Use the following menu to view each section of the Artifact Report. You can adjust the size of this window for a larger view. To return to my Portfolio Matrix page, just close the window.
In February of 2004, I applied for a grant from the Cherry Creek Foundation. The proposal, titled "R.E.A.C.T." (Reaching Educational Achievement through Computer Technology), focused on purchasing the Classroom Performance System (CPS) from eInstruction to help students achieve higher test scores. CPS is an instant assessment technology where students receive a remote device to respond to multiple-choice questions posed via computer and digital projector. Reports can then be generated to analyze the results.
In May 2004, I was surprised to find that my grant request of $2,495
was approved. Three representatives from the Cherry Creek Foundation,
along with my principal,
Suzie Johnston, walked into the computer lab one day, ringing a cowbell and
carrying an oversized check! I felt like I had won a contest!
Now that I have had opportunities to learn how to use CPS for creating questions,
I have incorporated it into presentations at the Technology
in Education Conference and at the Student
Achievement
Resource Center (SARC) at Cherry Creek Schools. I
created
a presentation for our staff that I gave at the beginning of the 2004-05
school year.
I hope to generate enough interest in CPS that I can begin a coaching project
with a small group of teachers throughout the year. I am determined
to help teachers use this technology as a valuable assessment tool.
How can
teachers learn to ask good questions? In order to solve this problem, I
created a PowerPoint presentation to introduce our staff to the Classroom
Performance System (CPS). I also provided teachers with an online resource
that explains
how to ask good
questions
and how
to assess
the
results from
these
questions,
either
with CPS or SurveyMonkey.com.
When teachers think of multiple-choice questions, often times the first thing that comes to their minds is a standardized test. These questions typically assess comprehension and knowledge. However, multiple-choice questions can also assess higher-level thinking skills. The best way to do this is to learn how to ask good questions. The better the questions, the more teachers can learn about students.
First, I created a PowerPoint presentation to show teachers how CPS can
be used effectively. The final question of my presentation
was:
Which statement best describes your attitude towards the CPS system?
A. I will definitely use CPS with my students this year. Train me
NOW so I can use it right away!
B. I will use the CPS system after someone else on my team uses
it first. I will attend training sessions to learn how to use it.
C. I might use the CPS system this year. I probably will not attend
training sessions to learn how to use it.
D.
I
will not use CPS system this year. I
will not attend any training sessions
to learn how to use it.
Based on the results of this question, I will introduce the Web site "Asking Good Questions" to an interested group of teachers that would like to start using CPS.
To support my PowerPoint presentation, I created the Web site to help teachers think about the types of questions they ask students. By providing links that support the information presented in my Web site, I have shown that the subject of assessment and higher-level thinking is one that has a lot of online supporting documentation. However, I feel that this site combines interactivity and examples in such a way as to personalize the learning experience. Rather than expecting users to be passive readers, I included quizzes that reinforce information, and activities that ask users to apply their knowledge to create a survey of their own.
The results show that teachers can use questioning
to learn more about the individual students in their classroom. Teachers
should be able to create an online survey with SurveyMonkey.com, which
can then be applied to CPS.
Results will be gathered through survey responses entered in the conclusion
section. Teachers' responses will help me determine whether the
site met their learning needs, and if they plan to use SurveyMonkey.com.
and/or CPS in the future. Responses also provide formative feedback that
I can
use to make further improvements to the site.
This activity has value because it supports a new technology (CPS), which our school was able to receive through a Foundation Grant. In order to get the maximum value from CPS, I developed these materials to demonstrate the potential of having an instant assessment tool available at our school. And schools that do not have CPS can also benefit from a resource such as SurveyMonkey.com. to create assessments and surveys for staff and students.
As other elementary schools in our district purchase (or win!) CPS systems, I will offer my services to help more teachers become familiar with this technology. I was contacted by Patty Barber, an SAS (Student Achievement Specialist) at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, who won a CPS at T.I.E. this summer. She asked if I would come to Cottonwood and show her staff how to use CPS effectively, which I did in September. Since then, three other elementary SAS's have contacted me to learn more about CPS. They would like me to help train their staff, or have asked to use my PowerPoint presentation and website related to CPS for their own training programs. My goal is to help the teachers around our district the same way I'm helping teachers at Sagebrush Elementary.
I am SO excited to have CPS at our school! I have created a presentation for our staff that includes practice using CPS, as well as demonstrating the different types of questions to ask, and how to assess learners. The Web site gives teachers reinforcement to my presentation, and I hope to begin coaching at least 2-3 teachers to use CPS with students. Even schools that do not have CPS can benefit from the information on my website. SurveyMonkey.com. is a free resource that teachers can use to create effective questions, and it is a good introduction to using an online resource in the classroom.
Where do I go from here? I will continue to support schools in our
district using CPS. Since I have already used the training and presentations
I have created with other
schools in our district, I am becoming a
district leader in
providing professional development to schools using
CPS.
Responsibility #2: Designs instruction or human performance strategy to
meet the needs of learners.
This project was
based on analyzing the instructional
problem of helping teachers to ask good questions. I then designed
and developed
activities that utilize various delivery
strategies (PowerPoint, CPS
questions, and website). The implementation of these activities
help
teachers learn how to ask good
questions and design good assessments.
The website includes an evaluation section in order to provide summative feedback.
This type of feedback further helps to meet the needs of the learner.
Responsibility #3: Uses a variety of media to deliver instruction
to students and to engage students in learning
I fulfilled this
responsibility by purposefully using different media to deliver lessons
to users. I used Snapz ProX and Quick Time Pro to
create online movies, advanced Fireworks techniques to label screenshots,
and Dreamweaver Coursebuilder tools to create interactive quizzes
that provide immediate feedback. The combination of these elements
helped
to reinforce the content of each lesson.
Responsibility
#5: Manages complex projects and resources in support
of learning
This project is
part of a building-wide effort to get teachers to start using CPS
in the classroom. I conducted a presentation to
our staff that shows how CPS can be used to assess higher level thinking
skills. I then surveyed our staff to determine how many teachers would
be willing to attend further training in order to use CPS this year.
As a result of this survey, I can incorporate one-on-one coaching to
help individual teachers use CPS with students, especially during preparations
for CSAP in March. The PowerPoint deck and website will be incorporated
into my training with teachers. I have visited other elementary
schools that have recently purchased CPS in order to introduce the concept
of asking good questions, assessment vs. evaluation, and using online
resources to start developing good questions.
Responsibility #6: Uses incisive and relevant assessment and evaluation
techniques.
The CPS system is
a new technology that focuses on assessment. This entire project was
developed as a way to help teachers use relevant
assessment
techniques. I included online quizzes, activities, and self-assessments
in order to support teachers.