A look into chapter 11, Engaging Students in Performance Assessments and Reflective Learning is all about how teachers and students can use technology to evaluate and access the process of their learning. Using technology allows for teachers to experience an ultimate teaching experience while offering students the ultimate learning experiences. Three main points that were outlined that I found interesting were the use of portfolios, student involvement in the educational process, and preparations for high-stakes testing.

Firstly, I have heard of portfolios before, but never in conjunction with using them to access student learning. The mere concept of creating a portfolio is a good one because they allow for an outsider to take a look inside of who you are and what you or your cause is about. What I didn’t think about with regards to portfolios is that they can act as alternate assessment methods. Not only would a student have to prepare what they learned and arrange it inside of the portfolio, but hey would have to reflect on how that particular object plays a role in what they learned. Additionally, it allows students some sense of ownership. They move from simply answering questions created by the teacher to becoming active authors of their own learning and assessment process. As a teacher, I would definitely use digital portfolios to record my work as a coach. Because it is my ultimate goal to coach at the collegiate level, documenting my path along the way can capture my growth, my accomplishments, and the areas I need to focus on to make it to that level in coaching. For my students, it can offer them that varied learning approach. It can take away the pen and paper testing component and open up their imaginations and creativity. I think a good idea would be for new teachers to propose to the school they start working at to have the technology class implement time and hands-on use of digital programs that allow students familiarity with digital portfolios. Can you imagine if a student started one in junior high school? What a full and rich outline they would have to use for the job market or college at the end of their educational rode.

Secondly, research shows that students who actively participate in organizing and developing their assignments and assessments, “…reinforce their grasp of the course content and strengthen their own skills at self-assessment.” My thought is, what harm can it do? If allowing students to have a voice in some of their educational practices helps them to get more engaged, why not do it. This sort of involvement labels schools as democratic classrooms. This concepts is achieved when students and teachers come together to make essential decisions about various aspects of the students’ learning process. It’s important to understanding that chapter 11 does not qualify this act as simply allowing student to decide whatever they want. For instance, what 13 year old would elect to have homework at all? However, the process allows for the 13 year olds to engage in an open discussion where they can offer reasonable input into different components of homework like: how many questions a night they are given, what days of the week are best to have homework, how will be accessed and so forth. I can only imagine how powerful this will feel for the students and the equal power it can give to teachers who can later address students who fall short on their own expectations.

  Thirdly, the chapter’s attention to high-stakes testing was necessary. Now more than ever in the field of education, no teacher can get around the necessity of preparing their students for high-stakes tests. Since the No Child Left Behind Act was put into effect in 2001, states are being required to assure students are assessed and pass a basic skills test at varying levels in order for their institution to receive federal funding. With no way around students having to take tests, teachers need to find ways that their students can be best prepared for such assessments. Using technology to load simulated questions into a bank that students can then practice from is ingenious. I like the fact that it offers the students the ability to practice very similar type questions as well as uncover other test taking strategies. When teachers use a technology based strategy to practice with the students it takes the pressure off of being wrong and it opens students up to being able to switch roles from simple learners to teachers. Many of the applications discovered in chapter 4 can be used to achieve this successfully. Testing isn’t going away, so as teachers, we must help our students be able to successfully navigate through them and technology helps make that happen.      

In the end, chapter 11’s focus only extends itself from previous chapters. Its focus centers on the assessment part of a student’s learning process as opposed to the previous chapters focuses on the learning portion of their academic journey. All in all, the chapter reinforces the concept that technology is beneficial from the beginning all the way through to the end of a lesson. Specifically, for the assessment portion of learning, technology can help by offering students a visual way to demonstrate an understanding of material learned, allowing them say so in their culminating assessments, and providing much needed practice to become efficient with high-stakes testing.            

Work Cited

            Angelo, Thomas A., and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1993. Print.

"Kahoot." Kahoot. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

Maloy, Robert W. Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011. Print.

"The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)." Rss. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.