Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 13/The Scoop From Someone Who Knows/Peer Review One

If someone's user name appears below, this peer review has already been "claimed" or completed. Please select another peer review slot or article. This article has been reviewed by: Acrow005 (talk) 00:23, 13 June 2009 (UTC) To evaluate this peer review, click on the Discussion tab above. PEER REVIEW TEMPLATE Use this template for your peer reviews. DIRECTIONS: You are required to complete TWO (2) peer reviews. Please take your time and provide effective, helpful feedback. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours per review! Each peer review is worth 50 points and will be "graded" by the article's author. (Click on Discussion to see the rubric the author will use to grade your peer review.) You may only review articles written in the current semester (no articles with BOLD titles) As instructed above, be sure to sign your peer review with four tilde ~~~~. You will not receive credit for reviews that are not signed To complete this assignment, we suggest having two tabs/windows open in your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer): one with this peer review template and one with the article you are reviewing Starting the DAY AFTER the peer reviews are due, you may complete ADDITIONAL peer reviews for EXTRA CREDIT (25 points each). You MAY NOT complete any Extra Credit Reviews until that time. --- Part 1 - Article Components Learning Target(s) Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets: Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article? Yes Is/are the learning target(s) specific? Yes Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?) Yes Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.) Yes Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets? No Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them. Comment: The learning targets are very specific, oberservable, and appropriate for the topic. Unfortunately the article does not provide adequate information about the specific technology tools. While the author mentions them by name and gives limited examples of each, there needs to be further explanation of each item. Don't assume that readers know what SMART boards or virtual field trips are. By defining and/or explaining each of them, in addition to giving a clear example, readers can achieve the specified targets. Grammar and Mechanics Review Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised. To do this: go back to the module page for the article select "edit this page" highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu) navigate back to your peer review page click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu) You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier. Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them. Technology in the classroom has changed in many ways since I was in high school. The internet (Internet) did not exist, ( remove ,) and computer classes were not required ( a requirement) . As I study to become a teacher, technology is ( has become) cutting-edge and an integral part of almost every classroom today (today's classrooms) . Teachers use different (a variety of) tools to assist them in the classroom, such as Smartboards, virtual field trips, Webcasts, and of course the Internet (including SMARTboards, virtual field trips, webcasts, and the Internet) . To better understand what role technology serves in the classroom, I spoke with my sister Dorri Herrmann-Smith. She is a High (high) school English teacher in Somerset, Pennsylvania. I chose to interview her because she has told me on several occasions about all of the technology she uses in her classroom (condsider rewording to eliminate awkwardness) . Throughout the article there are numerous mistakes in regards to apostrophe usage (as shown below). Please proofread your article and correct these mistakes. Examples: ...you’re connecting with them. Ms. Herrmann-Smith: I just got a SMART Board! I love it, it’s so much fun! I’m going to training for it because I’m not familiar with half it can do. You can play games with the students, show PowerPoint’s. It’s very interactive for the students. The kids love it! Ms. Herrmann-Smith: Everything! Internet searches, emails, Podcasts (e-mails, podcasts) , navigation of the Internet in general. Ms. Herrmann-Smith: I just got a SMART Board (SMARTboard) ! You can play games with the students, show PowerPoint’s ( no apostrophe needed..not showing possession) . It’s very interactive for the students. The kids love it! We visited the Globe Theater in London and looked all around one afternoon…it was amazing (one afternoon. It was amazing.) . The other week we had a homebound student and we Skyped (Skype'd) with him during class. Me: Do you feel that things like computers and the internet (Internet) are necessities in today’s classroom? Ms. Herrmann-Smith: Yes, definitely necessities… (necessaties.) I use email (e-mail) all day long with other teachers. Grading is all done on the computer. Like I said, I’m getting ready to get a Wikispace. Students can email (e-mail) me night or day with questions, whereas in the past they may have been intimidated to call us teachers on the phone. Of course, parents also email (e-mail) me quite a bit. I often find interesting websites online that I get the students to look at and incorporate them into homework or classroom assignments. There is a website called turnitin.com ( change color and underline to denote it is a website) where it will catch plagiarizers. I use that all the time. It’s not free, but I caught two cheaters! Me: So, are students required to access the internet (Internet) for classes? What if they don’t have the internet (Internet) at home? Ms. Herrmann-Smith: I think that everything will be online, more than it already is. Kids will be more responsible for getting online to check things for classes. It will be expected for them to have internet (Internet) access and check their individual email (e-mail) for schoolwork. I think it was interesting speaking with my sister regarding all (delete all) the (insert various) types of technology that she uses daily. It gave me(has given me) insight about how teaching is different from what I witnessed while attending school years ago. In our school, we were treated to usually one or two field trips a (per) year. I