CareerTech Testing Center

Use Twitter "Moments" to Share School Events and Activities

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 18:54:00 +0000

Nearly a year after releasing its Moments curation feature, Twitter Moments is now available to users.

Twitter Moments are curated stories about what’s happening around the world—powered by Tweets. Originally, a user could click on Moments on their profile page to find curated stories, i.e News, Entertainment, Sports, and Fun, in a typical news format.

But now, it’s easy to create your own story with Twitter Moments. I think this is a great way to share school events and activities and it could also assist with classroom discussion, especially when dealing with current events.

Either watch the video by Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers or follow the directions from Twitter below:

How to create a Moment

There are three ways to begin creating your own Moment. You can access Moments through the Moments tab, your profile page, or through a Tweet detail. To get started all you need is a title, description, Tweets, and a selected cover image.

From the Moments tab:

From the Moments tab, click the Create new Moment button.
Click the Title your Moment field to give your Moment a name.Note: Titles can be up to 75 characters in length.
Click the Add a description field to type in a description for your Moment.Note: Descriptions can be up to 250 characters in length.
Choose Tweets to add to your Moment:

From the Add Tweets to your Moment section at the bottom of the page, quickly access content to select Tweets from Tweets I’ve liked, Tweets by account, Tweet link, and Tweet search prompts.
To add a Tweet to your Moment, click on the checkmark icon

Click Set cover to choose a cover image from one of your selected Tweets, or to upload an image from your computer. Drag your selected image to set a Mobile preview, click the Next button, then click the Save button.Note: To change your selected image, hover over the cover image and click on Change cover media. After you’ve set your cover media, the source will be credited below the image.
Once you have Tweets in your collection, click on the up or down arrow buttons to the right of a Tweet to move it up or down.
Click on the delete button to remove a Tweet from your Moment.
Click on the crop button next to any of your selected Tweets to make an image selection for mobile viewing.
Click the Finish later button at the top of the page to save a draft.
When you are ready to make your Moment live, click on the Publish button at the top of the page.

From a Tweet:

Click the more button
Select New Moment to add the Tweet to a new Moment.Note: Any completed Moments or Moments drafts you have in progress will also be listed in the drop-down to choose from.
Follow the directions above to complete your Moment.

From the Moments tab on your profile page:

Click on the Moments tab, then click the Create new Moment button to get started.
Follow the directions above to complete your Moment.

Note: Access all of your Moments (draft or published) by selecting Moments from your profile icon drop down menu.

More options while creating a Moment:

From the More menu at the top of the page:

Click on ••• More while in draft mode.

Select Choose mobile theme color if you’d like to apply one.
Select Mark that Moment contains sensitive material if appropriate.
Select Share Moment privately to copy and paste your Moment’s URL to share privately with others. Note: The Moment will only be visible to people who have the URL, it will not be visible on your profile page, or published on Twitter.
Select Unpublish Moment to unpublish a Moment you have previously published.
Select Delete Moment to permanently remove the Moment from your profile and Twitter. Note: You will see a confirmation pop-up message to confirm the deletion.

After you’ve saved your Moment as a draft:

You can click on the Edit button under the Moment description to continue editing your Moment.
Click the Tweet button under the Moment description to share your Moment with your followers. Note: The Tweet compose box will pop up giving you an opportunity to edit or add to the auto-populated Moment title and link in the compose box.
Click on the more button under the Moment description to send your Moment via Direct Message, and to view the copy and embed links to your Moment. Note: As you scroll through your saved or published Moment you will see a menu pop-up on the left hand side to conveniently Edit, Tweet, or Message your Moment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make my Moments private?
When creating a Moment, you can select Share Moment privately, which will only make the Moment available to those who have the link. If you would like to make previously published or shared Moments visible to only you, select Unpublish Moment.

Can content in my Moment be reported?
Yes. Content displayed in a Moment, such as photos, videos, or Tweets can be reported. To learn about the various options for reporting components of a Moment, read our How to report violations article.

What happens if a Tweet I included in my Moment is reported?
If the cover or any of the individual Tweets of your Moment is reported to us and found to be in violation of the Twitter Rules, your account may be locked—even if you did not author the Tweet.

Wizer - A Free Platform to Create and Share Interactive Worksheets for Your Students

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 16:18:00 +0000

Wizer is an educational platform that allows instructors to create quick, easy and fun digital worksheets, to share them with fellow instructors, and to keep track of student performance.

The "FAQ's" below will tell you question types, multimedia resources, login formation, and some of the technology requirements.

As you know, "free" and "time-saving" are important factors to me....

Wizer FAQ's:

1. How much does Wizer cost?

Wizer is FREE for teachers. You may build, assign, share and use as many worksheets as you like for free.

2. How many worksheets can I make?

As many as you want! The use of the Wizer digital worksheet builder is unlimited. Make as many as you’d like. Please click to ‘share on gallery’ so that other Wizer teachers can see what you’ve created and use it with their students. Your influence is growing!

3. Can I use another teacher’s worksheet?

Yes. Wizer is a community of innovative teachers who create and share their digital lessons. Any worksheet on the public gallery can be used by simply clicking ‘Use’ or ‘Use this worksheet’. This duplicates the worksheet and puts the copy in your account. You can use it as-is or make some adjustments to fine tune it for your students.

