Analyst Pathway

Overview of the Task

From the Data Quality Campaign (a project connected with the Data Literacy for Educators team), you will explore two resources from “Ms. Bullen’s Data-Rich Year,” an infographic and a video (direct link to video).

The Learning

Explore the two resources in detail, spending time to read the entire infographic and periodically pausing the video. Then, read about some critiques and concerns from NPR Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz.

Reflection Prompt

Upon doing so, critically interrogate the ideas about how data can — and cannot inform — a teacher’s instructional practice. Using at least three questions from this “The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Digital Thinking” by Global Digital Citizen Foundation. For instance, you might look at the questions write about:

• Who benefits from this massive collection of data? Teachers? Students? Caregivers? Administrators? The tech companies gathering the data?

• What is the best (or worst) case of having this data collected for student privacy and their learning?

• Why is “big data” in education a problem and what else should people know about it?

Or, whichever questions you want to adapt that make the most sense to you.

Write a brief summary in which you answer the questions about Ms. Bullen’s data-rich year, 200-250 words total. No APA citations are required.

Overview of the Task

Based on your research into characteristics of good feedback, install and try Google apps/add-ons/extensions or another tool of your choosing to model the feedback loop and experience.

The Learning

In contrast to the idea of “big data,” we want to think about how teachers can use technology to provide students with feedback. Begin by exploring Hattie's Visible Thinking Resources (especially this recent post, “Visible Learning Effect Sizes When Schools Are Closed: What Matters and What Does Not,” and, created by a teacher, "The Power of Feedback" book review video.

Then, consider how you might use one of the following Google Doc plugins to provide timely, specific, and goal-oriented feedback to your students. Read this post from Jen Roberts, and then explore one of the few tools that she mentions.

• Kaizena

• OrangeSlice

• JoeZoo

• Doctopus

• **Wildcard** - another feedback tool you'd like to learn more about

Reflection Prompt

Install and try out one tool in GDocs or the tool of your choosing. Some will allow you to act as if you are responding to a student, and you could create an exchange between you and your student. Or, play with it in another way. Take a screenshot of what you tried with the extension in GDocs or your tool.

Write a brief summary of your progress, 200-250 words total. No APA citations are required.

Overview of Task

In this task, you will explore and evaluate assessment tools to support data driven dialogue. As you move through the activities, take note of the tools you are interested in using, as well as the criteria used to evaluate these tools for use in the classroom.

The Learning

As one of the most popular tools in ed tech, Kahoot! has a unique space in educators imagination. Some see it as an incredible learning tool that engages students and brings a competitive spirit to the classroom, others see it as nothing more than a gimmicky game that reinforces lower-order thinking and is poor learning.

This worldview isn't just reserved for just ! The same can be said about many assessment and evaluation tools. How do you know where to locate assessment tools? How might you know whether the tool will connect to your lesson goals? Will it build engagement in your classroom or just detract from the learning?

Let's begin by exploring lists of the top tools in the assessment and evaluation game. Choose 2-3 tools that you want to explore and job down some notes.

• "Top Tech Tools for Formative Assessment" by Common Sense Media

• “5 Classroom Tools to Measure Student Learning” by Bethany Petty

Next, let's look at some key factors about assessment, evaluation, and data used in education. Explore the 21things4educators, Thing 19- Assessment & Analysis an start with DEFINE to jot down some notes about:

• • The Four Types of Data

  • The four areas of the T3PD Model and some sample tools for each

  • Frameworks for evaluating assessment tools in the "Overview & Tool Evaluator" section

You might also review the DEFINE page of Thing 11 - Data Privacy and the section on "Legalities of Student Data & AUPs". Here you will find some additional considerations like FERPA/HIPAA for your tool review and selection.

As you think about evaluating the tools you have chosen, you might explore reviews from some well-known EdTech resources like the ones found here:

• • WeAreTeachers (Example: “12 Ways to Use Kahoot! in Your Classroom”)

  • Common Sense Education Reviews (Example: “Kahoot! Review” by Melissa Powers)

  • EdTech Advisor (Example: “Kahoot! Review”)

  • Research based articles (Example -- Licorish, S. A., Owen, H. E., Daniel, B., & George, J. L. (2018). Students’ perception of Kahoot!’s influence on teaching and learning. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 13(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-018-0078-8 )

  • Twitter Feeds (Example: look at the feed for the #Kahoot hashtag or the @GetKahoot mentions)

Reflection Prompt

Describe how you selected, reviewed, critiqued, and evaluated the tool and any frameworks or sites used in the process. Include screenshots where appropriate to document your journey. Describe how you will use the tool in your classroom and the data you hope to gather to inform your instruction. 200-250 words total. No APA citations are required.

