Being able to evaluate educational programs is not only important, it is imperative in order to ensure proper learning is occurring and that the educational learning standards set forth are being reached. Through our readings today we were able to gain a better understanding of how to go out ensuring that all aspects of an educational program are met. Triangulation examines student learning, the overall curriculum, the opportunities available, and the overall cost-effectiveness. These components when put together and applied to an educational program, provide the framework so that proper evaluation can occur.
When applying this type of triangulation to physical education, we are able to see how we as educators can evaluate our programs successfully. Starting with cost effectives is a physical education using their funds in order to truly benefit their students. If so, how are programs assessing the use of funds and student learning? Very often programs like physical education, music and health education are cut because they are demanded unimportant because educators fail to assess the overall cost effectiveness. Educators must educate and justify the cost effectiveness of their program.
Student learning, the overall curriculum, and learning opportunities must be evaluated separately. Each one of these components plays a vital part in the overall education of the whole child. When evaluating student learning the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domain must be assessed and must directly relate to the learning opportunities and overall curriculum. These three components when it comes to triangulation must play off one another to ensure the overall effectiveness of a physical education program.
About Me
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Review Grading Master
After reading your first blog I thought it would be nice to try something new. I have been struggling with my grading system for a while so it was about time I try something new. This software is absolutely outstanding. Your description was dead one. I found this program to be easy to manage and has all the necessary components I would need.
When first downloading the program it took me only a few seconds to understand how it works. Adding students, classes, and assignments was easy and straight forward. The only difficulty I had with this grade master was that it asks for every assignment to be weighted which is something I don’t do. If there was some way to eliminate that it would be very beneficial.
Besides the grading system the attendance and seating plan are extremely straight forward. I can now see myself spending less time worrying about these procedures and more time getting right into class time. Overall this product is great and your assignment of Grading Master was dead on. Thank you for opening my eyes to a great program.
When first downloading the program it took me only a few seconds to understand how it works. Adding students, classes, and assignments was easy and straight forward. The only difficulty I had with this grade master was that it asks for every assignment to be weighted which is something I don’t do. If there was some way to eliminate that it would be very beneficial.
Besides the grading system the attendance and seating plan are extremely straight forward. I can now see myself spending less time worrying about these procedures and more time getting right into class time. Overall this product is great and your assignment of Grading Master was dead on. Thank you for opening my eyes to a great program.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Organizing the World
After narrowing down my search to about three different programs, I thought for my physical education elementary curriculum that I would use Master Grade. Not only was this program the most popular seen through my goggle search but I am already familiar with the program because it was used at the school I student taught at in Rochester. While I only had limited access to using the program what I say from my cooperating teacher and her organizing skills was that it was extremely beneficial for her to organize students, grades, assignments, and a wide variety of other personal information.
When looking at the Master Grade program itself it certainly is very easy to use and understand. The features for this program include a list of current classes, student’s names and available picture, the calculation for each assignment, test or quiz, an attendance sheet with easy click absent or not absent, a seating plan for the students with additional comments, and a progress report function as well. All these features provide teacher with a wide variety of possibilities and an easy functional way to organize their classroom.
At first glance and through my little experience this program certainly looks beneficial. While I will be using this system for my physical education curriculum I can all see this program used for any class or classroom teacher. As I begin to experiment with this program I will have a much better understanding of all the components and its ability to organize a classroom effectively.
When looking at the Master Grade program itself it certainly is very easy to use and understand. The features for this program include a list of current classes, student’s names and available picture, the calculation for each assignment, test or quiz, an attendance sheet with easy click absent or not absent, a seating plan for the students with additional comments, and a progress report function as well. All these features provide teacher with a wide variety of possibilities and an easy functional way to organize their classroom.
At first glance and through my little experience this program certainly looks beneficial. While I will be using this system for my physical education curriculum I can all see this program used for any class or classroom teacher. As I begin to experiment with this program I will have a much better understanding of all the components and its ability to organize a classroom effectively.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Groups are Funnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
After looking at Oakley’s article and applying the main concepts I will be using an 11th grade physical education classroom.
