of Google Classroom and Google tools in my Computer Apps courses. I have found this tool to be an amazing way to communicate with students as well as to distribution center for assessments. When the pandemic hit, my classes seamlessly rolled into remote learning.
Minooka is a 1:1 school with all students having a school-issued Chromebook. My classes are located in a computer lab where students have access to pc laptops.
I have daily failures and successes with Technology Education. Mostly I have learned that something is bound to go wrong sometime in the semester and I have learned to adapt and overcome with almost any situation. In reality, if a technology fails in my class, it won't be the end of the world. We simply learn to work with what we have and collectively find an alternative to accomplish our tasks.
“A Grid Method educator provides students varied learning opportunities dependent on student learning styles, accessibility to technology, and student needs.”
The Grid Method uses a multitude of available resources to to “build an environment dedicated to growth mastery”.
In a grid method learning environment the “educators act as a facilitator of learning throughout the day-to-day class period.”
According to this Article (Links to an external site.) from the website Maneuvering The Middle, the grid method breaks up a whole curriculum into digestible parts that are scaffolded into learning pathways towards mastery of learning standards. By utilizing a google doc, an educator creates a hyperdoc that contains Learning Objectives and a 4 step process for students to follow in their journey towards mastery.
What is knowledge RECALL & REPRODUCTION
How can the knowledge be used? SKILLS & CONCEPTS
Why can this knowledge be used? STRATEGIC THINKING
What else can be done with the Knowledge? EXTENDED THINKING
In theMr and Mrs Social Studies video (Links to an external site.)the speaker defines the Grid Method as a a method for mastery learning that gives students the flexibility to work at their own pace. In her example she created a Hyperdoc utilizing google docs that contained formative activities that students would work through on their journey toward mastery of learning targets.
The grid method would be used in my computer education classroom as a vehicle to move students toward mastery of topics. Similar to the badging system I created in the previous unit, this methodology allows students to see the entire path toward mastery. Instead of the educator pushing out 1 formative assignment each day with no clear vision of the end of the learning path, students can see where they should be able to produce at the end of the grid. The grid will move them through activities that will lead them to full mastery of a concept.
Below is a simple outline of how I may use the Grid Method in my Google Apps course.
210s Students will learn to how and when to use individual font formatting tools in a google doc.
Change font characteristics font type, size, and line spacing, Bold, Underline, Italics, Font Color, and Highlight Color
212 Teacher Video
Youtube Resources
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212 Student Directions
212 Working Doc
212 Rubric
Customize font characteristics of font styles. Apply font styles to selected text. Use paint format tool to duplicate font characteristics
213 Teacher Video
Youtube Resources
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213 Student Directions
213 Working Doc
213 Rubric
Convert a list of information into both bulleted lists and numbered lists. Customize bulleted lists using symbols. Adjust spacing before and after listed items.
214 Teacher Video
Youtube Resources
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213 Student Directions
213 Working Doc
213 Rubric
Utilize Spelling Suggestions, Cut, Copy, Paste, Find and Replace, Text, Increase Indent of Text,
218
Based on a real life scenario, you will Utilize font formatting tools that best fit the situation.
The grid method applies learning standards and mastery learning into methodology to deliver the content. What makes a big impression on this method is the “big picture” view that the student can see when they open the grid. Students can see where they are going and should better understand why they are progressing through the various formative activities. Similar to the approach I wanted to take in Module 4, I would give students the choice of 6 units to start the semester. Using the Grid method I can provide students with an entire unit of information in 1 google doc. This would take me as a teacher off the rat race of providing activities everyday to make sure they are busy. My energy and time during the school day can be spent helping and talking with students in their journey towards mastery.
Grading
As a school community we have been evolving over the last few years to a Formative / Summative concept. %80 of the student’s grade is based off of Summative assessments and 20% off of Formative assessments. This has been a major shift in our grading processes. In the past we have had approximately 42 class periods in a semester, we had ~42 activities with rubrics that assessed whether a student was able to follow directions, use the tools, and do the work. Grading was tedious, overwhelming, and in the end probably not conducive to creating change in learning. The move to Formative / Summative has helped us focus on only a couple ‘graded’ skills in the formatives. The next step in the evolution process will be to create more rigor in our summative assessments as well as the possibility of choice. I want my students to be able to show me they have mastered the concepts we have covered. I don’t want them to just follow directions. I want them to take ownership of the knowledge they have gained and show me how they can use it.
