3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
Artifact: Emerging Technology Presentation
Reflection:
This artifact is the Emerging Technology Presentation. This gave me the opportunity to look at some new technologies that are available and evaluate them.
For this presentation, I collaborated with my fellow Special Education teachers and my administrators to select and evaluate a tool called ST Math. My school has began to pilot this program in our school. We have seen great results from our students thanks to this program. ST Math is math without words. It uses illustrations in the form of games to allow students to practice math concepts. Prior to implementing this program with out students we ensured that ST Math accurately met the needs of students. We also ensured that ST Math was suitable for the target age, grade, subject and ability level that was needed. Lastly, we ensured that the ST Math program was compatible with the 1:1 iPad program that is already in place. ST Math already had an app that was available for the iPad.
This experience helped me gain valuable experience in the process it takes to select and evaluate digital tools and resources. If I had this project to do over again, I would have looked at more tools before deciding on one. I still stand behind the decision I made. I have realized that there may be other tools that could accomplish the same task and would have been cheaper.
The work that went into creating this artifact impacts student learning and faculty development. The tools selected helps students achieve higher levels of thinking without complicating it with words. The faculty who implemented this tool was given extensive training in how the program works and how to use the program. The impact can be assessed through student math scores and the faculty’s ability to use the tool.
This artifact is the Emerging Technology Presentation. This gave me the opportunity to look at some new technologies that are available and evaluate them.
For this presentation, I collaborated with my fellow Special Education teachers and my administrators to select and evaluate a tool called ST Math. My school has began to pilot this program in our school. We have seen great results from our students thanks to this program. ST Math is math without words. It uses illustrations in the form of games to allow students to practice math concepts. Prior to implementing this program with out students we ensured that ST Math accurately met the needs of students. We also ensured that ST Math was suitable for the target age, grade, subject and ability level that was needed. Lastly, we ensured that the ST Math program was compatible with the 1:1 iPad program that is already in place. ST Math already had an app that was available for the iPad.
This experience helped me gain valuable experience in the process it takes to select and evaluate digital tools and resources. If I had this project to do over again, I would have looked at more tools before deciding on one. I still stand behind the decision I made. I have realized that there may be other tools that could accomplish the same task and would have been cheaper.
The work that went into creating this artifact impacts student learning and faculty development. The tools selected helps students achieve higher levels of thinking without complicating it with words. The faculty who implemented this tool was given extensive training in how the program works and how to use the program. The impact can be assessed through student math scores and the faculty’s ability to use the tool.