Conceptual Framework

Student engagement is central to student achievement. Many teachers get

frustrated with students who seem to not care about what they are trying to teach them. I

feel that it is the teachers’ responsibility to act in a way that encourages students to

become engaged and care about their work.

A large part of student engagement is using innovation in the classroom. Through

my continued use of computers in my classroom, I feel that I continue to be creative in

the teaching practices that I use to reach my students. For example, I implemented a lab

of old computers with Linux last year in my classroom to give students greater access to

technology. I use these computers for many different activities in my classroom such as

having students create blogs, screen casts, podcasts, and presentations. Through this use

of technology, I have increased my students’ engagement in their math classes.

I feel that central to student engagement is allowing students to make connections

with the world outside the classroom. Therefore, I am a big believer in constructivist

teaching principles. This is a part of my teaching practice that has changed since entering

this master’s program. My class has become much more student centered. My students

now do work, rather than listen to me do work. I also have been greatly influenced by the

research of Benjamin Bloom and his associates, in particular; Dr. Lorin Anderson.

Technology allows me to have students create products for use in my class on a

regular basis. Instead of giving students specific instructions, the technology allows me to

be more general and give the students control over their assignment. These assignments

become assessments for my students. I am able to see their growth throughout the
process. I can also show students how they have grown throughout the year using these

“authentic” assessments.

Currently, I am continuing to explore how emerging technologies can be used in

the classroom to foster greater collaboration among teachers, and more importantly,

students. Students feel their work means more if they know that it will be used by

someone else. This is why I am beginning the process of using Web 2.0 media such as

video sharing and blogs to allow my students to help students all over the world. I feel

this will encourage my students to become more engaged in their learning.

Long term, I want to use assessment to help students reflect on their learning and

to learn. Often, my students see assessment as an end. I would rather them see assessment

as an important part of the learning process. One of my long term goals is to implement

many of the strategies learned in this class to help my students see this important point. I

also want to continue to find cost-effective ways that technology can assist all parts of

education, especially assessment. I feel that assessment has been largely overlooked by

many of the free and open-source software authors. I will continue to look for tools to

help educators in this way, and assist in their development as much as possible.

I have grown greatly through my experiences in this master’s program. It has

helped me become a better practitioner. My students have already benefited from my

learning in this program and will continue to in the future.