4. What is the public gallery?

When teachers create a worksheet, they may chose to ‘publish on gallery’ to share it with other teachers. Any worksheet shared on the public gallery can be viewed by other teachers for inspiration or used with their students. To use a gallery worksheet, just click ‘Use’ or ‘Use this Worksheet.’

5. Does Wizer work on iPads and tablets?

Yes! Wizer worksheets can be completed on any iPad or tablet.

6. Does Wizer work on Chrome Books and laptops?

Yes. Any 1-to-1 device that is connected to the internet and has a web browser can be used to create and complete Wizer worksheets. The best browsers are Chrome and Safari.

7. How do I assign the Wizer worksheet to my students?

To assign a worksheet to students do the following:

When creating the worksheet, at the navigation on top click on 'Assign to students'.

On the window that opens you can create an assignment for each class. Each gets its own link & pin code so you can later review their answers separately for each class.

There are 3 ways for you to share it with the students (from left to right):

1. Use the Google Classroom link and follow Google's instructions.

2. Copy the link and simply share it with your students.

3. Instruct your students to go to this link: https://app.wizer.me/learn/ and enter the pin code.

8. How do students login, complete and submit Wizer worksheets?

1. Google Classroom: Click on link.

2. Link: Click on link, sign in using G+ or name/password

3. PIN: Go to https://app.wizer.me/learn/, enter PIN worksheet PIN.

9. Can I use Wizer with Google Classroom?

Yes. Wizer is integrated with Google Classroom and Wizer worksheets can be assigned to students directly via the green Google Classroom link. The first time you assign a Wizer worksheet via Google Classroom you will be asked to confirm your connection with a few simple steps.

10. Can I use Wizer with Haiku?

Yes. If your school uses Haiku digital learning platform you can create or use Wizer worksheets, then copy the worksheet link into your classroom pages.

11. Can I use Wizer with Moodle?

Yes. If your school uses Moodle open source learning platform you can paste worksheet links directly into class assignments.

12. What kind of multimedia resources can I use in Wizer worksheets?

You can easily add video, audio and images to any Wizer worksheet. Images can be made interactive using the Fill on an Image question type.

13. What kinds of questions can I make with Wizer?

Wizer question types: Open answer, multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, fill on an image and tables.

Some of the Best Educational iPad and Android Apps for Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 14:14:00 +0000

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning provides a list of some of the best iPad apps curated for learning and instructional purposes.

The list is divided into 19 sections with each containing a list of apps for a specific need. The sections include apps that facilitates:

presentation
screencasting
video creation
file storage
whiteboard
PDF annotation
audio recording
note-taking
blogging
book creation
comic apps
digital storytelling apps
apps for grading
mindmapping apps
portfolio apps
apps for creating posters
apps for creating timelines
apps for creating word clouds
speech-to-text apps

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning also provides a list of 10 indispensable Android apps for teachers. The list is curated from the top trending apps in the education section of Google Play store. The listed apps are as follows:

Book Creator
Handouts
Remind
Google Keep
ClassDojo
Nearpod
Socrative Teacher
Edmodo
Google Classroom
Explain Everything

Sleep - A Student's Most Important Homework Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 16:11:00 +0000

Want to know how sleep "resets" your brain? How memories are formed and retained? Then watch The Benefits of a Good Night's Sleep, embedded below, and learn how sleep balances and regulates the body's vital systems which, in turn, affects declarative and procedural memory.

This short TED-Ed lesson by Shai Marcu is an important topic as school starts and students will soon be staying up late or all night in order to cram for tests and other educational requirements. Marcu goes into detail describing the neurological importance of 8 hours of sleep, but the application is interesting as going to sleep three hours after memorizing math formulas (declarative memory) and one hour after practicing music scales (procedural memory) is the most ideal.

I'm left wondering what I might have accomplished if my sleep and learning patterns were consistent during my formative years...

Think QR Codes are Static? Think Again!

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 17:59:00 +0000

All of the QR (Quick Response) codes that I have created are static QR codes which served one function and that was to take you to a certain website.

QR codes have definitely evolved over time so take a look at the article from Edutopia entitled QR Codes Can Do That? and find out how to:

Add your voice
Attach PDF files
Collect information
Send a tweet
Change locations

Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part IV: Implementing Blended Learning With Resources from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 17:02:00 +0000

In this four-part series, I’ll define blended learning, discuss the models of blended learning, the implications for career and technical education, and how the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery (CADD) areas of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education can assist in the implementation of blended learning.

Photo courtesy of the Clayton Christensen Institute

Blended learning is a shift to an online instructional delivery for a portion of the day to make students, teachers, and schools more productive, both academically and financially. We all know there’s no single right approach to building the “perfect” model for blended learning as communities have different resources, classrooms, computers, schedules, and many other unique needs. A school doesn’t always have the resources or the expertise to select and purchase a learning management system (LMS), design lessons, or write assessments, but there are available resources.

Did you know that the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery areas of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education can assist in the implementation of blended learning? The National Technology Plan acknowledges the challenges of raising college and career-ready standards without a significant investment of new funding so check out our online catalog and search the following links for additional information and see how we can assist you in blending digital and teacher led instruction to personalize learning for each student.

