ITSE+Standard+TF-IV


 * Apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. **

There are three areas of assessment that were addressed in this standard: assessing student learning, ” “collecting, analyzing and reporting on data,” and “evaluating technologies for effective use” (Williamson, & Redish, 2009, pp. 88-89). As a teacher I have been aware of the need for evaluating the students’ learning; however, I did not give much thought to the need for collecting, analyzing and reporting on data other than state test results. The enormous amount of data collected by school districts included but is not limited to attendance, test scores, teacher qualifications, discipline, and crime statistics (Williamson, & Redish, 2009). Due to the overwhelming amount of data, the district implemented a new student management system (SMS) to meet the needs of the district, state and federal government. As I worked on the three activities for this standard, I concentrated on what assessment would provide authentic data that could be used to evaluate the students’ progress towards achieving success on the learning objectives.

Working with the new SMS and the teachers, I began to realize the amount of information they now had access to about students that was not readily available before. “While teachers must believe in the usefulness of the data they hold individually (otherwise they would not collect it), many need support in how to turn this information into knowledge, which will enable them to create effective lessons that address the needs of all their students” (Tolley & Shulruf, 2009, p. 1202). I provided this support by helping the teachers understand and take advantage of //Eduphoria Aware//, which collects student data on classroom and common unit assessments, then helps analyze the data in a variety of ways to allow the teacher to evaluate the students as individuals or as part of the whole class. As I learned more about the //Aware// program, I appreciated the flexibility and how powerful the data analysis process became in helping the teachers in making instructional decisions to support student achievement. Sharing this information with my colleagues on the discussion forum and in my blog helped solidify my knowledge and understanding of the importance of collecting, organizing and analyzing to make informed instructional decisions.

As a leader, I will be cognizant of the significance of technology and its role in the process of data collection and analysis. Boudett, City and Murnane (2006) recommend, when working with teachers and a large amount of data to analyze, “organizing the work of instructional improvement around a process that has specific, manageable steps helps educators build confidence and skill in using data” (p. 53). I would like to work with one group of teachers and focus on data analysis to determine what direction the instruction needs to take and what strategies will support increases in student achievement.

Boudett, K., City, E., & Murname, R. (2006). The “data wise” improvement process. //Principal Leadership//. 7(2), 53-56.

Tolley, H., & Shulruf, B. (2009). From data to knowledge: The interaction between data management systems in educational institutions and the delivery of quality education. //Computers and Education, 53//, pp. 1199-1209

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology Education. 