Test Data Slideshow for Kristianna King

Web page URL

Sorry to all, I forgot to include the URL so here it is...

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/02/new_program_helps_teachers_use.html

Kristianna King

Test Data and Teachers by Kristianna King

The test data from different standardized tests is put together in programs on the Internet. When they are put together, the separate the students by things such as race and ethnic background to create categories that may be easier to interpret the data.

This particular site was developed in Jackson County and it talks about a new program that is used to interpret the test data that they receive. The teachers use the test data to find strengths and weaknesses in their curricula and their different teaching methods. The article states "data is useful when it is accompanied by research, observations, analysis and perspective...". By doing this the teachers are able to pinpoint areas in their teaching that may need work and are able to further their students understanding of material. Although test data should not be solely relied on to improve teachers and schools, it is a helpful insight to where there may need to be work done.

Test Data Slideshow (Stephen Hardy)

Module 7 The Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data

Instructional Data Management System (IDMS) is a web-based application that allows teachers to create and administer test. The test builder can create test that are paced to the teachers curriculum and the standards-based assessment of the state or school district. Once the test is finished this application allows the teacher to then manage and use the data results of the test. These results may help the teacher to see how they may be able to improve on certain areas of instructional practice and in return improve student learning and success. The IDMS website describes one of the many benefits of online test data. Their website states, "Online test management and scoring options give educators the flexibility to administer and score tests online, or using plain paper. They can then drill down into the data to produce meaningful, actionable reports." The number one benefit is that all this information is directly on the teachers desktop, making this tool very convenient to use.

http://www.idmsweb.com/

-Stephen Hardy

Kaitlyn Lara's Test Data Slideshow

Valerie Schulz's Test Data Slideshow

Signe Larson-Test Data Slideshow

Kaitlyn Lara Module 7: Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data

A program that is used by California and other states is called "Electronic Learning Assessments" (ELAR). The site I visited gives a description of their Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). The website also discusses how educators can use their program to enhance their instruction. This program can be used for a district, school, grade, and/or classroom. With it, educators can test their students up to four times a year. Through data, MAP gives teachers information regarding their students progress. The site stated that having this data allows teachers/administrators to make the changes they need to make and focus on what needs improvement. It also states that data improves student performance through the decisions made based on the data.

The MAP data is available to teachers within 24 hours. This is really good because a lot of standardized test results do not come out until it's too late in the year. With the results being accessible so quickly teachers can use the data to make necessary changes and improvements for their student's needs.

http://www.clrn.org/elar/details.cfm?section=description&elarid=61

Signe Larson-The Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data.

I looked up "how educators use Sites that Display Test Data" on Google and found an interesting article that talks all about how educators use sites that display test data. In the article Using Test-Score Data in the Classroom by Brian M. Stecher and Laura S. Hamilton (http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR375/). They believe that the the policy No Child Left Behind (NCLB)is a great excuse to try out a site that displays test data. They believe that educators can you the test-score data to guide school policy and classroom practice.
Stecher and Hamilton say that teachers find site that display test data is not only easy and clear but it is more useful for curriculum planning. Stecher and Hamilton state, "Over one-half of teachers surveyed reported that they used test results to identify topics for review and students who need attention." From what i have read in this article i believe that if more educators used Sites that display test data they could focus more on what the students needed help in instead of wasting time reviewing things that they may already have learned. I think that it is a great way to really know what the students are learning or not learning.

Erin Fountain-Test Data Slideshow

Erin Fountain's Post: The Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data

Using Google.com, I searched the topic: "The Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data", and found a website that first looked to me like Angel. The website,http://www.d3a2.org/home/datatool/, stands for Data Driven Decision (D3) for Academic Acheivement (A2). There are several bar graphs displayed, and through reading the text on the page, I discovered that this system is being used by teachers for the Ohio Achievement and Graduation Tests. This system is designed to help teachers view their students performances and make grading simpler.

The reason it reminded me so much of Angel is because there are two seperate sections: current students and current teachers. The students can easily read their results by the use of colorful bar graphs. It is almost the same idea behind Angel, as well. Some of the tabs under the student section are: current students results, current students' performance standards, current class-data all standards, etc. So basically, the students can see how they performed compared to how the other students did. In a direct quote from the site, D3A2 "helps educators analyze data, and then points them to resources such as lesson plans and assessments, all designed to address the specific academic needs identified by the data." The three tabs, Current Students Tab, Data-Analysis Lite tab, and the Item-Analysis Advanced tab, teachers can view easily how their students are peforming.

Valerie Schulz's Blog Post on The Various Uses to Educators of Sites that Display Test Data

After looking up "online test data for educators" on Google.com, I came across a website that described a new program teachers were using to incorporate test data into their lessons. The article that I found on this website (http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/02/new_program_helps_teachers_use.html), gave information about Jackson County schools, in Michigan, will be utilizing test score data in order to help improve future test scores and "commonize" classrooms. By "commonizing" the classroom, teachers can still use their same teaching strategies, but there are days when they all teach the same lesson on the same day.
The article said that, "'data-driven instruction' is quickly becoming the latest fad in education," but it is something that I believe will help the students in the long run. By incorporating test data with observations and research, the students can be taught more effectively and to higher standards.

