Technology+Facilitator+Standard+4

TF/TL Standard 4 Assessment and Evaluation

Standard 4 is basically explaining the importance of assessing our student learning and evaluating our teaching and learning. There is a very high importance on assessing our students and evaluating their work. CBT’s have been a new and upcoming technology. We have learned through our coursework that immediate feedback on student performance is crucial. We have transitioned into a very “accountability” tracked educational system, especially in the main core subject areas. It aims for high level of student success and ensures that schools are teaching what they should be teaching. CBT’s allow for that. Student response systems are just one example of a CBT. Adaptive testing was another way technology can be utilized for assessment and evaluation in schools. The idea of being able to test to your student’s ability is amazing. The test bases itself on the student’s ability which I think is highly sophisticated. Online standardized testing has also grown in popularity but not at a rate that would be expected. It speeds up feedback time and those precious few months are not wasted waiting on results for administrators, teachers, parents and students. Technology can aid with alternative assessments. Students can show what they have learned in different ways. Steering away from pencil paper tests is the direction our education system should go. Students should be allowed to share their knowledge in ways that exhibit their creativity and knowledge about the subjects. Some barriers to assessing student technology literacy are there is limited availability of high quality assessment tools. Developing environments appropriate for technology literacy is expensive. School districts have limited monetary resources and there is more emphasis on core content areas. Technology is not our governments’ top priority. Standard 4 demonstrates a need for technology leaders and facilitators to create, implement, sustain and improve practices designed to holistically integrate technology drive data collection and use in school improvements. Technology facilitators and leaders need to be skilled and knowledgeable in evaluation principles to design, implement, defend and improve programs effectively. Effective evaluations can be time consuming. However, facilitators should be able to facilitate their teachers and staff into working together to create evaluations for student success. High quality evaluations of technology programs are both possible and necessary for our students today.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //Technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.