EduCon 2.4

The primary focus of this conversation is qualitative formative assessment of student understanding. In an ideal world, teachers would have the ability to facilitate 1-on-1 (or 1-on-few) conversations with each student on an ongoing basis in order to see where they are in the learning and to adapt and adjust instruction to best suit their needs. How can we leverage emerging technologies to facilitate this kind of relationship?

Before integrating any educational technology tools, it is important to anchor an exploration for the given learning environment. Learning goals, instruction and assessment, tools and resources: these are three major components of any classroom activity, lesson, project, or unit. But which is driving which in your teaching environment? In the current day and age it is easy to let the tools drive curriculum, instruction, and assessment while losing sight of the things that matter most – the learning goals.

We'll start with a quick 'checking for understanding' activity. Be prepared to think and to do.

We'll shift our focus towards solution-finding by connecting learning and assessment goals of interest to instructional practices supported by technology using a simple framework that can support qualitative formative assessment: create, curate, & publish.

By the end of the day (not necessarily by the end of the session), we will have constructed a curated resource of goals, approaches, and tools that can be referenced beyond the conference.