CIMC

CareerTech Testing Center

ctYouniverse

Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part III: Implications for Career and Technical Education

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Mon, 02 May 2016 19:44:00 +0000

In this four-part series, I’ll define blended learning, discuss the models of blended learning, the implications for career and technical education, and how the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery (CADD) areas of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education can assist in the implementation of blended learning.

Here are several ways that blended learning can have a profound effect upon career and technology education:

Personalized instruction – Blended learning allows for a more personalized and interactive learning experience by putting the student in charge of their own learning. Taking the best of traditional education and blending it with the power of online learning will provide the teacher an opportunity to review data, in the moment, determine where the student is at and to form instruction for the next period or the next day.

Increased monitoring – The use of a student information, assessment, and gradebook systems that link to the LMS provides instant feedback on assignments and assessments. This allows the instructor to spend time reviewing student data, adjust instruction, and provide additional classroom or individual instruction.

Open entry/Open exit – Blended learning fits nicely with competency-based learning and the concept of open entry/open exit. Personalized instruction and increased monitoring will allow the instructor to more accurately determine when tasks and competencies are achieved.

Increased enrollments – Depending on the blended learning model and the CTE program being offered, enrollments could potentially be increased.

Increased performance gains – “The Rise of K–12 Blended Learning - Profiles of emerging models” by Heather Staker profiles 40 educational entities. Not every school reported gains and some thought it was too early to verify results, but many posted positive gains when compared to the traditional classrooms within the same district. For example:

“School of One - Students in summer 2009 acquired new math skills at a rate estimated to be

seven times faster than peers. Students in spring 2010 showed gains that, when

annualized, would equate to 1/2 to 2/3 of an additional year of gain. Students in

spring 2010 showed significant gains across all academic quartiles.”

Other potential benefits from this study include increased retention rates, an increase in teacher/parent contacts, increased course completion rates, a strengthening of curriculum offerings, and lower instructional costs.

As you can see, blended learning can have the potential to benefit the student, the instructor, and the parents in a careertech setting. Again, I’m not aware of any research that helps decide if one model works better with any certain occupational area (if you know of any research in this area, PLEASE SHARE!!).

CIMC Introduces New Online Catalog

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:45:00 +0000

CIMC introduces the next generation of our online catalog, featuring curriculum and assessment products.

CIMC Online Catalog

CIMC is excited to offer our new interactive catalog which serves as a hub for the field to access agency products and services. The only thing that has changed with the catalog is everything – users will notice a professional look and feel, enhanced graphics, links to resources, suggested products, and the ability to pay with a credit card, purchase order, or check.

We are thrilled to offer an improved and interactive experience that allows users to find their favorite products and services – the only thing that hasn’t changed. As always, our skills standards, curriculum, and assessments create the perfect foundation for competency-based instruction, in Oklahoma and beyond.

Take a moment to discover the new online catalog and see how we've changed. We are committed to your satisfaction and welcome your feedback!

CIMC is part of the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery (CADD) division of the Department of Career and Technology Education. For additional information on our products and services, please visit:

CIMC
CareerTech Testing Center
ctYOUniverse
Digital Printing, Distribution and Client Services

Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part II: Blended Learning Models

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 17:36:00 +0000

As I mentioned in the first post in this series, technology has created a personalized access to the world where we can connect and learn… where we can create and share. Almost every aspect of our lives have been changed by technology, except... education.

I believe blended learning can have a profound effect upon career and technology education in many instructional ways which will be discussed in the next post. There are certain elements of blended learning that already occur in CTE and some may be doing an excellent job as I write this, but I’m not aware of research that helps decide if one model works better with any certain occupational area (if you know of any research in this area, PLEASE SHARE!!).

The Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Education defines blended learning as “a formal education program in which the student learns:

(1) at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;

(2) at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;

(3) and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.”

The Models —

The majority of blended-learning programs resemble one of four models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual. The Rotation model includes four sub-models: Station Rotation, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation.

1. Rotation model — a course or subject in which students rotate on a ﬁxed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning. Other modalities might include activities such as small-group or full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and pencil-and-paper assignments. The students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments.

a. Station Rotation — a course or subject in which students experience the Rotation model within a contained classroom or group of classrooms. The Station Rotation model differs from the Individual Rotation model because students rotate through all of the stations, not only those on their custom schedules.

b. Lab Rotation – a course or subject in which students rotate to a computer lab for the online-learning station.

c. Flipped Classroom – a course or subject in which students participate in online learning off-site in place of traditional homework and then attend the brick-and-mortar school for face-to-face, teacher-guided practice or projects. The primary delivery of content and instruction is online, which differentiates a Flipped Classroom from students who are merely doing homework practice online at night.

d. Individual Rotation – a course or subject in which each student has an individualized playlist and does not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality. An algorithm or teacher(s) sets individual student schedules.