Step 1: Students introduction and unique fact about him/her self. This will be done during the first day of class. Students will be split into small groups to and perform small group activities to build trust and familiarity amongst one another.
Step 2: Class formation of rules and protocols. During the first week of class the students along with the teachers will create rules and protocols for their particular class. Each class member will be asked to contribute to the process as the students and teachers work together.
Step 3: In groups of three students will be assigned to teach the warm-up activity to the class. Students will rotate partners so that they have the opportunity to work with all their classmates. This will take place all of the 1st quarter
Step 4: Group work students will work in small groups to design an brand new game. Students will have the entire second quarter to work on their game. As a culminating activity at the end of the second quarter the students will present their game to the entire grade.
Step 5: Constant reflection by the students will be necessary to understand the dynamic of each group and each student within the group. This will be done throughout the year as a way to allow students to reflect and gain an insight into their groups
Step 6: Content presentations: students will work within their small groups to present an area that was covered during that semester that they found most interesting. This will serve as a review for the class and an opportunity for students to create a formal presentation with different partners at the end of each marking period.
Having students work together can be a very valuable tool within the classroom. When used properly and the dynamics of the classroom are conducive, students can learn a lot from one another. One of the major issues when formulating these assignments and groups within the classroom is having students working out of their comfort zone. This may include new partners, new information, or using presentation methods that are unfamiliar. By addressing differences and stepping out of your given comfort zone students will have the ability to learn from one another while being an equal playing field.
Another major issue is the use of grades within groups. Students when asked to pick there partners usually work with individuals they are comfortable or friends with. This often leads to grades that are inaccurate and often causes students to take advantage of one another. It also is hard for a teacher to grasp if all the students understand the content if they are all receiving A’s for their work. Group work can be extremely beneficial but the proper grading system and grouping system must be put into place in order for it to be effective.
Step 1: Students introduction and unique fact about him/her self. This will be done during the first day of class. Students will be split into small groups to and perform small group activities to build trust and familiarity amongst one another.
Step 2: Class formation of rules and protocols. During the first week of class the students along with the teachers will create rules and protocols for their particular class. Each class member will be asked to contribute to the process as the students and teachers work together.
Step 3: In groups of three students will be assigned to teach the warm-up activity to the class. Students will rotate partners so that they have the opportunity to work with all their classmates. This will take place all of the 1st quarter
Step 4: Group work students will work in small groups to design an brand new game. Students will have the entire second quarter to work on their game. As a culminating activity at the end of the second quarter the students will present their game to the entire grade.
Step 5: Constant reflection by the students will be necessary to understand the dynamic of each group and each student within the group. This will be done throughout the year as a way to allow students to reflect and gain an insight into their groups
Step 6: Content presentations: students will work within their small groups to present an area that was covered during that semester that they found most interesting. This will serve as a review for the class and an opportunity for students to create a formal presentation with different partners at the end of each marking period.
Having students work together can be a very valuable tool within the classroom. When used properly and the dynamics of the classroom are conducive, students can learn a lot from one another. One of the major issues when formulating these assignments and groups within the classroom is having students working out of their comfort zone. This may include new partners, new information, or using presentation methods that are unfamiliar. By addressing differences and stepping out of your given comfort zone students will have the ability to learn from one another while being an equal playing field.
Another major issue is the use of grades within groups. Students when asked to pick there partners usually work with individuals they are comfortable or friends with. This often leads to grades that are inaccurate and often causes students to take advantage of one another. It also is hard for a teacher to grasp if all the students understand the content if they are all receiving A’s for their work. Group work can be extremely beneficial but the proper grading system and grouping system must be put into place in order for it to be effective.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Helping Little Louie
Dear Mr. Hackly,
After picking up the Chicago Tribune this morning over my usual coffee and eggs, I was left sick to my stomach after reading the first page article that I’m sure your aware of. This A, B, C, D and F grading system that is currently in place not only seems outrageous but overall detrimental to my little Louie’s overall learning process. While Louie is an exceptional student who always does very well, now I’m not sure if he is learning that right information appropriate for his grade level. This article really made me question not only what Louie’s learning but also how you as an educating professional do not adopt standard based grading.
