ASSESS ME

  ASSESS ME

The future holds some amazing tools and methods for assessment in education.  Tools that have 3D projection and wall format display glass that makes it easier to learn and teach with.  These tools can also be used for assessment.  Assessment itself will offer new modes of assessment that will help teachers meet their students’ “need to learn, when they need to learn it to learn what they need, when they need to learn it, in a way that is most interesting to them” (http://youtu.be/7idyNIvVCis).  But, how close are we to seeing schools use technology for assessment and instruction?

In my opinion and using the Texas Teacher School Technology and Readiness (STaR) Chart performance descriptions, I would have to say that we are in the developing technology phase. As a teacher formerly from the north Texas area, I know that there are quite of few schools and districts that are at the forefront of technology education trends such as New Technology High School in Coppell, TX.   Currently, as a teacher in the south Texas area, I know from my own experiences and the experience of my contacts in other school districts in this area, there is still some teacher resistance and lack of knowledge and training in the use of some the current technologies.  Available tools such as rapid response systems, Plickers, Socrative.com, NearPod, e-portfolios, and EdModo just to name a few, are randomly used by teachers within their classrooms.  Unless mandated to use specific assessment tools, the majority of teachers do not use them.  When it comes to the use of a mandated assessment tool, such as AWARE which is the assessment component part of the Eduphoria suite apps, teachers learn to use it because they have to.  Although the assessment component allows for analysis with the hope of individualized instruction and remediation for students, the data may be skewed because the assessments created are only as good as the creators.

Again, I believe we are in the DEVELOPING stage.  The future is here and we,unfortunately, are not adapting as quickly as new technology and assessment methods are arriving.