2. Flex model — a course or subject in which online learning is the backbone of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities at times. Students move on an individually customized, ﬂuid schedule among learning modalities. The teacher of record is on-site, and students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments. The teacher of record or other adults provide face-to-face support on a flexible and adaptive as-needed basis through activities such as small-group instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring. Some implementations have substantial face-to-face support, whereas others have minimal support. For example, some Flex models may have face-to-face certified teachers who supplement the online learning on a daily basis, whereas others may provide little face-to-face enrichment. Still others may have different staffing combinations. These variations are useful modifiers to describe a particular Flex model.

3. A La Carte model — a course that a student takes entirely online to accompany other experiences that the student is having at a brick-and-mortar school or learning center. The teacher of record for the A La Carte course is the online teacher. Students may take the A La Carte course either on the brick-and-mortar campus or oﬀ-site. This differs from full-time online learning because it is not a whole-school experience. Students take some courses A La Carte and others face-to-face at a brick-and-mortar campus.

4. Enriched Virtual model — a course or subject in which students have required face-to-face learning sessions with their teacher of record and then are free to complete their remaining coursework remote from the face-to-face teacher. Online learning is the backbone of student learning when the students are located remotely. The same person generally serves as both the online and face-to-face teacher. Many Enriched Virtual programs began as full-time online schools and then developed blended programs to provide students with brick-and-mortar school experiences. The Enriched Virtual model differs from the Flipped Classroom because in Enriched Virtual programs, students seldom meet face-to-face with their teachers every weekday. It differs from a fully online course because face-to-face learning sessions are more than optional office hours or social events; they are required.

- See more at: http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning-definitions-and-models/#sthash.NCQBMOAF.dpuf

Next- Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part III: Blended Learning Implications for CTE

Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part I: The Definition

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 17:50:00 +0000

Technology has created a personalized access to the world where we can connect and learn… where we can create and share. Almost every aspect of our lives have been changed by technology, except... education.

Over the last few years, I’ve entered into blended learning discussions with various people, including educators, and I’m always surprised at their perception of blended learning. Many believe blended learning occurs when any type of computer-based learning takes place within the classroom. In many instances, I would define what is occurring as technology-rich instruction, but there is a difference.

Blended learning is the combination of online learning and brick and mortar schools with teachers who enable students to learn at their own pace. Why is this important? Because many students learn in different ways and this allows each student to optimize their learning. Quite simply, the purpose of blended learning is to take the best of traditional education and blend it with the power of online learning which allows for a more personalized and interactive learning experience. Each teacher has the opportunity to review data, in the moment, and determine where the student is at and to form instruction for the next period or the next day. Blended learning also puts the student in charge of their own learning which, to me, is a very valuable lesson in itself.

According to the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Education, blended learning “goes beyond one-to-one computers and high-tech gadgets. Blended learning involves leveraging the Internet to afford each student a more personalized learning experience, including increased student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of learning.

The definition of blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns:

at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;

at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;

and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.”

See more at: http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning/#sthash.AWqDXtoh.dpuf

The key difference between blended learning and other forms of education is on its emphasis on personalized learning. The International Association for Online Learning (iNACOL) defines personalized learning as, “Tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs and interests–including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when and where they learn–to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible.” As you can see, the two definitions overlap, but blending learning adds online learning and leveraging the internet to personalize an individual’s learning experience.

Next- Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part II: Blended Learning Models

National Agriculture Day - March 15th

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:12:00 +0000


CIMC Agricultural Education Catalog

Did you know the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (ODCTE) offers Agricultural Education in 355 high schools? Did you know these programs prepare students for careers in production agriculture, agribusiness, and other emerging agricultural-related occupations? Did you know the CareerTech Student Organization affiliated with Agricultural Education is the Future Farmers of America (FFA)?

Study Guide

Did you also know the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery (CADD) areas of ODCTE have been supporting this occupational area for decades?

CIMC produces competency-based instructional products and services for a variety of career and technical areas, including agricultural education.

The CareerTech Testing Center creates and offers online assessments as a measure of occupational readiness for students and industry workers. Free study guides include assessment information, standards and test content, sample questions, a list of abbreviations, symbols, and acronyms, strategies for test taking success.

ctYOUniverse

ctYOUniverse.com hosts online student-ready classroom sites for CareerTech-related subjects. Each fully customizable course site comes pre-populated with curriculum materials developed by CIMC. This one-stop shop for learning materials provides instructors with everything they need to teach in a blended, flipped, or traditional setting.

Many thanks to the men and women that produce and protect America's food supply!

The Educator's Guide to Hashtags

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 18:26:00 +0000

Follow us on Twitter! @CareerTechTest

Whether you're a social media novice or not, hashtags may seem confusing and inessential. These short links (hashtags) preceded by the pound sign (#) are integral to the way we communicate online and it's important to know how to use them.

Can hashtags be fun? Absolutely!

On Twitter, the pound sign (or hash) turns any word or group of words into a searchable link. This allows you to organize content and track discussion topics based on those keywords. So, if you want to post about the NFL Super Bowl, you would include #SuperBowl in your tweet to join the conversation (or simply search for the hashtag to follow the discussion). Clicking on a hashtag will allow you to see all the posts that mention the subject in real time.

I also recommend using a social media management platform, such as HooteSuite, TweetDeck, etc., where you can create columns with hashtag topics. I like the ability to monitor several discussions, i.e. #edchat, #lrnchat, #careerteched, at once and all on the same screen.