Mr. Hackly when looking at the article which I’m sure you have read it clearly states that the ABC method of grading that is being used in our elementary schools is wrong. From the grading system we currently have in place how am I supposed to know where Louie needs help id all I am receiving is a grade. You forget Mr. Hackly that I to am an educator and the fact is you are not doing your job by educating me the parent on how my child is doing.
In order to do this Mr. Hackly I strongly suggest you take a deep in depth look into the grading system you have in place. This article really calls your competence into question by demonstrating the benefit and detail that standard based grading can do for a child. It is inexcusable for teachers to simply give my child a grade with no explanation of why or even strengths and weakness that must be addressed in each subject area. It is only appropriate Mr. Hackly for my little Louie’s benefit that you adopt this standard based grading. If not Mr. Hackly I promise look forward to hearing from every parent in this school district as well as our lawyers.
Sincerely,
Don Magic Juan
Dear Don Magic Juan,
First and foremost I appreciate your passion over this topic. Your concern for Louie’s well-being and future is a parent’s human nature and I thank you for voicing your concern. I did in fact read the article on grading that was published recently in the news paper and I agree is does indeed bring up so strong points in favor of standard based testing. As you might not know Mr. Juan grades especially in elementary school are often discussed. Myself as well as my collogues believe it is a work in progress in order to get the grading system right.
Part of the problem you are seeing Mr. Juan is the “normal” way of grading that is seen around the country. While I am not sure of the grading system you received in school but from my experience 38 years ago is that we received letter grades. While times have certainly changed and educator are asked to do more and more the fact of the matter is our education system is hard pressed to change tradition after so many years.
While change or at least implementation is certainly necessary, lets not forget that standard based report cards are complex in nature. There have also been reports that standard based report cards are causing confusion for parents and students. There complexity in evaluating students in some cases has done more harm then good due to their overall complexity.
Change is upon us Mr. Juan. While I agree there are certainly benefits to the structure and framework of standard-based report cards, I can not just say out with the old in with the new. A child’s success is my number one priority and while I agree more needs to be done in order to ensure proper assessment and progress is tracked and explained accordingly it will take time. I thank you Mr. Juan for writing me you very passionate letter. I am looking forward to speaking with you in person and for you to see the change that is upon us
Regards,
Mr. Hackly
After picking up the Chicago Tribune this morning over my usual coffee and eggs, I was left sick to my stomach after reading the first page article that I’m sure your aware of. This A, B, C, D and F grading system that is currently in place not only seems outrageous but overall detrimental to my little Louie’s overall learning process. While Louie is an exceptional student who always does very well, now I’m not sure if he is learning that right information appropriate for his grade level. This article really made me question not only what Louie’s learning but also how you as an educating professional do not adopt standard based grading.
Mr. Hackly when looking at the article which I’m sure you have read it clearly states that the ABC method of grading that is being used in our elementary schools is wrong. From the grading system we currently have in place how am I supposed to know where Louie needs help id all I am receiving is a grade. You forget Mr. Hackly that I to am an educator and the fact is you are not doing your job by educating me the parent on how my child is doing.
In order to do this Mr. Hackly I strongly suggest you take a deep in depth look into the grading system you have in place. This article really calls your competence into question by demonstrating the benefit and detail that standard based grading can do for a child. It is inexcusable for teachers to simply give my child a grade with no explanation of why or even strengths and weakness that must be addressed in each subject area. It is only appropriate Mr. Hackly for my little Louie’s benefit that you adopt this standard based grading. If not Mr. Hackly I promise look forward to hearing from every parent in this school district as well as our lawyers.
