Module 7: Musical Assessment and Professional Productivity

This week we focused on how technology can aid teachers with assessment and productivity. We read about assessment and used google forms to create a quiz. We utilized google docs to create a newsletter, google slides to create a presentation and created events on google calendar. I felt like everything we did this week was practical and useful for teachers.

Assessment is one of the most important things we do as teachers. Teachers must find ways to assess through both formative and summative means. Formative assessment includes both formal and informal elements and is given to students throughout the learning process. Summative assessment is typically given at the end of a unit, chapter, semester or entire class. This type of assessment helps teachers and students determine if the learning goals have been achieved before introducing new material (Bauer, 2014). In order for assessments to be effective they must be both valid, meaning the assessment aligns with the learning outcome and truly tests the understanding of the student, and reliable. In order for an assessment to be reliable it must be consistent between students, over time and between assessors (Bauer, 2014).

Students using "clickers" for assessment

Music assessment must stay true to musical knowledge as well as musical skills. Technology can be helpful in designing assessments to effectively test these areas. Musical knowledge are the nuts and bolts of music. In order to test knowledge sites such as google forms and Flubaroo can be used to test and collect answers quickly and easily. Traditional means such as google docs can also be used. By using an electronic test or quiz, assessments can be saved from year to year and adjusted easily. Items such as clickers can also be a quick way to do formative assessment for large groups. Clickers use computers, cell phones or other mobile devices for students to quickly answer questions in a large group and get immediate anonymous feedback. Other music knowledge assessment options may include blogs, wikis and websites where students can reflect on what they are learning and comment on their peers (Bauer, 2014).

In order to test musical skills teachers must go beyond the written responses and find out what the students are actually able to do with their musical knowledge. Students can share their musical skills with teachers through technology. Programs such as audacity, screen capture software or cell phone recording devices can help students to share their musical skills with a teacher. Through these methods teachers can then use checklists, rating scales and rubrics to assess the skills (Bauer, 2014). Over time these assessments can be saved and developed into a portfolio for students. In a portfolio, students can see, hear and reflect on their music skill and knowledge. A performance portfolio is a good example of a summative assessment (Bauer, 2014). 

There are a variety of technologies available to collect and share assessment information with students and parents. These technologies can also aid teachers with their productivity, communication and organization. The tools I found most useful this week were the ones on google. I use google for many things already, but I learned about new features and other tools that I have not been using or have been underusing. Google Calendar is a tool I have not used, but intend to use after learning about all the possibilities. I especially like the option to show open meeting times where students can schedule their own lessons. The way google divides the calendar is also very useful. I can make a music department calendar and share only those public events with parents and students while maintaining my private calendar at the same time. 

Google sites is another tool I have not used. Not only can you share information on google sites, but you can embed the calendar, share videos and audio recordings and embed forms and permission slips for parents to easily access. Bauer suggests teachers utilize multiple means of communication since parents do not all use the same forms of technology (Bauer, 2014). Google sites can be a central location to organize and can serve as a hub for communication. 

I have found the site Diigo to be very useful in bookmarking sites and articles I want to reference. The internet can feel very cumbersome at times because it is hard to weed out the useful information. Diigo can help keep track of the sites and resources that each individual wants as well as provide a method for searching for other related materials. 

Here is a link to one of my annotations on Diigo: https://diigo.com/0e1uda

Professional Development and online learning have exploded in the past decade. Now you can find quality learning opportunities without having to drive or relocate. This also allows teachers to specialize their learning and gain the knowledge they want instead of just want they can find closest. As a mother of 3 children, including one with Down syndrome, and a husband who is a family physician who also delivers babies, I was not sure I would have the opportunity to pursue my education. Finding a high-quality online program was my best hope. With the technologies that have developed over the past ten years it is now possible to learn online and create "connectivism" though the internet (Bauer, 2014). Communities of practice on twitter, facebook, instagram and blogs have helped me learn about new resources and methods as I re-entered public school teaching last year.

Technology can make assessment and productivity a more effective and authentic process, By finding tools that work for you and your students, teachers can help students gain skills and progress to the next level of music learning. Staying a life-long-learner is important for teachers of all ages since technology is an ever-changing force. 

Here is an introduction to Google Tools:

Resource:

Bauer, William I. (2014). Music Learning Today. New York. Oxford University Press.