Assessment and Productivity

Two major topics were the focus of learning this week. This post will focus on both generally as well as the application of technology.

Assessment


     Assessment is a key part of the instruction. We use it to discover what students know and are able to do. It is also important for informing instruction over time. Teacher's can use data from assessments to help students address areas of struggle. Formative assessment is particularly useful in this area as it is meant to provide timely feedback for use during the learning process.
 
    In the music classroom, we assess students' musical knowledge and performance. Knowledge can be assessed through written quizzes that can be administered via Google Forms or other electronic means. Kahoot is a social quiz site that makes quizzes more like a game. Students can use their devices to answer questions and receive immediate feedback. Blogs can also provide assessment opportunities of deeper understanding.

   Performances can be assessed with well written rubrics. Checklists and rating scales can also be effective. I have a number of performance rubrics that I keep as Word documents in OneDrive where they can be accessed anywhere. Video and audio recorded performances can be used to assess later. Using Coach's Eye, teachers can provide verbal and visual feedback of performances. This may be especially useful for marching band or specific visual aspects of performance (Bowing, posture, stick heights). Video and audio recordings can also provide students with a good opportunity for self-assessment.

Productivity
 
   A big part of teaching is organization. It is important to be able to keep track of materials, communicate with parents and students, and monitor progress on tasks. Excel spreadsheets can be used to keep track of instruments and music. I also use a word document that students sign when they use school owned instruments. Keeping these documents in electronic form allows for easy editing when buying new music or materials.

   Communicating with parents and students can be improved with technology. I keep an updated website with information and important documents that parents and students can access at any time.  Infinite Campus provides parents with instant access to in-progress grades. Teachers can use campus to create seating charts, print blank spreadsheets, and email parents. Twitter and other social media  can also be used for communication purposes. However, it is important to maintain a professional account for school purposes. Text messages can be sent to students with Remind. This seems particularly useful prior to performances and trips.



   Teaching always comes with a variety of tasks; actual instruction is only a part of what good teachers do. In order to monitor progress on important tasks, teachers can use a note taking service such as Evernote. Having a web or app based note taking service allows for viewing of to-do lists on a variety of devices. Dropbox, OneDrive, and GoogleDrive can remove the need for thumb drives and allow access to documents in the "cloud."

    Using a variety of technologies can really help improve productivity. Needing less time to do non-instructional activities can free up teachers to focus on improving instruction.