Monthly Updates From the Center for School Partnerships and Teacher Certification
DEC ’13
“Getting To The Core” As we near the end of another academic semester, we are reminded daily of the importance of keeping well. Entering a field that has a significant impact on many lives can take a toll on one’s well being. With that said, we would like to offer two pieces of advice during our academic break. The first and most important is to take time for yourself. As educators, we are often faced with making many decisions and it’s in our nature to always want to help others. However, overtime, we tend to neglect our own needs. Taking time for yourself will lead to healthier and happier outcomes, thus enabling you to continue to better help those in need which includes the students in the classrooms. The second piece of advice is take time to reflect on your semester. Ask yourself what went well, what was a challenge you encountered and what did you do to overcome the challenge? Being a reflective practitioner indicates that you are committed to being a lifelong learner and as a result, you will grow both personally and professionally.
We, at the Center for School Partnerships and Teacher Certification, hope that you are able to find time for yourself, reflect upon your past and have a safe, happy and enjoyable Holiday season!
“Bite By Bite” December ’13 Sun
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Last day of classes
17th
Final Grades Due
Do you have any dates that you would like us to publicize in 2014? Please send the event title with datestimes/location to: Nicole Feml (femlna@potsdam.edu).
“Fresh Pick Of The Month” Stephen Todd (featured on cover) Assistant Superintendent for Instruction St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES
One of the most important topics in education is also often one of the most neglected: assessment. Teachers need to know what students know and can do, and they need to have a system that allows them to gather that kind of information consistently, accurately, and efficiently. On the surface this sounds pretty simple, right? Educators have been giving students tests since the beginning of formal education, so isn’t good assessment just a function of writing good tests? In reality, effective assessment is much more complex than that. The best assessment systems focus upon “assessment for learning,” rather than simply focusing on “assessment of learning.” As effective teachers and school leaders gather information about what students know and can do throughout the school day, week, and year, they use that information to adjust their practice. They themselves learn from these assessments and make mid-course corrections in their planned instruction in order to ensure that all students are able to find success. Instead of relying solely on summative assessments at the end of a course of study, the most effective educators also use formative assessments and “in the moment” assessment to provide actionable information that will help them to adjust instruction and programming. Rick DuFour, one of the leaders of the Professional Learning Community movement, often refers to analysis of summative assessments as an “autopsy”: we are able to see what worked or didn’t work after the fact, but it does us very little good in treating the patient. DuFour reminds us that formative and “in the moment” assessment is more like regular check-ups by our doctor, allowing the patient to be “treated” along the way…and hopefully allowing the summative assessment to become a celebration of good health, rather than an autopsy. One of the biggest challenges, though, is to ensure that we do not over-test our students. Assessment can mean so much more than traditional testing, and if done well, it can be woven seamlessly into instruction. Performance-based assessments can often provide educators with some of the most useful information they need to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and student learning. By embedding performance-based tasks into their instructional programs, teachers can gather valuable information about what students know and can do without students even realizing that they are being assessed. That doesn’t mean there is no place for traditional testing. But it does mean that as educators we need to take every opportunity to weave instruction and assessment together, so we can minimize the amount of instructional time lost to traditional testing. Good instruction and good assessment truly do go hand in hand.
“Planting Seeds” From the desk of our TaskStream Graduate Assistant Matthew Leifeld Educators have spent countless efforts to engage students in ways that benefit their education, as well as promote enjoyment of the curriculum and material presented in class. The rise of technology in the last decade has brought about both a gift and a curse to education. According to a study done by the National Center for Education, “using technology in the classroom keeps students engaged in lessons and leads to higher student achievement.” Of course this higher achievement is only possible if the technology being used, is done so in the most appropriate and effective way possible. The motivation of this article focuses on the under-rated and underutilized technologies available to everyday teachers in everyday classrooms. There are so many different types of technologies available today; free and open source applications from the Internet, simple “soft technologies,” or expensive devices purchased by districts for use in the classroom. Rather than try to encompass all of these various technologies, this article will focus on the technology that current students and professors here at SUNY Potsdam have deemed to be under-rated or underutilized. Social Media has evolved far past just communicating with friends and loved ones, and has quickly been adopted as the new information center of the Internet. Edmodo provides a great social media toolkit that allows the Teacher to control their own class blog, as well as calendar with events, and a space where students can peer-edit and peer-review work. It has the appeal of social media for students, and the tools for grading, assigning work, and communication for teachers. Edmodo can provide a great environment for any classroom, allowing Teachers to keep their classroom current to promote better student engagement and participation. More information can be found at Edmodo.com.
