4. How have you applied a variety of strategies and educational technology tools to strengthen assessment in classrooms and schools? How might the involvement in the assessment process by families and other professionals be enhanced using technology?

            Diverse types of assessments, including portfolios, essays and demonstrations are needed to lead to more student engagement and participation (Herman and Dietal, 2005).  My students create portfolios to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter, and are guided along the way with rubrics to be clear of expectations.  I infuse educational technology tools in creating the portfolios by orienting the youth on what a portfolio is (see Appendix K).  Through our afterschool classes, my staff and I can guide the students as they create their portfolios through their online learning experiences and internships.   

            Students learn from the community when completing their work (Sheldon, 2007).  As is apparent in the learning plan of students completing internships in the community, the Career Development Wikispace allows for students to share their learning with members in the community (their mentor) and families.  Using this Wikispace allows for student sharing of thoughts and ideas and also allows for collaboration, in that users can edit and add comments to work.  Since the community is working so closely with assessing student work, they also need to be trained and mentored, which is why I am creating a PowerPoint slide show that will be used when we are recruiting businesses.

            Ongoing communication with community members, including families, is important when working with youth.  Educators have an awesome responsibility and need to collaborate with others in both developing curriculum and also assessing student work.  Before students begin an internship in the community, they are oriented on work maturity and expectations (see Appendix L).  When my students are working in their internships they are being evaluated by their worksite mentor on their work maturity skills on an ongoing basis so that they may improve where necessary.  In addition, the students also complete reflections throughout their experiences, all of which is helpful in improving curriculum development and collaborations with the community.

Herman, Joan and Deitel, Ronald (2005). A primer on accountability: from standards to assessments school leaders need to know in the NCLB era. American School Board Journal, December 2005.

Sheldon, Stephen (2007).  Improving student attendance with school, family and community partnerships.  The Journal of Educational Research, 100(5), 267-275.