Overview of the Task

According to the ISTE Standard for Educator's Analyst Standard, indicator 2.7b, educators should, "Use technology to describe and implement a variety formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students and inform instruction."

The Learning

Choose an Assessment. Gather summative data and disaggregate this data for the purpose of a meaningful and educational analysis. From your professional practice, find “big test” data for your students such as:

• ASQ for early childhood education,

• DRA for K-8 students,

• NWEA and State tests for grade school,

• PSAT, SAT, ACT for high school, GRE for graduate school,

• TOEFL for foreign students

• Pre-, Mid-, and Post-assessment in a district course

As two simple places to begin, you can look at K12 Student Assessments in Michigan’s School Data or NCES. The goal is that you download and look at the data, though you could just look at the visualizations on the website. Identify and jot down the learning targets and/or content area standards reflected in the assessment.

Identify the Gaps

Once you determine your focus area, discover where your current students may have a gap in learning (be specific, with a learning target like “adding two digit numbers” or “correcting verb tense” based on the content area standards), you will imagine a lesson where you gather formative assessment data to compare their current performance and to help you adjust instruction.

Take a snapshot/screenshot of the data and describe the lesson you might want to implement. {Please remove any references to student names or any identifying information to adhere to data privacy rules/laws). Of course, it might go without saying, yet you will want to think about an innovative use of technology that would be part of this lesson. This summary will likely be apx 100-150 words.

Dialogue the Data

Find a colleague in your own school/district with whom you can meet, via phone or video conference, for a 30-60 minute discussion about the data, the student learning need that you have identified, and the lesson that you might teach. Share the summary you created (above) and a link to the School Reform Initiative’s “Pocket Guide to Probing Questions,” inviting your colleague to look at your data and your lesson idea. Meet and discuss.

Reflect and Share

After the discussion, take time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses you and your colleague talked about. To deepen your thinking about the data — and how you would adjust your instruction to best help students — you might consider the following questions drawn from Teach Thought’s 25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently. In short, describe what you would do to make the lesson successful, drawing from the initial data, your colleague’s response, and what you want to change. This will likely be about 300 to 350 words.

Reflection Prompt

Your whole piece, including the data you gathered, the identified gaps, an overview of the dialogue, the lessons learned, and how it informed your professional practice will be about 400-500 words. No APA citations are required.

Overview of the Task

In this task, you will explore digital tools that can be used to provide choices for students - empowering them to be Creative Communicators in their messaging. You will learn about how you can personalize the learning by creating your own Choice Boards around your content area.

The Learning

Personalizing the learning means empowering student agency by providing voice and choice. When we embrace this concept, we are looking for ways for students or participants to have options around the way they learn, the tools they use, and the products they create to turn in for credit.

Start by examining some of these resources:

• The ISTE Standards for Educators describe this in the Analyst Standard with indicator 2.7a, "Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology." ISTE models what they preach with a Personalized Learning page to allow you to pick and choose your learning pathways.

• EdSurge shares the Personalized Learning Toolkit where you can examine vision, research, implementation, and evidence.

• In her site, Learning Personalized, author Alison Zmuda shares timely resources, strategies, and support. She describes three shifts in assessment, instruction, and relationships in order to be successful.

• In previous pathways, you experimented with Hyperdocs, which has elements of choice around pathways and engagement. Choice Boards have gained popularity as educational technology has evolved. Choice Boards in Education offer a variety of options to empower student agency. There are lots of templates out there or you can create your own.

Next, explore Thing 14 - Creative Communication in 21things4educators. Jot down a few ideas as you move through each of the following sections in the DEFINE section about the types of choices students make on platforms, processes, and products:

• Creative Communications - Back Ground Information

• What is a Creative Communicator?

• Student Choice - Personalized Learning & Choice Boards

• Interactive & Engaging Content with Hyperdocs

• Tools that Prompt Creativity

• Reflecting & Assessing Skills & Abilities

• Designing a Creative Communicator Lesson - Putting the Pieces Together

• LASTLY - Take the Knowledge Check and capture a screenshot of the results.

Next, use a digital tool to create an engaging and interactive Choice Board for a lesson. Share the content area standards and/or learning objectives associated with the activity. Make it visually appealing and interactive - and be prepared to share the hyperlink.

Reflection Prompt

Describe your journey through the Creative Communicator Thing 14 and share your Knowledge Check in 200-250 words total. Include a hyperlink and screenshot of your Choice Board along with the content area standards and/or learning objectives to support this activity. No APA citations are required.