Cloud
space
has
become
the
alternative to Flash Drives, and has students and teachers sharing documents and information without the feeling of “death by handouts.” These spaces provide students with a great resource to keep assignments organized and accessible, allowing Teacher’s
to
have
access
to
assignments without having endless piles of papers cluttering their desk. Google Drive works with a great
resource
“Flubaroo.” is
an
within
plug-in This
integrated Google
called
application
grading
Drive
and
system Google
Docs. Flubaroo allows Educators to import spreadsheet data from Google Forms
and
automatically
grade
assignments using answer keys and
On a different end of the technology spectrum, Frame Games provide a great example of how diverse “Educational Technology” can really be. Considered a “soft technology,” Frame Games can be printed or electronic, but provide students with material that gets them thinking in new and innovative ways. We can define “soft technology” as technology that is not confined to any software or application, which allows students to freely think and enjoy the fun and competitive nature of games. Frame Games have students playing games through frames, often including letter arrangement games in English, or basic balancing games in Math.
grading details. More information can
be
Dropbox
found
at
provides
Flubaroo.com. another
great
space where students and teachers can have access to class materials and assignments, while not getting lost in the dreaded ‘pile of papers’ on the Teacher’s desk.
There are countless other examples of great technology available for teachers as well as students, it is important to keep in mind effectiveness and appropriateness when selecting what resources to use. The changing nature of technology requires that Educators stay current so that they may deliver the most effective instruction with technology resources.
“A Taste of Success” Alumni Spotlight: Amy Mathewson Master’s of Science for Teachers Childhood Education It is with great joy that I share my story with you. In May 2013, after a long year of hard work, I walked the stage at SUNY Potsdam receiving my graduate degree and the qualifications needed to be a teacher. Having heard of the great teaching opportunities in the U.K., I decided to apply to a teaching agency on a whim. Before I knew it I was being interviewed and was offered supply work. Having heard of the reputation of England’s school children, I decided supply teaching was not for me and boldly told them that I wanted my own classroom. As a result, I was given the opportunity to interview with an academy called AET, and a follow-up interview gave me another interview with a school called Noel Park Primary School in London, England. I anxiously waited to hear from them and to my amazement was offered a position. Out of excitement, I accepted before realizing the move meant leaving behind my family, friends, boyfriend of four years and my beloved pets. The heartache I felt when I had to get into the car to drive to the airport has been healed by the children I have the pleasure of teaching. The class I have inherited is one of the most challenging in the school, but with good classroom management they “I work closely really aren’t that bad. The education system in the U.K. with my team . . .” Canada’s and of the United differs greatly from that of States, but with guidance from my amazing year four team I have adjusted. I work closely with my team in terms of planning, marking, and classroom management. Without them, I do not think my transition into a U.K. classroom would have been so smooth. Had I not gone to SUNY Potsdam, I really do not think I would have been prepared for the job I am now in. I will never forget what the interviewer told me, she said that I was the best candidate of the day because I was trained in the States. They were looking for teachers with the skills needed in differentiating instruction and classroom management, two things my Potsdam professors were very passionate about. Without that knowledge, I may never have been given an interview with Noel Park and wouldn’t have been granted the opportunity to work in such a great school. For all newly qualified teachers out there who are passionate about teaching and are willing to move, I recommend you look into teaching positions overseas. Teaching abroad is a great way to gain experience and allows you to travel to parts of the world you may never have dreamed of seeing. For me, teaching in London, England has given me this opportunity and I am happy I did.
Amy Guiney, Director 111 Satterlee Hall (315) 267-3450 guineyaj@potsdam.edu
Nicole Feml, Assistant Director 112A Satterlee Hall (315) 267-3022 femlna@potsdam.edu
http://www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS/fieldexperiences/index.cfm