I know this pandemic is stressful. I know that teachers are being stretched thin and students are facing so many barriers. However, this is the moment to use all of those technology tools you learned about during professional development over the last few years and adapt it to your classroom to help students succeed. I always wanted to use digital portfolios. I’m doing it now. I always wanted to show videos using EdPuzzle, I’m doing it now. I wanted to use different forms of formative assessments using gamification, I’m doing it now. It has made my virtual teaching environment exciting, engaging and my student results have been on par with my traditional teaching that happened last year in the classroom pre-pandemic.
During my University of St. Francis course on Assessing and Improving Student Achievement with Technology, I learned about how to focus on student goals, student portfolios, awarding student performance through digital badges, and even how to create easy rubrics that would help students succeed. With technology, all of those things you wanted to do before are easily accessible now with templates, examples, and collaborative facebook communities where teachers help teachers create tools for student success. Student achievement can be achieved with technology even in a virtual environment. Tech companies are making lots of applications free with educator access. Before, making a digital portfolio seemed impossible. Now I have multiple options that are seamlessly connected with my google classroom rosters. With a few clicks, I can set up rubrics, portfolios, and goal planning sheets for my students.
Student achievement can be pursued without technology. However, technology makes student achievement accessible, provides multiple options, and is easily saved in digital formats for teachers, students, and parents to easily refer to!