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E-portfolios are great to assess students' work and allow for reflection, as they exhibit students' efforts, progress, and achievements.

Both teachers and students benefit from using rubrics. Rubrics let students know how they will be graded on an assignment, serving as a checklist of what students should include in their assignment. Rubrics also help teachers grade students' work, providing structure for which the teacher can use to determine if a student has met the requirements for an assignment. They are good to use for assignments that do not feature a straightforward answer, such as an essay or a project.

I like the idea of clickers--I like that they increase student interaction and participation, as they allow students who do not usually participate for fear of choosing the wrong answer actively engage in the classroom. However, I do not think I will use clickers in my classroom; instead, I will use individual dry erase boards. The teacher can have students write the answer to a question on their dry erase boards and after sufficient time, hold them up for the teacher to see. I think these are as beneficial as clickers but more convenient because, as a teacher, I would not have to worry if the dry erase boards work, unlike clickers, which are unpredictable.

A computer-scored tests allow students to record their responses on a "bubble" sheet that can be scored by a computer. I took a class where the teacher used scratch-off scantrons for tests. When an answer choice is scratched off, the space is either blank, meaning it is the wrong choice, or a check mark, meaning it is the correct answer. If a student initially chooses the wrong answer, he can scratch off the other choices to see the correct answer, possibly receiving partial credit if he reveals the correct answer on the second try. I like that this type of scantron allowed me to immediately know the correct answer to a question rather than having to wait a week or so for my scantron to be scored. With regular scantrons, by the time I get it back, I most likely have forgotten the material and am no longer interested to see the correct answers to the questions I missed.

Overall, I prefer paper-based tests to computer-based tests, as I can highlight important information, take notes, and cross out answer choices that I know to be incorrect. Furthermore, I can skip more difficult questions and return to them later.

9

Notes
- Purpose of chapter: Technologies that allow us to reason & represent ideas visually
- 2 uses of visualization tools:
- Interpretive- helps learners view & manipulate visuals, extracting meaning from the information being visualized
- Expressive- helps learners visually convey meaning to communicate a set of beliefs
- 5 kinds of visualization tools
1) Scientific visualization tools- science requires understanding visual relationships among things that are impossible to see
- McSpartan program- visualize molecules using 5 different representations; test different bonds & create ions & new molecules
- eChem- build molecular models & view multiple representations of molecules
- Molecular Workbench- create visual models of the interactions among atoms & molecules
- Geographic information systems- storing, retrieving, displaying, analyzing, & manipulating geographic data (195)
- MapTap Atlas, Google Earth, SketchUp
2) Mathematical visualization tools
- Mathematica, MathLab > visually represent mathematical relationships in problems so that learners can see the effects of problem manipulation (seldom used in K-12)
- Graphing calculators- build understanding of linear relationships; make connections between what is happening contextually, numerically, graphically, & symbolically
- TinkerPlots (grades 4-8) > different patterns & clusters in statistical data; enables students w/ different cognitive styles to find a mathematical representation that makes sense to them
- Fathom Dynamic Statistics Software- high school students make sense of large data sets
- Geometric Supposer- making & testing conjectures in geometry through constructing & manipulating geometric objects & exploring the relationships among them
3) Digital cameras & mobile phones
4) Video productions
5) Video modeling & feedback- model actual performance & mental processes involved w/ the performance

Although the tools discussed in the science and math sections are useful, they are too advanced for elementary students. Science topics, especially chemistry, are often difficult for students to visualize because they may be too large or too small to analyze effectively. Technology can be used to help students further understand and visualize a concept. Math equations can also be represented visually. This helps students who have different learning styles.

I like the idea of using a digital camera in the classroom. As I mentioned in a previous post, I think it is a great idea to have a classroom newspaper, and students can use a digital camera to capture images to go along with the stories in the paper.

Digital storytelling would be fun to incorporate in my classroom. It could be used when students learn about the different parts of a story, such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The following is an idea of how I could approach this: First, students can identify the parts of a story using a book that is read in class. Then, they can write their own story, making sure to include all the elements of a story in their writing. A checklist of the different parts of a story can be used to help them write their story. Finally, they can film their story.

Video modeling and feedback are useful because it helps the viewer reflect on his performance. However, I do not think I will use this with younger elementary students. I think it is more appropriate to use with students in a Speech class to improve their public speaking skills or for a teacher to use to evaluate the teaching of a lesson.

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Notes
- Similar strategies used in problem solving & in designing (170)
- Chapter describes 4 such contexts where meaningful learning in traditional subject areas can be enhanced with the use of design activities that are made more effective through learning technologies (Drawing design ideas with computer-aided design software; Testing designs and building mental models with simulation software; Developing programming skills while designing in the media arts; Designing music with composition software)
- Challenge of using design tasks in classrooms > many students are not skilled at converting their conceptions into usable graphics that can then be examined & developed further
- Computer-aided design (CAD) program
-- Early design phases > examine their ideas & make changes in their design's structural features, color, or surface texture
-- Later design phases > produce final drawings from which physical prototypes of devices get made
- CAD program--pro/DESKTOP used in schools > students develop their ideas as virtual objects
- Specialty CAD programs
-- Sketchup--architectural design > helps users build solid models of houses & their interiors from which blue-print styled floor plans can be printed
- Simulation programs > helps students build mental models of how the natural world works, helps students build causal links & explanations of how the system works & how elements within the system interact with one another
- Trebuchet Simulator > provides designers w/ fast feedback on design ideas they have & reveals problems w/ planned devices
-- Iterative design is central to doing an effective design. For iterative design to work, students need to be able to propose ideas, build & test prototypes, diagnose & remedy problems w/ their interim designs, & then implement improvements quickly
-- Too much project time gets consumed making & testing a single design plan

Although computer-aided design software is beneficial to use as it allows students to construct their own learning, I do not think CAD is appropriate to use with elementary school students. The chapter discusses using Pro/DESKTOP to teach children how to make a Lego block, but I think this is too advanced for young students. I do not see myself using this tool in my classroom.

Simulations are great to use in middle school and in high school classrooms. I like that the Trebuchet Simulator allows students to use their time and materials more efficiently because students are able to create their models on the computer before creating real-life versions of their models. This promotes meaningful learning because students continually modify their model based on trial and error. The Trebuchet Simulator can also be used to help students make informed design decisions based on evidence rather than random guessing. When I read about simulations in a previous chapter, I explored a simulation involving a parachute. I could manipulate its thickness and size, among other factors. I did this blindly without knowing how they affect the quality of the parachute, and my parachute was not a success. If I knew how these influenced the quality of the parachute, I could have created a successful one. An activity such as this helps students understand the relationship between various concepts learned in science class, for example.

Scratch was my introduction to designing. Scratch is great for teachers to use to create games for their students to play to review material learned in class. This allows the teacher to control the content addressed rather than relying on just any game for students to play to review the content. It has the same benefits as a teacher creating his own worksheets and quizzes rather than relying on standard, pre-packaged assessment materials. Teachers can also have students design games for their peers to play. By creating their own game, students demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the material because it is necessary for them to really know the material to be able to represent it accurately.

I enjoyed reading about music composition software. I think it is a great idea to incorporate music in the classroom. Such programs as GarageBand and the Musical Sketch Pad allow students to compose their own music. Many schools do not have music programs due to lack of funding; however, with composition software, students are able to experience and to experiment with different instruments without them actually being present.