Technology in the Classroom: A Professional Blogfolio

For a four day week last week sure felt long! After practicing for a  month and a half our grade 4, 5, and 6 musical theatre group put on their production of “No Strings Attached” (an adaptation of “Pinocchio”). Working with such a talented group of young people was a lot of fun! I grew up performing so this was an opportunity for me to change roles from performer to director. We practiced for the musical 3-4 hours each week and through these rehearsals I was able to see the students grow into their roles. After our school performance/dress rehearsal the other staff members congratulated us on a job well done. The community performance was an even bigger hit! I was and still am proud of the kids for working so hard as it definitely paid off! After our community performance the grade 6 students surprised the directors and stage crew with a beautiful gesture. They asked the audience to remain seated as they called us onto the stage. We each received a rose and a thank you note acknowledging our hard work. I couldn’t believe the kids thought of it by themselves. What a great group!

The next night was a long one as well. It was the first night of our school’s celebration of learning. Each student led their parents through stations in the classroom. The first station asked that the students use base ten blocks, dice, and make ten cards to play some math games and experience the new Math Makes Sense curriculum. The next station gave examples of writing and used the holistic writing rubric. The last station allowed the students to show their parents the technology we have been using so far this year. Students logged into the computer to show examples of slide shows they had created and then they played with the GPS units for a while.

After all 3 stations were complete, students led their parents to gym where they were to spend their last 10 minutes with my co-operating teacher and I. Portfolio and progress report in hand, students were asked to talk about their strengths and the areas they feel they need to work on. Lastly, students set a goal for the next term.

I believe this was a really positive experience for me. I was able to see a different side of most of the students. In a class of 32 it’s sometimes difficult to give the students the one-on-one attention they deserve. Seeing them with their parents and taking responsibility for their learning was really touching. I was lucky to have a co-operating teacher who allowed me to participate like I did. I shared my thoughts with each student and his/her parents about strengths and areas to improve on. I also shared any concerns I had. Most of the conferences were very positive and some parents and students even expressed their sadness that I would be leaving at Christmas. After two long nights at the school, however, I was ready for a long weekend.

Right now I am in the middle of my three week block and I can honestly say that I have never seen this side of the equation before. Up until this point I have been on the receiving end of the report cards, progress reports, finals grades, etc. The work that goes into creating an appropriate measurement of the student’s achievement is incredible!

This is the first year that my school has decided to use rubrics and descriptors instead of the traditional marking style of Good, Very Good, etc. It’s exciting to see the staff members buying in to this different type of assessment as it is what we had been discussing in our assessment classes in university. Now, the only thing that is left, is parental acceptance… Who knows what they are going to think when their child comes home with a Not Yet, Developing, Proficient, or Excellent… Will they read the descriptors? Or will they simply attempt to convert to new marks to the old style of A, B, C, or D?

In addition to using the new rubrics over the past two months, I have also had the opportunity to help the students create portfolios. By the end of our portfolio party I knew I would be ok if I were to never hear another 3-ringed binder snap shut again. 32 students with one binder each, each binder having 3 rings, with millions of assignments to put in equates to Miss Kvamme needing some Advil. ON a positive note, I could see that the students truly enjoy seeing the things that go into their portfolios and I hope that their parents will be equally excited to see what’s inside.

At an assessment seminar the Div. II staff met and discussed the importance of the portfolios. The progress reports are meaningless without the portfolios and parents need to keep this in mind when their little ones bring home their samples of work. In an attempt to have parents engage in the material within the portfolio a type of “homework task” was created to lead parents through the portfolio and help them reflect on the year thus far. My fingers are crossed as I hope that the new progress report and portfolio homework goes over well.

After the students have had time at home to share their portfolios with their loved ones, they come to the school for their celebration of learning. I like the title “Celebration of Learning” better than conferences as it has a more positive spin. This week students will be practicing their student-led conference so that when their time comes, they will be prepared and confident. I think I have more anxiety about the night than the students do!

In other news, my teaching has been going well! I am really enjoying my time in the classroom and I am trying to savour every moment. I was recently in the paper for having taken the Div. I choir to a local nursing home to sing spooky Halloween songs. I have also been working hard as our musical production of “No Strings Attached” is quickly approaching. My mornings are filled with last minute changes to lessons, noon hours are for choir practices and marking, and after schools are musical practices. I am becoming busier and busier, but such is the life of an elementary school teacher!