I've created a list of popular educational hashtags and tried to categorize them for you (see below). It definitely isn't all inclusive, but it's a good starting point and I hope you will share any new educational hashtags you find interesting and helpful! (Also, hashtags are now a staple to social media and their use has been extended to other social media platforms.)

Popular Educational Hashtags

Hashtag	Category
	Career and Technology Education
#careerteched
#CTE
#vision15

	College
#highered

	Curriculum
#cchat

	Distance Education
#disted
#elearning
#k12online
#mlearning
#onlinelearning

	Groups and Chats
#edchat	Educational Technology
#educhat	Education Chat
#lrnchat	Social Media and Education
#oklaed	Oklahoma Education Chat

	Instruction/Learning
#blendchat	Blended Learning
#blendedlearning	Blended Learning
#education
#elearning	Electronic Learning
#flipclass	Blended Learning
#GBL	Game-Based Learning
#ntchat	New Teachers
#onlinelearning	Blended Learning
#pbl/#pblchat	Project-Based Learning
#studentcentered	Blended Learning
#teachered
#teachers

	Language
#bilingual
#efl	English as a Foreign Language
#ell	English Language Learning
#esl	English as a Second Languae
#tesol	Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

	Leadership
#edleadership
#eduleaders

	Resources
#education
#educational videos
#educationresources
#learning
#lessonplans
#library
#research
#teachers
#TLChat	Twitter Librarians
#TT	Teacher Tuesday where educators suggest others to follow

	Special Needs
#gifted	Gifted Education
#GTChat	Gifted Education
#spedchat	Special Education

	Science
#STEM

	Technology
#1:1
#apps
#blendchat	Blended Learning
#BYOD	Bring Your Own Device
#EdApps	Educational Apps
#edtech	Educational Technology
#edtechchat	Educational Technology
#elearning	Electronic Learning
#ipadchat	iPad
#iNACOL	International Association of Online Learning
#iste	International Society for Technology in Education
#mlearning	Mobile Learning
#mobile	Mobile Learning
#slide2learn	iDevices and Learning
#vitalcpd	Effective Use of Technology in the Classroom
#web20

New Year's Resolution: Secure Your Assessment System

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 18:03:00 +0000

It's unbelievable that 2016 is here and the school year is half over, but that also means we are closer to the busiest time of year for those of us in the assessment industry.

I hope everyone has created and follows a secure assessment policy, but if not, John Kleeman, founder of Questionmark, created Ten tips for Securing Your Assessment System, which provides a secure foundation for your assessment system. It seems security breaches most often occur as we get busy and are more prone to creating shortcuts in our work, but a "system" should help minimize these errors. Please read John's post in its entirety and address any weaknesses in your assessment security:

What can you do to make your assessment system more secure? How can you avoid a disruptive data breach where people’s personal information is disclosed? Using a vendor who takes security seriously reduces risk, as I wrote in my blog article Eight ways to check if security is more than skin deep. But security involves both vendor and user. This post gives ten good practice tips on how you as a user or administrator of an assessment system can reduce the risk of data breaches.

1. Don’t give yourself or other administrators unnecessary privileges. Follow the principle of least privilege. It may sound counter-intuitive, but most administrative users don’t need access to all capabilities and data within your system. Limiting access reduces the impact of a data breach if an account is compromised or someone makes a mistake. If you are using Questionmark, allocate appropriate roles to limit people to what they need.

2. When someone leaves the project or organization, remove their access. Don’t allow someone who has left your team to still have access to your assessment data.

3. Follow good password security. Do not share passwords between people. Do not use the same password for two accounts. Choose strong passwords and change them periodically. If someone asks you for your password, never, ever give it. And if a web page doesn’t look right, don’t type your password into it.

4. Install all the patches and secure the system. A common cause of security breaches is failing to install the latest versions of software, and attackers exploit known vulnerabilities. You need to be proactive and always install the latest version of system and application software, set up good technical security and follow the vendor’s recommendations.

If you haven’t got the time or resources to do this properly, move to a cloud solution. In a cloud SaaS solution like Questionmark OnDemand, the vendor is responsible for updating Windows, updating the application, monitoring security and ensuring that everything is up to date.

5. Install good quality antivirus / anti-malware software. Reportedly there are nearly a million new or variant malware and viruses produced each day. Protect your computer and those of your co-workers with up to date, professional software to address this threat.

6. Protect any downloaded data. Questions, assessments and reports on results are generally safer on a server or in an on-demand service than on a workstation. If you need to download data locally, set up security procedures to protect it and try to ensure that any download is temporary only.

7. Dispose of data properly. Deleting a file on a computer doesn’t erase the data, it simply erases the index to it. If you use a reputable service like Questionmark OnDemand, if a disk is repaired or reaches end of life, it will be securely destroyed for example by degaussing. But if you download data locally or use installable software to manage your assessments, you need to do this yourselves. A recent study suggested that about half of used hard drives sold online contain residual data. Make sure this is not your assessment data!

8. Be careful about clicking on a link or attachment in an email. Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites (clicking on a link) to collect sensitive information or infect your machine with malware and viruses. Such attacks could even be aimed at your organization or assessment activity directly (this is called spear phishing!). Think before clicking.