can only imagine how simple and enjoyable a virtual field trip would be. According to American Teacher Magazine (citation year 2009) , it is cost effective and not only is it possible to see museums and events in other cities and towns, it is also possible to look into the past! ( virtual field trips are cost effective in addition to providing students with a look into the past through museaums across the nation.) Colonial Williamsburg offers an online tour that allows students to take part in a scavenger hunt and learn a little (while learning) about history in the process. (American Teacher Magazine, 2009) My sister mentioned to me in our interview that they had used Skype to communicate with a homebound student. I have heard of this tool to keep in touch with out of town family and a tool to use for internet chats (I was aware of this tool being utilized for long distance communication and Internet chatting) , but I (delete I) had never considered its place in the classroom. Not only is this software free, it can be used to record conversations to be played back at another time. Imagine how interesting it could be to connect an English class to an author of a book that they read, or an art class to a work of art that a class has studied! (New paragraph?) My sister also mentioned Webcasts. Webcasting is becoming more and more popular. ( among whom?) Although there can be costs involved with on-demand learning programs that teachers can order for their classrooms, the ease of ordering up any education program one can imagine (any kind of educational program imaginable) is indispensable for the modern classroom. (Miller, 2006) SMARTboard technology is a very unique learning tool. According to Michele Davis of Education Week’s Digital Directions (cite year 2007) , it’s possible to write with a special pen, erase what you wrote with a digital eraser, and even move objects around. Your work can be saved into easily saved documents such as (into document formats including) Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It looks just like a regular whiteboard, but the pens and board are digital. (Davis, 2007) How will technology evolve in classrooms? Did anyone think fifty years ago that technology would exist that would enable teachers to teleconference with other educators across the country, or even the globe? Perhaps, but now we know it’s a reality and many of us will have the opportunity to use these advances with our own classrooms when we begin teaching (in our own classrooms) . One interesting forward-thinking platform for education is entire 3-D (three dimensional (3-D)) worlds where characters can exist in a different world (reality) . Gilly Salmon, a professor of elearning in Britain, explains that in the virtual reality game Second Life (colorize or italicize) actual colleges and other learning environments are created by users in the game (delete in the game) (Salmon, 2009). One learning tool I have discovered in the game is the language classes. The (in which the) professor and students all have speakers and microphones and can communicate in real time (which allows for real time communication) . Decades ago, videoconferencing was the stuff (don't use jargon) of science fiction movies. Today, it is commonplace in our homes and in our classrooms. What does the future hold for technology in school? Many advanced tools are available to today’s teachers. No matter what the subject, students can learn and excel with technology that their parents could never have dreamed of! Sources For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.) . Scholarly, research . Popular, expert opinion from an educator . Popular, opinion from an educator . Popular, news source (WWW) . Popular, news source (WWW) . . List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 2006-2009 Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article: Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? No and use at Scholarly, research least 2 scholarly sources? No Are the citations in APA format? Yes, however some of the information needed additional citation information which was corrected in the mechanics section. Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation: Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007). Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34). Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"? Yes, with the exception of some minor punctuation mistakes. Here is an example of a reference written in APA format: Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3. Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? No Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? No Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? Yes Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve. Comment: Resources were very up to date. I did not find any cited text regarding the Foote reference. Was it overlooked? If not, the reference needs to be removed from the list. The majority of the resources were popular therefore included no peer-reviewed research. This is a great topic and I know that there are many more sources, including academic journals, that could provide valuable information on technology in the classroom. The dependence on popular sources (specifically those that were Web-based) makes it difficult to provide bias-free information. Please take a second look for quality resources and be careful when you cite and format these sources. Multiple Choice Questions What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)? Question 1 knowledge Question 2 knowledge Question 3 application Question 4 application Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions. Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? Yes Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? Yes Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? Question 3 is based on individual opinion. Consider rewording in order make the question and answer clear. Otherwise, the other questions are fine. Do the questions assess the learning target? Yes Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? Yes Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? Yes Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? No Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? Yes Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s. Comment: Question 3 appears to be opinion based which makes each of the answers possible. Consider rewording the question and answers for clarification which would remove any opinionate responses. Also, it seems that all of the answers for question 4 could be a possibility. Maybe the answers could be modified to be more specific. (And then again, maybe its just me!) Part 2 - Ratings LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria. Importance: I rated this article 4 for importance because the author's topic is highly relevant to both new and veteran teachers in addition to identifying examples of technology in the classroom. Interest: I rated this article 3 for interest because the photo adds visual interest to the article. However, there was no side bar included and the mechanical errors (coding problems?) made it difficult to read. Credibility: I rated this article 2 for credibility because there were not enough scholarly sources and one resource was not cited in the article. It needs additional peer-reviewed research data in order to adequately support the topic. Writing skill: I rated this article 2 for writing because the article was awkward to follow due to error. While I realize that this article is actually an interview, the responses were choppy and gave me the impression that it was put together hastily. HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article. To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold Wiki Article Rubric criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student? Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know Based on researched information. Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education) Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues. Includes ideas relevant to future teachers Mostly based on researched information. Applicable to today’s schools Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas A couple useful points; some irrelevant information About half of the information is the author’s opinion. Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues One useful point A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion. Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools. Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing. Information is not relevant to future teachers. Information is entirely the author’s opinion. The information is obsolete. Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How interesting was the article to read? Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed Mostly new information/ideas Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented. Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples. Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic Visuals add to the article At least two perspectives were presented About half of the information/ideas are new Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated Some good points are made and explained. Sidebar includes new information related to the topic. Visuals are included but have minimal effect One interesting or new perspective is presented A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented. Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained. Sidebar repeats what is already in the article Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented. One new idea or bit of information Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented At least one clear point is made and supported. No side bar included. Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content No perspective is acknowledged. Nothing new. No analysis or interpretation included No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How credible do you think the information is? Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format. Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate. Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others. It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact. Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors. A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable. The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact. Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases. Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed. All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How well do you think this article was written? Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4) Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals Captures and maintains attention throughout All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points. Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals Captures attention initially and periodically throughout Most of the cited information is discussed or explained. The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals Parts of the article capture attention About half of the cited information is discussed A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors. 4 multiple-choice questions are included. Learning targets generally related to the content are stated At least one part of the article is interesting Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation. Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors. Questions are missing or not multiple-choice. Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources. Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content. Part 3 - "2+2" List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content Hints: Focus on the work, not the person Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..." Compliments The photo adds interest to the article which makes it visiually appealing . The article provides the reader with a variety suggestions of ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. The interview provides a first-hand account of how a teacher incorporates technology into her own lessons. Suggestions There are great examples of different types of technology. You could define or explain each type in addition to providing examples, which would improve learning target achievement in addition to providing valuable information to the reader. . The photo adds a great deal of interest to the article. Additional photos or graphics that show technology at work in the classroom would heighten reader interest. Sidebars that provide weblinks to valuable teacher resources would be helpful and reinforce the use of technology in the classroom . You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article.