Technology Assessment

Assessment is an important tool for both educators and students.  Without assessing what is happening in the classrooms, we wouldn't know what or how to change. 

I am lucky enough to work at a school with one-to-one technology.  Every student in grades 5-12 have their own laptop to use at school and at home.  The students are very comfortable with technology at their fingertips.  When teachers are resistant to this, they are doing the students and themselves a disservice.  

As educators, we need to be technologically literate.  We need to use what resources are available.  We need to be willing to learn new things.  We are required to be lifelong learners.  Students should also do the same.  Since technology is always changing, if we are not learning the latest and most effective of the technology we have, we will be way behind when the next wave of technology changes occur.   For those of us that are comfortable with changes in technology, it is our job to encourage and introduce new technology to other educators and students to enhance their classroom experiences.

The only con I can think of when assessing technology is that can be so broad.  There are so many components to technology and so many ways to do one thing.  It could be hard to determine what students and teachers are capable of doing. 

Assessments can be used in many ways to help us learn.  Technology is here to stay.  We need to embrace it!