9. Be aware of social engineering. Social engineering is when someone tries to trick you or someone else into a security breach. For example someone might ring up and claim to be a student who wants their results, but really is an imposter. Or someone might spoof an email from your boss asking for the questions for the next test to review. Be wary of strange phone calls or emails that ask for something urgent. If something seems suspicious, clear it with a security professional before you give them info or ask a caller to hang up and call them back on an official number.

10. Conduct security awareness training. If you’re not already doing this, organize training sessions for all your authors, proctors, administrators and other users to help them be security aware. if you can, deliver tests after the training to check understanding. Sharing this blog article with your co-workers would be a great way to start.

To see more Questionmark posts click HERE.

Assessment Study Guides from the CareerTech Testing Center

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:51:00 +0000

The CareerTech Testing Center (CTTC) works closely with instructors, industry representatives and credentialing entities to identify and develop assessments and assessment preparation materials that are aligned with recognized industry standards.

Study guides are designed to help students prepare for the assessments. Each study guide includes:

information about the assessments within a content area
the standards upon which each assessment is based
test plans
practices questions
test-taking strategies
many study guides also include a crosswalk to instructional materials that may be used during instruction or when studying for assessments.

CTTC assessments are directly aligned to assessments needed to obtain credentials that are required and/or valued by industry. Assessments measure how well the student has mastered the content deemed important by industry, and while passing a CTTC assessment is no guarantee of future success, it does provide an indication of whether or not the student is ready for certification or licensure.

Click here for Study Guides and please contact us if you have any questions!

The CareerTech Testing Center has been developing skills standards and online tests since 1980 as we work closely with instructors, program administrators, industry representatives, and credentialing entities to ensure that our study guides and assessments reflect national standards and local industry needs.

OSU - CareerTech Digital Forum: Educating for Global Coompetitiveness

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 15:21:00 +0000

Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education invite you to watch their digital forum entitled "Educating for Global Coompetitiveness" on Friday, June 13, 2014 (Speakers are from 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. CST).

Featured speakers are OSU President Burns Hargis, CareerTech State Director Dr. Robert Sommers, Tom Vander Ark, and David Cillay.

I've had the opportunity to previously meet and discuss customized learning with Tom Vander Ark, author of Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World and CEO of Getting Smart, a education advocacy firm, but I'm excited to hear his newest thoughts on the subject and how learning is becoming more competency-based.

Dr. Cillay, Vice President of WSU Global Campus, led the 2012 launch of the Global Campus, which includes WSU’s online degree program. His responsibilities include expanding WSU’s market share, supporting faculty in technological innovation and using e-learning tools to ensure that WSU remains open and accessible. I'm also excited to learn from this presentation as it should add great value to what we are trying to accomplish with digital delivery at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Please join the discussion on Twitter at: #DLFTalk and click here to watch this free live event!

Google Contact Lens?

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 05:11:00 +0000

Google Glass

I'm sure you have all heard about Google Glass, but if not, Google Glass is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD).

Google's intention is to produce a mass-market ubiquitous computer (advanced computing concept where computing is made to appear everywhere and anywhere) that displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format and wearers communicate with the Internet via voice commands.

The new Google lens?

But if you think Google Glass is cool, wait until you read about Google's newest patent application. Google has devised a way to shrink Google Glass into a single contact lens. The user will control its application with a series of unique blinking patterns. The Yahoo article mentions that the new lens could have significant application for the blind which is incredible, but as with most technology, applications will be discovered after production.

I also think that both of these products could be beneficial to career and technical education and to business and industry. For example, an automotive technician could search for help while repairing a vehicle, take notes, or take a picture and/or video and send it to ask for assistance. What are your thoughts on applications for CTE?

AirPano - Amazing 360 Degree Aerial Panoramas

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:53:00 +0000

After a few weeks of cold weather, cloudy skies and snow on the ground my mind begins to wander and think of where I would rather be than here. Hawaii sounds good, doesn't it? Unfortunately, my bank account usually says no to those types of dreams so I found AirPano.com which, at least, took my mind off of how cold I am and provided me a poor man's virtual vacation.

AirPano.com was actually better than I expected as it provided incredible 360 degree imagery of landmarks and cities from all over the world. Their website features "over 700 panoramas showing over 120 amazing locations of all continents including Antarctic and the North Pole" and panoramas from some 50 other locations are in the works.

Source: AirPano.com

Much of the AirPano imagery now includes interactive pinmarks that you can click on to learn more about the places that you are visiting (as you can see on the Venice, Italy panorama below). I think AirPano is a great way to learn about other parts of the world, not only from the amazing images, but also from the history and facts about each site that they provide. Last, but not least, it is a great way to get your mind off of the cold winter weather...

Visit Venice, Italy on AirPano.com

Cheating Your Way Through High School and College: The Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:26:00 +0000

Academic cheating seems to be growing at an ever alarming rate. Cheating occurs at every level of education and certification and it includes students, educators, and administrators. Technology has also given cheaters new methods for cheating and, unfortunately, you can find most of these methods demonstrated on YouTube (you can find additional resources on cheating HERE).

Best College Reviews created an interesting infographic about cheating in high school and college that I wanted to share with you. They provide resons for cheating and how cheating occurs among other interesting factoids.

