Evaluate 3.1.2 – Self-Reflection on Teaching Abilities Quest

eportfolio:
https://goo.gl/NAv8Uf

Google Sites "Just Starting" Webinar comments:

"The instructor clearly knew her stuff and was interesting. I'm a little technologically challenged, so I'll probably need to go back and review the powerpoint she sent."


Post-course survey comments:

"STEM417.18 PBS National User # 4 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. -Yes -Brilliant facilitation!!! First rate!!"

"STEM417.18 PBS National User # 8 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. - Yes - Charolett was awesome!"

"STEM412.22 PBS National User # 2  I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. - Yes - CAT was a fantastic facilitator. She was well-versed and very helpful."

"SCIE512.5 PBS National User # 2 I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. -Yes- CT was very flexible and asked great questions to get the conversations flowing."

"TECH401.15 PBS National User # 1 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator.  - Yes - Encouraging, objective, and offered reminders."


LinkedIn:

"Charlotte was an active facilitator of the online learning discussions during our PBS Earth Science class. She posted questions to deepen and encourage our dialogue and made the online community seem a friendly place for us to share with our colleagues."

"I took a class under Charlotte with PBS Teacherline. She exemplified the best type of online educator. She developed creative exercises, distributed great lists of resources, facilitated student-to-student communication, and gave prompt, relevant feedback. I felt that I got outstanding value from her course leadership, and have recommended PBS Teacherline courses to many other teachers as a result of my experience."

Evaluate 2.1.2 – Rubrics and Competencies Quest

Compentency:  S6E4. Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate and weather. 

a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns. 

b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather events such as tornados and thunderstorms. 

Students will complete most of the assignments in the chart below, choosing the assignments they need in order to show competency. They will need to complete the data table, graph, one of the breeze videos, either the Global Winds and Jet Streams video or read the article on global winds, then choose how to present their product.

     Learning Objectives                          Assignment                                    Competency Indicator

a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns.	Heating Earth's Surfaces-lab activity *data table *graph *2 videos, land breezes, sea breezes *1 video Global Winds and Jet Streams *read article Global Wind Belts *post in discussion forum	Explain in the discussion forum how unequal heating of Earth's surfaces and local winds are related.
b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather events such as tornados and thunderstorms.	Choose how to show knowledge: *choice of essay, infographic, or digital story	Explain weather patterns, global winds, tornados and thunderstorms resulting from different rates of heating earth's surfaces.

Evaluate 3.1.1 – Differentiation Quest

I have taken real data from Gradecam and removed names in accordance with FERPA.

The Assignment Report above shows 4 classes' performance on each question of a pop quiz. The quiz was given to students to determine their knowledge of electricity and magnetism prior to assigning a summative assessment involving the same topics. Items 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are questions on how electricity and magnetism are related and need reteaching prior to moving on. Items 5-8 specifically need to be addressed with all students. Understanding will be closely monitored. This quiz was taken by the students the day prior to spring break and they might not have been able to focus on the task as well as they should. After reviewing the questions missed most often by the 99 students (item analysis below) who took the quiz, I have determined question #2 to have two possible answers, either A or C. At the next synchronous meeting I will target items 5-8 as discussion topics. The class also has 9 inclusion students that work with a resource teacher during a tutorial class. I will ask the resource teacher to work with the students on items 5-8 to increase their understanding of the relationshiop between electricity and magnetism.

I will create a Kahoot review game and a Quizlet study game specifically targeting items 5-8 while including the other items. The standard is knowledge All students will have access to the synchronous meeting, review games and further "explanation videos." The summative assessment is a choice of creating a PowToon, Prezi or an infographic. All the choices have the same requirements. 
Students will be completing their summative assessment individually, but will be able to rely on their peer group for editing purposes. Groups will be formed according to results from Quizlet and/or Kahoot. There will be three students per group with low groups (scores 64 and below) mid-level (scores between 71-79) and higher-level groups (above 79). I will be available to all groups for assistance but will meet with and check in with the lower groups more frequently. Grouping by ability level allows students to learn at their own pace and to learn materials more deeply. There is power in a group that collaborates well. 

Evaluate 2.1.1 Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting Tools Quest

created at https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/ 

The image above shows how many students are enrolled in each class, the term, start date and end date.

The image above shows who is paying for the course, whether or not the student completed orientation, the assessment the student will complete, and the type of student. This information is useful to the teacher in that it reveals the commitment level a student may have to the course. If the student is paying for the course, they might be more inclined to put forth more effort. If a student has not completed the orientation, they might have difficulty navigating the course and would need encouragement to complete the orientation or may even need assistance with orientation. 

This image shows a record of contacts made by the teacher to students and parents regarding progress in the course. This information serves as a record of attempts made to let stakeholders know this student is failing the course after one month. Whether the news is positive or negative, a record of comments must be maintained within the course.

The image above shows a welcome email was sent at the beginning of the course, then an update was sent to the parents of the student letting them know how well he student is doing in the class. All students' parents should receive updates on the progress of the student on a regular basis.

According to the description of the image above, the fractions on the left represent "...how many grades each student has scored..." and "...shows page views by student and date accessed." I am reading this chart as each row representing one student, the number of page views is the colored blocks and the dates shown across the bottom covers a period of two weeks. I am also assuming that graded means completed the assignment and the teacher has scored the assignment.

The first two students access the course almost every day. Students #1, #3, #4, #5 and #6 entered the course either Saturday or Sunday. Six students either returned or began on Monday. 