Sincerely,
Don Magic Juan
Dear Don Magic Juan,
First and foremost I appreciate your passion over this topic. Your concern for Louie’s well-being and future is a parent’s human nature and I thank you for voicing your concern. I did in fact read the article on grading that was published recently in the news paper and I agree is does indeed bring up so strong points in favor of standard based testing. As you might not know Mr. Juan grades especially in elementary school are often discussed. Myself as well as my collogues believe it is a work in progress in order to get the grading system right.
Part of the problem you are seeing Mr. Juan is the “normal” way of grading that is seen around the country. While I am not sure of the grading system you received in school but from my experience 38 years ago is that we received letter grades. While times have certainly changed and educator are asked to do more and more the fact of the matter is our education system is hard pressed to change tradition after so many years.
While change or at least implementation is certainly necessary, lets not forget that standard based report cards are complex in nature. There have also been reports that standard based report cards are causing confusion for parents and students. There complexity in evaluating students in some cases has done more harm then good due to their overall complexity.
Change is upon us Mr. Juan. While I agree there are certainly benefits to the structure and framework of standard-based report cards, I can not just say out with the old in with the new. A child’s success is my number one priority and while I agree more needs to be done in order to ensure proper assessment and progress is tracked and explained accordingly it will take time. I thank you Mr. Juan for writing me you very passionate letter. I am looking forward to speaking with you in person and for you to see the change that is upon us
Regards,
Mr. Hackly
Friday, May 29, 2009
Students, Grades, and Me
Grades have been a part of our culture for decades; whether in elementary school, middle school or high school the majority of students have been evaluated through a grading system. These grading systems are put into place and are used as an indicator of how much knowledge a student knows or does not know. An enormous emphasis is placed on these grades throughout a student’s educational experience. Students are told that these grades will determine their future; what colleges are they going to get into, as well as what job opportunities they are going to have. Just recently I feel our society has began to change its opinion on grades and look at the “whole child” instead of how successful they are on standardized tests.
From literature that focuses students options’ on grades it is clear that many times grading can cause more harm than good. Anxieties, internal pressures, as well as parental and societal pressures, cause students to focus on grades and lose sight of the ultimate goal of learning. The idea of grades taking away from the learning process demonstrates a miss use of grades by many educators. While grades due in fact provide some valuable information of a child’s learning, more often than not they are misused and abused.
As an up and coming educator I want to provide students with an opportunity to be successful no matter what their learning ability. When I develop tests and other forms of assessment for my students, I want the assessments to match the goals and objectives that I had put in place. While there are many grading systems out there, it is up to me as an educator to find the most beneficial grading system for my students. In order to this it begins at the beginning of the year by not only explaining my grading system but implementing authentic assessments that take away from the outcome and focus on the process.
While authentic assessments are truly important to student learning it is also important to allow students to look back at mistakes they have made and allow then to correct them. By giving students an opportunity to make corrections to any parts of the test, project, paper, report or activity that they got wrong you are ensuring students are learning from their mistakes and alleviating the pressures of the overall outcome. If students are given an opportunity to improve you are increasing motivation to do better and also making learning successful. Students should not be punished for not learning information; they should always be given a chance to be successful. While I do not want students to take advantage of this kind of grading policy I will make sure students understand the reasoning behind my resubmitting policy and warm them of the consequences if I feel students are not putting forth the effort to turn in meaningful work.
Many students are not motivated to learn simply by getting good grades. To be an effective teacher and use grades appropriately I must be able to assess all my students in a variety of different ways. Students must be aware of my overall objectives and goals not only for the year but also for each individual assignment. Grades can be a very valuable tool when used effectively; as an educator I hope to motivate my students intrinsically and use grades as a motivational tool to increase my student’s successfulness within my classroom.