Test Data Slideshow - Kelly Romero

Kelly Romero - Test Data Article

http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-4/standardized-test.html
Using Standardized Test Data To Guide Instruction and Intervention. ERIC Digest.
By Mertler, Craig A.
The purpose of this article to is to inform the reader of the positive uses of standardized tests and their corresponding test data. The article discusses how school districts and teacher can improve their curriculum by using the information that is obtained through the test data. “Using test scores to revise group instruction “and “using test scores to design individual intervention” are two key points mentioned in the article. In the first point, the article suggests that data from standardized tests across the curriculum can be useful when designing curriculum. For example, data can help explain in what subject areas improvements need to be made throughout the school and the district.
The second key point illustrates that data obtained through testing can help educators determine the individual needs of students. For example, a teacher can use information gathered from test data to help organize and individualized education plan for an individual student who is struggling in a particular subject area. Finally the article suggests that while interpreting data takes some getting used to, the benefits of the information obtained through the data make it worth the effort.

Online Site Review

Online
Review Sites for Educational Tools

Kristianna
King

1. http://www.childrenssoftware.com/

   
   

This sites main
point is to create an environment where teachers can find technology
that is interactive for their students. It includes reviews for each
product as well as “keeping up with the times” for
interactive technology. Every month they come out with a new review
of the latest products, reviews for each product, and previews of
different products.

2. http://www.educationplanet.com/directory/Education/Educational_Technology

   
   

This site offers
not just reviews, but reviews done by educators for educators. This
is a curriculum focused site. It also not only allows for educators
to read reviews, but also allows them to post them.

3. http://www.superkids.com/

   
   

SuperKids
provides services to review products for teachers and parents based
on specific criteria. The reviews are written by teams that include
educators, parents, and children. The reviews include anywhere from
music products to math products.

http://www.helium.com/items/1065460-how-to-write-a-good-product-review

It came to my attention that I forgot to include the site for the previous post so here it is!
Kristianna King

Reviewing Online Proucts by: Kristianna King

This site maps out tips that can help you review products online properly and can apply to anything that you need to review online whether it be educational or not. I have mapped out the several. tips as specified by the author. The first tip is that you need to enjoy what you are doing to ensure that your review will be respected by others. If the review is not informative and interesting, then it becomes pointless. The next tip is to write down things that "sparked" you about the product; pros and cons. Make sure the information is correct and relevant and try not to use the same words repetitively throughout your review. It is key to remember that a review is your opinion, and the reader values that. If you use these tips when you review instructional software, you can be sure that your review is an accurate description of your point of view.

It is important to read reviews and to write them in an educational aspect to continue to be informed about products as well as to inform others. Your best source for learning about new software for your students is through other teachers and students.

valerie's module 5 word document

A Review of Online Evaluation
Sites

Valerie Schulz

• www.epinions.com
  
  This website reviews all kinds of products, and this is
  done by giving the product a star rating and by listing the pros and
  cons of the product. If you are looking for a quick opinion, then
  it is an okay reference. However, the reviews are not in depth.

  
  

• http://www.reviewcorner.com/software/index.html
  The
  review corner has its own category to review educational software
  and divides the category up by age, subject, or rating. The rating
  of each product includes a rating (out of five stars), age group,
  subject, product overview, and its “bottom line,” one
  sentence review. This website seems to be very descriptive and
  helpful if you are looking for a complete review of any kind of
  educational software.

  
  

• www.dmoz.org
  
  Although the layout of this website is very bland, it seems to
  be moderately helpful. It has many links to different kinds of
  websites that have reviews on a specific product. However, it does
  not seem that easy to use, so I would not recommend this site.

  
  

Valerie Schulz's Module 5 Blog

After searching on google.com for an article that corresponded with the assignment, I finally found an article titled “Checklists for the Evaluation of Educational Software: Critical Review and Prospects” at http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/345070_751316920_746772901.pdf. This article discussed the strengths and weaknesses of using checklists to evaluate educational software. It first informed about why the use of the checklists is so popular, and that is because there are easy to work with and they provide “a structured list of relevant criteria for evaluation.” These forms of review include answers that need only yes or no response, or even ones in which a person rates the product on a one to five star scale.
Although those forms of evaluation seem to be a simple way to review a product, it does create issues. If there are open ended questions, you could easily specify the problems or things that you like about a product, but with this close-ended evaluation, there is little validity for the evaluations; they are unreliable. If the criteria for the review was better developed, than the “validity of checklists may be improved.” Until then, checklists should not be relied on heavily as a great way see how a product was reviewed.

Module 5 Site Reviews

Review
Sites for

Instructional
Technologies

Kaitlyn
Lara

• http://www.aace.org/pubs/aacej/

  
  

The
AACE use to be a printed journal that you had to subscribe to,
but now you can subscribe online. The website allows members to
exchange information and ideas about how to implement technology. I
think this website is pretty up-to-date and values the use of
technology in the classroom.

• http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/

  
  

Evalutech
is a review site that has “over 10,000 recommended reviews of
software.” One of the things I really like about this site is
that you can find reviews of instructional product through its
keyword-searchable database. Their goal is to provide the latest
useful information and resources for teachers.

• http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

  
  

Free
Technology for Teachers is a blog by Richard Bryne. It is his
personal review on technology resources and it instructs teachers on
how to do them. I liked this because he not paid to do this and is
strictly giving his opinion based on his experiences.

Kaitlyn Lara's Finding the Right Products for Instructional Purposes

With all the information/products to choose from, finding a good online product to help teachers enhance their students learning can be challenging. There are so many to pick from. Some are not all that great so it is important to do the research and ask yourself if a certain product is right for your students and ties into your lesson. The article I looked out gives its readers some key questions to ask themselves when picking out instructional technology. While giving readers a list of technologies, it also gives readers a chart that will help them determine what type of technology they should use in certain time frames.

http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/LPWILSON/FCLD_IT_Activity07.pdf