Student #7 returned on Friday to complete his/her assignments for the week, showing he/she may have rushed just to get it finished. Then Student #7 did not return at all the following week. Student #6 had a better first week than the second week as far as participation goes, but waited until Friday of the second week to enter and work on the course. Students #6, #7, #8, and #9 need to be contacted by email and a phone call with parents to discuss the importance of logging in and working on the course on a regular basis. Grades should also be discussed at this time as well as any technical difficulties the student may be experiencing.

Student #5 accessed the course on a regular basis but completed only 26 out of 59 assignments. This student needs a parental contact in order to discuss regular participation, assignment completion, and asking for help when needed. 

It was suggested to pay particular attention to how often email and grades are accessed, but there is no way to view this information in this graphic.

The above image shows major grades with one assignment that has not been completed. There is a typo in the first comment, it should say "state" and not "tate." It appears from the comment the teacher is allowing the student to redo the first assignment. The feedback on the third assignment is supportive and tells the student exactly what the teacher likes about the work. 

This image shows missed quiz questions the student needs to review.

Shown here is a portion of the grade book with grades and a link to personal feedback. This student is doing well.

Above is the detailed feedback for an assignment (I infer the Resume). Suggestions are made for improvement.

I suggest a policy for this virtual school that all students be required to login and participate a minimum of 4 different days of the week with no more than 2 days between logins.

Resources

https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/ Copyright © Jason Davies The generated word clouds may be used for any purpose.

Evaluate 1.1.3 – The Summative Assessment Quest

Showcase an assessment created and include how the method was used to assess the validity, reliability, and security. Post the assessment in your blog.

Validity: 
The test was designed to test what students learned during classification lessons as well as some inquiry standards embedded within the lessons. Distractor responses are included in possible answers. 

Malamed suggests using these guidelines for validity:

1. "Keep the test items aligned with the high priority learning objectives.
2. Develop test items that measure the application of knowledge, as in scenario-based items.
3. Have test items reviewed by an expert who understands the skills that the workplace requires.
4. Ask a few target members of the audience to read through the test questions to ensure they are clearly worded.
5. Allow a test to evolve by monitoring learner performance. Revise items that cause difficulty or revise that aspect of the course."

Reliability:
Prior to taking the test, the online instructor should have a very good idea of how each student should score on the summative assessment based on formative assessments. A student's test score should be close to their course average. The test results should be similar to the overall average in the course. The test I have shared below was written by myself and given to my 6th-grade science classes as well as to the students taught by the other 6th-grade science teacher. Our test score averages were very close. Because this test is not a major test such as a benchmark, there are only 20 questions.

Reliability can be assessed by asking the following according to Malamed: 
"A test that is reliable will have a degree of consistency evidenced by these characteristics:

• The test items seem similar or highly related. The test comes together as one whole.
• There are no great leaps in difficulty, wording and tone. It might seem like one person wrote the entire test.
• If the test were administered to similar groups, you would see similarities in the scores across the groups.
• The test is long enough to assess the learner’s knowledge. Very short tests are more affected by the 'luck factor.'"

Standards:
6-1.2 Differentiate between observation and inference during the analysis and interpretation of data.

6-1.3 Classify organisms, objects, and materials according to their physical characteristics by using a dichotomous key.

6-1.5 Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.

6-2.1 Summarize the characteristics that all organisms share.

6-2.2 Recognize the hierarchical structure of the classification (taxonomy) of organisms (including the seven major levels or categories of living things—namely, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species).

6-2.6 Differentiate between the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction of flowering plants.

6-2.8 Explain how plants respond to external stimuli.

6-3.4 Explain how environmental stimuli cause physical responses in animals

Classification Test

Security:
There is only one question per page. The test-taker may not go back to previous questions when logged in. In order for viewers of this blog to see the test, the one-response setting is turned off.  I installed an add-on that will automatically close the test at a specific time.



Resources

Bergan, John Richard, John Robert Bergan, Kathryn Bergan, Christine Burnham, Scott Cunningham, Jason Feld, Karyn White, and Kerridan Kawecki. Building Reliable and Valid Benchmark Assessments. Rep. Tucson, AZ: Assessment Technology, Incorporated, 2013. Assessment Technology Incorporated, 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ati-online.com/pdfs/researchK12/BuildingReliableBenchmarks.pdf>.

Malamed, Connie. "Are Your Online Tests Reliable?" The ELearning Coach. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/are-your-online-tests-reliable/>.

Malamed, Connie. "Are Your Online Tests Valid?" The ELearning Coach. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/isd/are-your-online-tests-valid/>.

Evaluate 1.1.2 Quality Feedback Quest

Discuss aspects of the sample that align with the best practices discussed in this quest.

The feedback provided below is a formative assessment given to students as they worked on an assignment. The students were guided toward completion with necessary information on what additional items need to be included or corrected and what items meet the requirements of the assignment.

In this case, corrective feedback is given with the reassurance the student is doing the assignment correctly. The feedback encourages the student to continue working toward completion.

The feedback for this student encourages her to follow the requirements of the assignment yet states the work already completed is good.

The feedback in this case lets the student know their information is correct but there is one more item needed for completion.

Resources

Stenger, Marianne. "5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback." Edutopia. N.p., 06 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger>.

"ION | Illinois Online Network." ION Tutorials. University of Illinois, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/>.

Wiggins, Grant. "Seven Keys to Effective Feedback." Educational Leadership:Feedback for Learning:Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. ASCD, Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Seven-Keys-to-Effective-Feedback.aspx>.