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Module 7

Organization is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. I love creating plans, systems, and communications quickly and efficiently. Throughout the pandemic, I became well-versed in productivity apps and programs due to the online and remote nature of our profession at the time. Our district suddenly put a majority of its resources into training teachers in Google applications. We switched from using eSchool, TAC (Teacher Access Center), and teacher websites through the GLSD.org site to manage communications and assessments to Google applications. Within the first month of the pandemic, all of the teachers in our district received training on Google Classroom, Google Meet, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Google Forms, and Google Sites to cover every possible need that online learning may present. These programs are helpful because they are all housed in Google Drive and can be used to collaborate with others and shared when complete. Because of this extensive training and my familiarity with these applications, the Bauer (2020) reading this week helped me connect my understanding of the programs I use every day with best practices used to assess students in music classes. The readings I consumed this week did not inform me of any new technologies. Still, they were effective in helping me reframe the use of technologies I am familiar with to make the assessment of student learning even more convenient and effective.

Assessment is a simple process on paper. In education, assessment is setting learning outcomes for students that align with target curricula, then collecting data that helps determine whether or not students have accomplished the outcomes set by the teacher. The data collected by teachers helps to inform their next steps, drives the trajectory of further instruction, and allows teachers to provide extra assistance or enrichment for students depending on their level of understanding. Throughout a unit, teachers should engage students in many opportunities for formative assessment. Students should have ample opportunities to demonstrate their understanding before receiving a summative assessment as a project, test, or performance. Teachers can collect data for these formative assessments and track student progress using quick assessments through Clickers, Plickers, and Google Forms quizzes. Google Sheets helps organize student data and can provide insight on score trends and class progress. Summative assessments that come in the form of project-based learning can be evaluated using a rubric and may require students to create blogs, podcasts, slideshows, and websites to demonstrate their understanding of the target concept. Depending on what teachers hope to assess, they must choose a technology that provides direct feedback or facilitates a creative opportunity that can be evaluated with a rubric. Teachers must combine their content knowledge with their knowledge of related technologies to formulate effective assessments for students. 

This module also touched on technology that enhances teacher productivity. Our projects had us experimenting with Google Forms quizzes, Google Docs to create a newsletter, Google Slides to create a presentation, and Google Calendars to create a shareable calendar. All of these applications help teachers disseminate information in an aesthetically pleasing and practical way. My favorite program that assists with my productivity as a teacher is Canva, which I use to design and print all of my schedules, invitations, programs, and newsletters. I feel fortunate to teach in a time when so many helpful technologies exist. With the help of technology, all of my administrative tasks can be completed quickly and enjoyably. Technology gives me more time to focus on my students, their assessments, and the quality of their instruction.

Reference:
Bauer, W. I. (2020). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

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