Part A:
Assessment is a common aspect of each and every classroom. In the twenty-first century classroom, assessment for learning is essential to ensure that students are mastering key skills. The video, Assessment for Learning, points out key strategies that can be employed in the classroom in order to ensure student success. After watching the video, share your thoughts on the structures and strategies a teacher needs to put into place in order to ensure that an effective classroom environment is created to foster twenty first century learning.
Choose one of the following digital tools to enhance your written response (Smore, Prezi, PowTown,Sliderocket, Present.me, or other presentation software). Utilizing technology in this discussion will further prepare you for the Final Project in Week Six.
Address and include the following:
- Key strategies from the video
- Your own ideas about both formative and summative assessments
- How both sets of ideas could be implemented to create an effective classroom environment
- Be sure to include examples to illustrate and support your ideas.
Part B:
In the discussion forums for the last two weeks, Sir Ken Robinson and Seth Godin challenged us to think differently about what the purpose of school is. Seth suggests that students should be able to watch lessons at home and meet with the teacher during the day to engage in deep conversation answering questions from the video and not simply sitting in class listening to a lecture. In fact, Khan Academy is considered an innovative flipped classroom model that has taken this strategy to scale across America. In the video, Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education, Salman Khan, the developer of Khan Academy discusses how shifting lectures to video provides a way to revolutionize education by making learning accessible anytime, anyway, and anyplace. On the contrary, the video What if Khan Academy Was Made in Japan? suggests that Khan Academy reinforces the American model of learning, which continues to focus on the idea of watch a lesson and practice the skill. After you watch both videos, think about the focus of this week’s reading: delivering effective lessons that connect your students to learning. How do you reconcile the two different perspectives on learning exhibited in the videos? What relevance do you see in each perspective? In what ways, if any, does either approach to teaching and learning reflect constructivism? If you were asked to pick a side to support, which strategy would have a greater impact on ensuring students master twenty first century skills? Explain your thinking.