Artifact: Technology Attitude Survey

 

Brief Description and Attribution to a Major Instructional Strand

Integration of technology has become very important in the fourth grade classroom due to the mandatory implementation of the technology course of study and limited time in the school day to teach technology as a separate subject. However, I have discovered it is difficult to integrate technology smoothly into the curriculum because the students lack the vocabulary necessary to understand instructions while in the computer lab. I wanted to teach the necessary vocabulary without the threat of bad grades interfering with the learning process of using technology and understanding the vernacular that goes with it. On the same note I did want to see a change in the students’ feelings about technology to distinguish if possessing adequate vocabulary about the subject positively affected their opinions about technology. In order to do this I developed an attitude survey for the students to complete before and after the technology vocabulary unit. The survey consists of seven questions concerning the student’s feelings or opinions about technology. Each question is followed by four answer choices along with a smiley face icon that matches the answer choice. For example, a yes answer is followed by a BIG smiley face with a thumbs up and a never answer is followed by a worried face. The post survey will show a significant change in attitude because of the students’ mastery of vocabulary relating to technology.

 

Strand 1: Integrated Assessment for Standards-Based Curricula

In reading about authentic assessment I have learned that a grade is not always necessary in order to determine the development of a student. A simple survey that the student can complete as a diagnostic evaluation to determine where to begin a unit or to determine if the unit had any affect on the student can tell the teacher a great deal about the development of the students. Kay Burke states that, “no one assessment tool by itself is capable of producing the quality information that is needed to make an accurate judgment of a student’s knowledge, skills, understanding of curriculum, motivation, social skills, processing skills, and lifelong learning skills.” This attitude survey is an attempt by me to include another assessment in this vocabulary unit in order to accurately judge the skills of my students.

 

Strand 2: Instructional Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom

This attitude survey will be a success indicator for my inclusion students. Although I haven’t received the list of students that I will have this year I know I will have an inclusion class. In developing different types of assessments I can more accurately determine the amount of growth inclusion students have done. There will be times that I will need to write narratives to document a student’s skills instead of grades. Surveys similar to this will help in the endeavor.

 

Demonstrated Skills and Behaviors

Students will learn the vocabulary necessary to complete tasks that deal directly with technology in the classroom and computer lab. The vocabulary is very important because the technology tasks the students will complete will only be a means to demonstrate understanding about another subject. For example, students may create a PowerPoint to demonstrate understanding of the branches of government in history. Students will need to possess the vocabulary necessary to understand what I mean when I instruct them to place the cursor in the text box. Increased vocabulary will minimize frustration in the computer lab during instruction time.

 

Connection to NBPTS Core Propositions

Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.

Teachers regularly assess student progress. The attitude survey will be used to assess the feelings that the students possess before and after they learn the correct vocabulary for technology. This survey however will not be the only assessment because that in itself is not a sufficient assessment tool. Other assessments will be given to the students to measure their growth before during and after this vocabulary unit.

Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities.

Teachers contribute to school effectiveness by collaborating with other professionals. This attitude survey will be used while planning with the collaborating special education teacher for my inclusion class. Although mastery of the vocabulary is desired for all the students in my class it may not be possible. This survey along with the post assessment will help in planning for the special education students in my class.

Teachers also work collaboratively with parents. As stated earlier a grade may not necessarily show the great strides of progress a student makes. However this survey and surveys similar to this one will aid in my regular communication with the parents of my students about the progress that has been made in the classroom.

 

Reflection

The creation of this survey has been very exciting to me. This is my first survey and I am very anxious to use it in my classroom. I can see where the post survey will cause a real excitement in my students as they compare how they felt about technology before the vocabulary unit and how they feel after. This will be tangible evidence to them that their learning has directly affected their perception of a subject. This survey and others that I create this year will also be a tremendous positive during parent/teacher conferences and during IEP meetings.

 

Technology Survey