The Spectrum of Assessments

     One of my favourite units to teach is the one on chemical bonding. In chemistry, bonding is where all of the action is. As teachers, we usually begin by labelling chemical bonds as ionic, polar covalent, or non-polar covalent. We explain that the classification of these three types of bonds is based on the differences between the electronegativity values of the atoms involved in the bond. We then point to a neat little chart showing the cut-off points for each category, pass out a periodic table showing each element's electronegativity value, and have students determine whether the bonds in various compounds are ionic, polar covalent, or non-polar covalent.

http://phs.psdr3.org/science/chemistry1/Smith/BondingReview.htm

Unfortunately, the classification of bonds as ionic, polar covalent, or non-polar covalent is somewhat arbitrary - in fact many chemistry textbooks cite different electronegativity difference cut-off values for each category. In reality, there are not three categories of bonding, there is a spectrum of bonding.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/higher/chemistry/energy/bsp_rev1.shtm

Therefore, it is more appropriate to describe a bond a more polar than another, or less ionic than another based on where it falls in the bonding spectrum.

     As educators, we tend to try to classify types of assessments in much the same way, labelling them as either objective assessments or subjective assessments. This is becoming more and more difficult as the variety of assessment strategies increases. Watch the following video to see some of the many creative assessment strategies available today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PszymHlse20

 

It is becoming increasingly obvious that classroom assessment rarely fits neatly into predefined categories. For example, traditionally objective assessment strategies such as multiple choice questions, can also be said to have a subjective component due to cultural and geographic bias in the questions themselves. Likewise, subjective assessments such as open-ended inquiry labs often have several objective components such as the right and wrong answers to calculations. It is therefore, more appropriate to also describe assessment in terms of a spectrum, with different assessments having greater or lesser objective/subjective components.

http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/evaluation/p_2.html

The Technology Infused Chemistry Classroom

     What would a technology infused chemistry classroom look like? What would we see? How would students, teachers, and parents interact? What kind of equipment would be present? Of course, there are many ways to infuse technology into the classroom. Each teacher's classroom would be different and would also reflect the teacher's style and personality. I would like to describe my vision of the ideal technology infused chemistry classroom.

• The classroom is teacher-facilitated and student-directed. 

          Students work individually and in small groups. At any given time, we might see    

          some students watching podcasted instruction on laptops, small groups of students at

          lab benches using PDA's to collect lab data, or a student demonstrating their his or her

          knowledge on an online quiz. We might also see individuals or groups on laptops

          creating representations of their knowledge, exploring on a virtual field trip, or

          collaborating with classmates. The curriculum would be layered, offering students a

          variety of activity choices that can be used to meet learning standards. The teacher

          would be actively moving around the classroom, verbally assessing, guiding

          instruction, and redirecting students who have gotten off task.

• Parents, students, and teachers are partners in education. 

          Parents are kept informed by newsletters describing classroom activities, access to
          programs such as Gradespeed and Studywiz, and regular phone/email communications.
          Students prepare eportfolios of their work which are shown to parents.

• The classroom is FILLED with resources for students to use such as:

               Podcasts of instruction (teacher created):

               Probeware/PDA assisted labs:

                                                            http://www.vernier.com/

               Online virtual labs:

                                                                   http://www.explorelearning.com

 

 

               Online animations and simulations:

                                                http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/soluble-salts

               

              Virtual Field Trips:

                                   

                               http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id14346

       

• The classroom is equipped for student exploration.

              - Class set of laptops with wireless internet

              - Class set of headsets

              - Labquests and probeware for each lab bench

              - Smartboard for class and small group instruction

              - Bookcases and shelves for books, magazines, and manipulatives

     Creating a student-centered, technology-infused classroom as described above will not be easy. Potential hurdles include cost, resistance from administrators and parents who are used to a more traditional model, resistance from students who are used to teacher-centered classrooms, and the time needed to develop a technology infused, layered curriculum. In most cases, the technology-infused classroom cannot be created overnight, it must be developed over time. Critical steps to creating a technology-infused classroom include teacher collaboration and training, parent and student education, equipment purchase, and curriculum development.