As an elective course on the secondary level, I have always been conscious of a rigorous grading system that would cause too many students to struggle. I have always been more concerned with the experiences that the students are gaining in my class and how experiences with the tools they use transfers to their other classes. I have always struggled in my mind how to make those gained experiences fit into a gradebook.
The Standards based learning is a different lens to look at how my class worked. I really didn’t understand Standards based learning until experiencing it as a parent through my son’s grade school. I like the methodology and focus on specific targets. I also like the concept that student’s are on a journey toward that mastery and will get there at different times. So how do we assign grades at a given point in a semester? Does every student start with a “0%” or “F” because they have gained no mastery yet and slowly work up the Mastery level. Do students have exempts in the Gradebook until they prove they have mastered a concept? So student’s have a “100%” to start and earn points in summative assessments. I don’t want to focus on Grades. I would rather focus on communication and improving learning. But how do I fit that into my online district gradebook.
References
Brack, P. B., Brack, T., Says, K. C., & Curren, K. (2021, April 16). The Grid Method: Student Paced Mastery Learning. Retrieved from https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/what-is-the-grid-method/
Danielson Framework Alignment Free Download. (2019, May 09). Retrieved from https://www.teachbetter.com/danielsonframeworkdownload/
How to Use the Grid Method in Your Classroom: Mastery Learning. (2018, November 11). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/p4kTquq9g5k
Module 3 of USF 697 took a dive into 'grades' and what they communicate back to the students. Do the grades we give students reflect what they have learned or are they simply compensation for work completed. (Links to an external site.)
In the Rick Wormeli, video he points out that in the grades should be a communication of what has been learned. Grades should indicate master of content and bounded by evidence. According to Wormeli Grades should not be used as compensation.
In the Gonzalez / Sackstein Podcast, Sackstein believes that “teachers need to separate behaviors and achievement and consider grading to be a way of communicating achievement, not compliance.” Making grades tied to conformity actions places the focus on following rules instead of focusing on the learning process. As I reflect on my years of teaching, I have based many of my ‘grading’ protocols on a compensation model. In the past, I had viewed the assignments in my class as preparing students for the grind of the real world. You have duties that are assigned, you have due dates, you need to get the job done on time. You are rewarded by being given a grade for your work.
I completely ran my class on what Wormeli would call a compensation system. I still believe there is value in this model of instruction / grading. However this system was never really never tied to learning. The system I was taught and used was really just rewarding students for doing the work. The learning was incidental. They had to learn the technology tools to do the job. They show some evidence of learning because they accomplished the task and used the tools I asked them to use. But did they really prove they understand the tool and how to apply it in real life situations? If I am being honest, I am not sure what level execution they could use these tools in real life.
Another point I appreciated from the Sackstein podcast was that her objective is for her students to achieve “mastery of standards in a particular area.” And what is key in her approach is the understanding that “it’s not going to take all of them the same amount of time to master those skills and forcing them to master it at the same time is unfair.” Sackstein uses a system where evaluation is not final at any point during the semester on any particular standard. Students are at
NI - No Information
A - Approaching Standard
M - Meets Standards
E - Exceed Standards
Sackstein accompanies these evaluation levels with feedback to help the student continue to grow in their mastery of the standard. In Sackstein’s class, the mastery of standards is not tied to a timeline.
(Links to an external site.)In Dylan Hyman’s video, She pointed out that ‘“65% of kids in primary school today will do jobs that do not exist today!” This tells me that we need to be teaching students to be life-long learners. We must teach transferable skills and we need to train them on how to be independent discovery learners.