Please take a look at their website to find additional resources on cheating (listed below the infographic).

Source: BestCollegeReviews.org (please follow the link for additional resources on cheating)

How to Search Google Images by Usage Rights

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 19:02:00 +0000

I found a great resource by Joyce Valenza on Never Ending Search that I wanted to share with you. In her post, Google search by usage rights, she demonstrates an easy way to find copyright-friendly images on Google Image Search.

First, enter your search term into Google Images and then click on Search Tools and then Usage Rights.

A drop-down menu appears offering the following options: not filtered by license, labeled for reuse, labeled for commercial reuse, labeled for reuse with modification, labeled for commercial reuse with modification.

Please read the rest of Joyce Valenza's article by clicking HERE to find many other copyright-friendly image search options!

Tips on Reducing Test Anxiety for Online Test-Takers

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 20:00:00 +0000

I just read a great post by John Kleeman on the Questionmark Blog that I wanted to share with you concerning test anxiety. We have previously discussed test anxiety (here and here), but it is interesting to read Kleeman's take on the difference in test anxiety between online and paper and pencil assessments. Here is the post in its entirety:

Ten tips on reducing test anxiety for online test-takers

I’ve been reading about test anxiety (concern or worry by participants sufficiently severe that it impacts test performance). I’d like to share some tips on how online assessment sponsors can reduce its likelihood.

When creating and delivering tests, you seek to accurately measure knowledge, skills or abilities. Often you want to check competence or mastery for workplace or compliance reasons. If some of your participants have severe test anxiety, this doesn’t just disrupt them, it makes your test less accurate in measuring real performance. You might end up failing someone who is competent, just because anxiety affects their test performance.

Many studies (for example here) report that online tests cause less test anxiety than paper ones. Here are some suggestions on reducing test anxiety:

1. Some people have anxiety about a test because they haven’t mastered the subject being tested. Provide a clear description of what each test covers before the time of the test, and provide study resources or instruction to allow people to master the subject.

2. Test anxiety can also feed on unknowns, for instance on unfamiliarity with the test or believing untrue myths. Share information about the test’s purpose and what you do to make it fair. Also share information about the content: how many questions, how the scoring works, how much time is available and so on. Explain what happens if someone fails – for instance is it possible to retake?

3. It’s hugely valuable to provide practice tests that participants can try out before the real test. This will tell them where they are strong and weak and allow them to gain confidence in a less stressful environment prior to the real test. See my article 10 reasons why practice tests help make perfect exams for other reasons why practice tests are useful.

4. Give participants an opportunity to practice using the same type of computer, mouse, keyboard and user interface as will be used for the real test. This familiarizes them with the test environment and reduces potential anxiety, particularly for those who are less computer literate. If you are using Questionmark to deliver the test, make practice sessions available with the same template settings and the same types of questions. (Sometimes this is done with a fun quiz on a different topic, just to get people accustomed to the user interface.)

5. If you provide guidance to test-takers, point to self-help resources for people who have test anxiety. ETS provide a good resource here for instance. Another resource from the University of California is here.

6. Some self-help resources suggest breathing exercises or other exercises people can follow to reduce tension for people who are anxious about tests. Provide an environment where this is practical and train your test administrators and proctors about the prevalence of test anxiety.

7. If you have a way of encouraging test takers to sleep, take exercise and eat healthily, all these things aid a rational approach to taking a test and reducing anxiety.

8. If it works in your programme, consider whether it’s worth having a series of tests rather than a single test, so there is not a single “make or break” moment for participants. A series of tests can have other benefits too. It makes cheating harder, and by spreading out learning and revision, it can make participants retain the learning better.

9. People with disabilities are more likely to suffer test anxiety. Ensure that your program of accommodations takes this into account. See this helpful article on reducing test anxiety for people with disabilities.

10. Above all, create good quality, fair tests. If you follow good practice in authoring your questions and assessments, then there is less to be anxious about, as the test will be a good measure of performance. See Questionmark’s white paper “Five Steps to Better Tests” for some helpful advice in creating tests.

Many Questionmark users provide very effective practice quizzes and tests which help reduce test anxiety, and I hope these tips are helpful, too.

I’d love to hear additional input or suggestions.

Thanks again to John and Questionmark for allowing us to share their thoughts on assessment!

Celebrate Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:27:00 +0000

I have to begin this post by apologizing for not realizing January was "International Creativity Month," but it should never be too late to celebrate creativity, should it?

The intent of International Creativity Month (founded by motivational speaker and author Randall Munson) is to remind people and organizations to capitalize on the power of creativity. My personal belief is that we are all creative in our own ways, but we might feel our creativity isn't wanted whether at school or work and we kind of "lose" our creative ability.

I believe we should encourage creativity with students, educators, and across all levels of employment. As Dictionary. com states:

Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.

So why wouldn't we want to champion the creativity within individuals? Without creativity, as individuals, we become stagnant in our thoughts and development as do our products and services within a business setting.

In a belated celebration of International Creativity Month, I wanted to offer some resources for creativity:

The Link: International Creativity Month: found on ipl2 – news and information, this resource highlights Randall Munson's newsletter and illustrates how creativity is implemented in workplaces, in education, with food, with children, and across cultures.

