761 week seven - march 3, 2004 - online

Follow the steps below to read and review five online resources. Sum up your thoughts by responding in the online discussion area as described in step six.

Technology based/enhanced Assessment

1. From Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment (2001) read the Executive Summary pp. 1-14, & Ch. 7 pp. 260- 288. In your own words summarize the advantages that technology can provide for assessment.
2. Go to SRI’s Center for Technology in Learning page “Assessment at CTL” and scroll down to their current and past projects. Click on 2 or 3 and read about them. Compare their description and features against your list of advantages technology provides for assessment.

Student Achievement and Technology Integration

3. Go to the official No Child Left Behind website and review its components by browsing the Overview, Stronger Accountability, More Local Freedom, Proven Methods, and Choices for Parents links, at left.
4. Read the press release from May 8, 2003 “Bush Educational Technology Official Highlights No Child Left Behind in Michigan” and summarize what the Deputy Director identifies as the role for technology in NCLB act.
5. Read about NCLB’s Educational Technology Initiatives to determine what support the federal government is providing to states for technology.

Compare and Contrast these Ideas

6. Compare and contrast the ideas above by writing about them in two separate posts in WebCT's online discussion forum; make a seperate post for each of the two questions below. In addition to making a post for each, respond to at least one other person's for each of the two topics.

a. Assuming that NCLB is influencing products available for schools, the expenditures they are able to make, and schools’ need to gather and report student achievement data, will the NCLB act promote or retard the agenda for technology supporting assessment that is set forth in Knowing What Students Know? Explain your answer. (Note: put this post under the thread called “Influence of NCLB”.)
b. What evidence can you see in your school and/or district of the availability of technology to support assessment as envisioned in Knowing What Students Know, and in the NCLB act? Describe what additional access, training or other support it might take for you to enact some of these ideas envisioned in each. (Note: put this post under the thread called “In My Workplace”.)