This spoke to me as a computer teacher because it seems like technology is in a constant state of change. Many years ago we converted an old “keyboarding” curriculum into a basic computer application concepts course. The class has continuously evolved as technology changes, existing tools are updated to new versions, and new technologies emerge. In this class I try to teach discovery approach to Spreadsheet software, Presentation Software, and Document production software. I give students experiences in at least 2 different applications in each category. We compare similarities and differences while emphasizing that while the tool may change the basic concepts behind the application will be similar to one of the ones you have worked in.
In technology education student’s need to be comfortable in investigating and exploring new tools. This is possibly the most important skill I teach. Many times I will introduce a new application and tell students to take the next 30 minutes and “Play around with the application.” I will give them some loose parameters about what I want tools I want them to work with, but in reality I just want them to learn that it is ok to explore a new tool. I like these days were the kids explore, but never know how to fit it in the gradebook. The resources in the last two modules about formative and summative assessments have made me more comfortable with giving activities like this without grading it.
Hyman referenced testing is like “a very very accurate telescope that are focused on just a few stars at the expense of a universe of knowledge.” Instead of giving the students time to explore, I could show the student how to do a specific task. The students would follow along and do it. But will they remember how to do the task in the future? Will they apply the knowledge in a situation they need to apply it? Will my student’s just be limited to the skills that I know? Exploration allows my students to find new ways of doing things that I could not bring to the class. When I am caught up in the “Grading” everything we do in class cycle, I sacrifice the exploration portion where kids learn through spontaneous discovery.
Overall this module gave me though provoking ideas on how to transform my teaching from a compensatory grader to one that will use formative assessments to guide students towards mastery of standards.
One Strategy I have used in the past is the use of Exit slips. Students respond to a prompt and explain what they learned in their own words. This can be done with paper and pen. This exercise is formative because it is informing me as the instructor about where the students in thier learning process. Review of the exit slips can show mastery or deficiencies in regards to the prompts. This process leads to adjustment in daily presentations and future assessments.
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Multiple tools can be used to create a digital Exit Ticket. One tool would be the use of a reflection google doc pushed out through Google classroom as “make a copy for each student” . The document can be formatted with a table that leaves room for prompts and student responses. SEE EXAMPLE (Links to an external site.).
The question feature in Google classroom can also be used as an exit ticket. I like the Question feature as a Warm Up activity. Students respond to a prompt checking for understanding. Students are given time to answer the prompt and respond to classmates.
Apps like PearDeck can also be used to check for understanding during a presentation.
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An online formative assessment tool should be timely.. In order to be effective feedback from a formative assessment must be done in a timely manner that gives the learner a chance to improve their learning.
An assessment tool should indicate what students have already mastered and the areas where improvement is needed. As an instructor I need to know where my students are at in the learning process and meet them there.
And thus the final feature an assessment tool should have is that it should lead to improved learning and teaching. According to the article Formative Assessment: Tracking Student Learning in Real Time““Formative assessment leads to a change in behavior for both student and teacher.””. Both the learner and teacher should be able to use the assessment tool to make adjustments in delivery and learning.
Resources
“Formative Assessment: Tracking Student Learning in Real Time.” RSS, www.activelylearn.com/post/formative-assessment-tracking-student-learning-in-real-time.
Is personalized learning possible in your classroom? If so, how could/do you manage it?
As I read through the resources, I struggled to see a consistent routine of personalized learning in my class. The two main subjects I teach are basic level technology courses. Students learn basic tools in Google, Microsoft, and a multitude of other programs. I present a tool, students work along with me using the tool, and then student work on a formative assessment practicing using the tool.
In the article Students As Agents and Teachers As Coaches Stefanie Blouin explains: “Differentiation starts with academic goals that are the same for the group. Personalization builds on these common standards but also considers the personal learning goals that are especially meaningful to each student. Furthermore, personalization not only shifts classroom instruction, it also shifts the role of students and teachers.” This shift in mindset is the aha moment for me.
Is it ok for me to not be the ‘Show’ in front of the room?
Can I trust in the students to take ownership in their learning and create their own learning path?