The Center for Creative Learning: this site believes that people of all ages can improve their skills and ability to use creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, and that research on learning style helps us to understand how people develop and use their talents in unique and personal ways. They offer free resources, i.e newsletter, journal article reprints, sample activities, and ideas on assessing creativity (Assessing Creativity: A Guide for Educators and Assessing Creativity Index: a database of creativity tests and inventories)

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: Created by Iowa State University, this site includes links to online resources, techniques for creative teaching, and evaluating creativity, etc.

The Torrance Center, University of Georgia: this site provides PowerPoint presentations, podcast lectures, activities and resources on creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?: This presentation is the most highly viewed TED talk of all time. Robinson argues that we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.

Is Creativity Innate or Can it be Learned?: This post found on the CareerTech Testing Center blog highlights a study released by Adobe entitled, Creativity and Education: Why It Matters.

The Phenomenons Called Curiosity and Creativity: Another post found on the CareerTech Testing Center blog highlights the concepts of curiosity and creativity.

Happy Belated International Creativity Month!

Glean - Searching the Web for Educational Videos

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:46:00 +0000

I wanted to tell you about a service I recently discovered called Glean.

Glean searches the web for educational videos (lessons) in math and science and then structures and organizes them (setting, pace, teaching style, grade level, etc.), tags them by educational standard and adds interactive tools, i.e. Q&A and practice exercises.

As you provide feedback, Glean selects the best video lessons for you based on your learning styles and preferences.

Glean - Exploring the best video lessons in education

The Benefits of Educational Quizzes and Tests

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 18:08:00 +0000

John Kleeman shared on Questionmark's Blog the ten benefits of quizzes and tests in educational practice as proposed by psychology experts Henry L. Roediger III, Adam L. Putnam and Megan A. Smith in a recent paper, “Ten Benefits of Testing and Their Applications to Educational Practice”.

Here is John's summary and understanding of the paper:

1. Retrieval aids later retention. There is clear evidence from psychological experiments that practicing retrieval of something after learning it, for instance by taking a quiz or test, makes you more likely to retain it for the long term.
2. Testing identifies gaps in knowledge.
3. Testing causes students to learn more from the next study episode. Essentially it reduces forgetting which makes the next related study area more productive.
4. Testing produces better organization of knowledge by helping the brain organize material in clusters to allow better retrieval.
5. Testing improves transfer of knowledge to new contexts. There are several experiments referenced in the paper where tests and quizzes help transfer and application of knowledge.
6. Testing can facilitate retrieval of material that was not tested. Surprisingly there are circumstances where quizzes or tests, particularly if delayed, can help people retrieve/retain information that was related to that asked but not actually asked in the questions.
7. Testing improves metacognitive monitoring – by giving students scores or self-assessments, they can better predict their knowledge and be more confident about what they know and what they need to know.
8. Testing prevents interference from prior material when learning new material. If you have a test after learning one set of material before learning another set of material, it can make it less likely that the second session will
9. Testing provides feedback to instructors and lets them know what is learned or what is not.
10. Frequent testing encourages students to study. Having frequent quizzes and tests motivates study and reduces procrastination.

You can see their paper “Ten Benefits of Testing and Their Applications to Educational Practice” in Psychology of Learning and Motivation, Vol 55. It’s also available for download on Professor Roediger’s publications page, in the list of papers from 2011, at http://psych.wustl.edu/memory/publications/.

Interested in Taking a MOOC? Try Class Central

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Have you been interested in taking a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), but don't know where to find one or how to get started?

Class Central is a free MOOC aggregator that provides links to a wide variety of courses from universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, etc. (offered via Coursera, Udacity, edX, NovoED, and others).

The site allows you to search for MOOCs according to the course name, instructor, subject, start date, length of course, and course provider. Class Central also offers a "MOOC Tracker" service that will send you email notifications when a MOOC that is of interest to you becomes available.

MOOCs are a great idea for your students if your school doesn't offer advanced courses for a particular subject and they are also great resources for instructors and others. Try one and I think you will find out how they can be a benefit to you. I did!

Do You Know How to Effectively Search for Information?

noreply@blogger.com (CareerTech Testing Center) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 21:20:00 +0000

I found a resource that I wanted to share with created by Helene Blowers and published in the article entitled, "Do Your Students Know How To Search?" (Holly Clark, Edudemic, October 16, 2013).

I think this article begins to address either the end of the Information Age or at least a progression toward a different stage within the Information Age and the question now becomes what do we do with the information that has been collected? I believe there will be a great need for those who can not only find relevant information, but for those who can analyze information.

According to the article:

There is a new digital divide on the horizon. It is not based around who has devices and who does not, but instead the new digital divide will be based around students who know how to effectively find and curate information and those who do not. Helene Blowers has come up with seven ideas about the new digital divide – four of them, the ones I felt related to searching, are listed below.

Clark continues the article by including some of the searching skills and vocabulary that she believes we should be teaching our students (and learning ourselves):

Some of these skills include:

Quotation Marks
Dashes
Two Periods
Site Search
Country Codes
Filter Bubbles
Primary Sources

Please click HERE to find out more about these search tools and how to improve your internet searches.