These References were used for writing this article and also provide additional insight into grades, and grading :
1) http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/sourcebook/grading2.pdf
2) http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/grading.htm
3) http://www.middleweb.com/INCASEgrades.html
4) http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Anarch/WhyGrad.htm
5) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/education/18college.html
From literature that focuses students options’ on grades it is clear that many times grading can cause more harm than good. Anxieties, internal pressures, as well as parental and societal pressures, cause students to focus on grades and lose sight of the ultimate goal of learning. The idea of grades taking away from the learning process demonstrates a miss use of grades by many educators. While grades due in fact provide some valuable information of a child’s learning, more often than not they are misused and abused.
As an up and coming educator I want to provide students with an opportunity to be successful no matter what their learning ability. When I develop tests and other forms of assessment for my students, I want the assessments to match the goals and objectives that I had put in place. While there are many grading systems out there, it is up to me as an educator to find the most beneficial grading system for my students. In order to this it begins at the beginning of the year by not only explaining my grading system but implementing authentic assessments that take away from the outcome and focus on the process.
While authentic assessments are truly important to student learning it is also important to allow students to look back at mistakes they have made and allow then to correct them. By giving students an opportunity to make corrections to any parts of the test, project, paper, report or activity that they got wrong you are ensuring students are learning from their mistakes and alleviating the pressures of the overall outcome. If students are given an opportunity to improve you are increasing motivation to do better and also making learning successful. Students should not be punished for not learning information; they should always be given a chance to be successful. While I do not want students to take advantage of this kind of grading policy I will make sure students understand the reasoning behind my resubmitting policy and warm them of the consequences if I feel students are not putting forth the effort to turn in meaningful work.
Many students are not motivated to learn simply by getting good grades. To be an effective teacher and use grades appropriately I must be able to assess all my students in a variety of different ways. Students must be aware of my overall objectives and goals not only for the year but also for each individual assignment. Grades can be a very valuable tool when used effectively; as an educator I hope to motivate my students intrinsically and use grades as a motivational tool to increase my student’s successfulness within my classroom.
These References were used for writing this article and also provide additional insight into grades, and grading :
1) http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/sourcebook/grading2.pdf
2) http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/grading.htm
3) http://www.middleweb.com/INCASEgrades.html
4) http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Anarch/WhyGrad.htm
5) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/education/18college.html
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Reading Quiz
Directions: Students will read off the CDC website that focuses on STD and pregnancy http://www.cdc.gov/std/STDFact-STDs&Pregnancy.htm. This reading will take place after our class discussions and lesson on pregnancy, contraception, and STD. Students should take about 10-15 minutes to take this multiple choice / Short Answer quiz. As a result of this quiz I will be able to see what students not only gathered from their assigned reading but also from in class teachings. The grading system I will be using for this quiz will be based on a holistic grading system. There are 15 possible points students will get 1 point for a right answer and 0 points for a wrong answer. From this quiz I will be able to see if and where the students need more content knowledge and what aspects of the readings they found unclear. If students do poorly I this quiz we might have to revisit the assigned reading as a class to address some of the issues.
Directions: Circle the correct answer to the question or statement.
1) Gonorrhea is mostly likely spread through
a. Eating
b. Genital intercourse
c. Playing basketball
d. Sharing clothes
2) A bacterial STD can be treated by
a. Tylenol
b. Advil
c. Anti-biotics
d. A shot
3) Besides sexual contact, another way Hepatitis A can be spread is through
a. Infected food
b. Feces
c. Taking a shower
d. A and B
4) Syphilis can be tested by
a. A swab of the cervix
b. A urine test
c. Blood test
d. None of the above
5) A symptom of herpes includes
a. A blister
b. A fever
c. A rash
d. Flu-like symptoms
6) Viral STD’s are
a. Always cured by the doctor
b. Treated with an anti-biotic
c. Free of any symptoms
d. Cannot be cured
7) The most effective way to protect from pregnancy is
a. Abstinence
b. Male condom
c. Female condom
d. Nuva Ring
8) When taking emergency contraception, you have ________ hours to take it before it is no longer effective.