I will try to approach the concept of personalized learning with this new mindset (but still some skepticism). One way I could use personalized learning is by giving student’s choice on what path they want to take in learning the courses required objectives. During the pandemic our team created learning videos for each lesson. I could post the entire semester worth of objectives and Formative assessments in Google classroom. I would divide each unit into a group and number the assignments so the students would still follow a logical learning progression in the given computer program. But the students would be given a choice on which program they want to learn first. Students could work through the various formative exercises to learn to use the tools listed in the objectives of the unit. When ready, they could prove their ability in a specific program by completing a summative activity that shows their mastery.
By taking this approach I would will have transformed my student’s into what Blouin called ‘Active Agents’ that take ownership in “what they learn (content), how and how fast they learn (process and pace), and/or, how they demonstrate their learning (work products).”
What are the toughest struggles you foresee when implementing personalized learning in your classroom?
Here are a couple problems I foresee:
A certain portion of my student’s would become overwhelmed with the large amount of formative assessments that are given at the beginning of class.
A different portion of my student’s would work through the formative and summative assessments so fast they would be done way before the end semester. In a utopian world this would be great, except that is not how a school semester works and I still need to keep those students occupied.
Providing individual critical feedback on formative assessments would be very difficult if my students were turning in different assessments at the same time.
Spring 2022 Experiment
I used a self-paced program this semester with my Microsoft Office Exam Prep course that lead students through tutorials and exercises in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Every student was on a different pace. Students completed formative assessments, the program provided feedback on errors. And when they were ready they completed Summative assessments at their own pace. I experienced a wide range of student achievement with this method. Some students could not get out of the Microsoft Word unit while others completed all three programs with 3 weeks to spare. I was OK with this different level of achievement. But the tricky part comes in when I need to assign the dreaded Grade. The one student that barely completed Word worked really hard all semester, learned a lot about the program. It just took him longer. Others that completed all 3 programs worked hard to and learned a lot about all 3 programs.
How do you assign traditional grades to this?
I think the concept of “Badging” would be a great tool in this situation. Students earn badges by showing mastery of a tool. My 1 student would receive a Microsoft Word Associate badge while other students could earn Associate badges in Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Creating Digital Badge board with Google Docs as shown in the Sean JunkinsYoutube Video (Links to an external site.) Minimize Videocould be used to visually give ‘credit’ within my course for objectives learned. Additionally by sharing the Badge Board with the class, Students in the class can see who has earned a badge in a specific unit. As the semester progresses each student could become an expert in that area and could assist students who are getting to that unit at a later date.
How can personalized learning be assessed for your students?
For my students, doing the “tasks” within the formative assessment projects provides them the opportunity to experience the tools that we are trying master. Each project is designed to feature a few old tools for reinforcement and new tools for learning. Timely Feedback would be critical for the student’s learning to continue. I would use Google Classroom to push the formative assessments out to the students. When a student has completed an assessment they would turn it in and place a private comment in the assignment indicating they are ready for it to be assessed. If we are in class I would call the student back to my desk to review the assessment with the student and indicate where they did or did not show their ability to use the tools related to the objectives. If a student completed the assessment outside of class I would use the comment features in Google Classroom to provide feedback.
When a student has shown mastery of a unit’s learning objectives then the student could request the unit summative assessment. If focused on personalized learning, the summative assessment should give students the choice on how they want to show that they have mastered the learning objectives. One student may show his ability to use Google Slides tools by creating a google slide presentation that includes the use of all the tools in the learning objectives. Or another student my create a WeVideo demonstrating himself using all the Google Slide tools in the learning objectives. A third student may create a google doc in which they explain how to use each Google Slide tool in the learning objectives. As the instructor I am looking for mastery of the tools in the learning objectives. If the student has proven their ability to effectively use the tools then they would get “credit” for each learning object that they met.
The use of a class digital badge board would be a motivational tool as well as a way to visually show other students who they can go to for assistance.
As a technology teacher I have a high level of comfort with old and new technologies. Throughout my years as an educator, I have seen technology change and have learned to be a life-long learner when it comes to teaching technology. Each year is a new adventure and I look forward to the challenges and discoveries that we make in my classroom.
