Assessment!  A dreaded word to most students and more importantly to teachers.  Students in this day and age now know that assessment means TEST.  Teachers view assessment as the only objective tool and measure on student growth.  Is it right?  NO!

Unfortunately, teachers have to think this way with the expecations from administrators, performance pay and more.  Teachers require their students to perform at a higher level and standard, so they can simply pass the test or assessment and see whether or not their students are learning.  Student growth and measurement is only determined from data, that is directly correlated with assessments and learning.

Once upon a time teachers could determine student growth and learning from observations and practice that occurred in the classroom.  Anymore that is not sufficient enough and it doesn't matter what the teacher "thinks" but only what the teacher's data "shows."

I believe that teachers who really know their students and are invested in their student learning don't need data all the time (some data of course, but not to the level today).  I can tell you how a student in my class is doing at any given moment from my teacher "gut" but that isn't enough anymore.  My teacher "gut" needs to be backed up with data.  Data from many different forms of tests and assessments.  This is the day we are teaching in, clear and simple.

Visual Literacy and Internet in the Classroom

As I sit here looking at the cute faces of my eight and nine year old students I see one similarity.  They are all 21st Century Learners.  They are the future.  The future will and is revolved around technology but more specifically the Internet.  The internet provides one key element for learning- visuals.  What once teachers had to create to provide a visual can be found through a simple search engine with the use of the Internet.  The Internet should be used consistently and frequently in the classroom.  Teachers need to address and teach the NETS standards, just like they teach every other standard in their classroom.










Visuals are everywhere.  Every place you look you can find a visual of some format.  Visuals are used to help create and sell a product.  Think about all the visual associations that each child makes with fast food restaurants.  Do you know what the golden arches are??  You bet, McDonalds!  What about the red bullseye?  That is Target!  Visuals are associated with many different elements.

I know I use visuals and visual literacy to get my students to understand many different concepts.  I also have my student color coordinate everything to instill it in their brain and remember the color association with a concept.  This is visualization with color memorization.  It works

Not only does visual literacy need to be incorporated in every classroom, but the Internet does too!  It shouldn't be optional.