a. 30 hours
b. 40 hours
c. 72 hours
d. 12 hours
9) The hormonal birth control that is used every day at the same time is called
a. Depo-Provera
b. Implanon
c. The Pill
d. A diaphragm
10) Sterilization can only be done to
a. Males
b. Females
c. Both males and females
d. Children
11) When being sexually active you are at risk of
a. Becoming pregnant
b. Becoming over weight
c. Contracting an STD
d. A and C
Directions: Read each scenario and answer the question as best as possible
1) Michael and Jasmine have been dating for 6 months. Michael wants to have sex with her. Jasmine is a virgin but Michael is not. Jasmine admits that she really doesn’t want to have sex and isn’t sure if she’s ready. In fact, she wants to use birth control that’s 100 percent effective because she’s definitely not ready to have a baby.
What form of protection can Michael and Jasmine use that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and why?
2) Jonathon has lost a lot of weight lately. At night he sweats more than usual. He’s tired all the time and has noticed purple blotches on his skin.
What STD has Jonathon been infected with? How were you able to identify this?
3) Carl’s pubic hair is itchy all the time, especially at night, and he can see bugs moving through the hair.
What STD has Carl been infected with? How were you able to identify this?
4) Tara and Bobby just got married. Before marriage, they dated for six years and know that they are disease free. They have both decided they don’t want to have children for at least five years.
What form of birth control should they use and why?
Directions: Circle the correct answer to the question or statement.
1) Gonorrhea is mostly likely spread through
a. Eating
b. Genital intercourse
c. Playing basketball
d. Sharing clothes
2) A bacterial STD can be treated by
a. Tylenol
b. Advil
c. Anti-biotics
d. A shot
3) Besides sexual contact, another way Hepatitis A can be spread is through
a. Infected food
b. Feces
c. Taking a shower
d. A and B
4) Syphilis can be tested by
a. A swab of the cervix
b. A urine test
c. Blood test
d. None of the above
5) A symptom of herpes includes
a. A blister
b. A fever
c. A rash
d. Flu-like symptoms
6) Viral STD’s are
a. Always cured by the doctor
b. Treated with an anti-biotic
c. Free of any symptoms
d. Cannot be cured
7) The most effective way to protect from pregnancy is
a. Abstinence
b. Male condom
c. Female condom
d. Nuva Ring
8) When taking emergency contraception, you have ________ hours to take it before it is no longer effective.
a. 30 hours
b. 40 hours
c. 72 hours
d. 12 hours
9) The hormonal birth control that is used every day at the same time is called
a. Depo-Provera
b. Implanon
c. The Pill
d. A diaphragm
10) Sterilization can only be done to
a. Males
b. Females
c. Both males and females
d. Children
11) When being sexually active you are at risk of
a. Becoming pregnant
b. Becoming over weight
c. Contracting an STD
d. A and C
Directions: Read each scenario and answer the question as best as possible
1) Michael and Jasmine have been dating for 6 months. Michael wants to have sex with her. Jasmine is a virgin but Michael is not. Jasmine admits that she really doesn’t want to have sex and isn’t sure if she’s ready. In fact, she wants to use birth control that’s 100 percent effective because she’s definitely not ready to have a baby.
What form of protection can Michael and Jasmine use that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and why?
2) Jonathon has lost a lot of weight lately. At night he sweats more than usual. He’s tired all the time and has noticed purple blotches on his skin.
What STD has Jonathon been infected with? How were you able to identify this?
3) Carl’s pubic hair is itchy all the time, especially at night, and he can see bugs moving through the hair.
What STD has Carl been infected with? How were you able to identify this?
4) Tara and Bobby just got married. Before marriage, they dated for six years and know that they are disease free. They have both decided they don’t want to have children for at least five years.
What form of birth control should they use and why?
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