Well, it is Monday morning and as my students complete their CRT - uhummm, sorry, "provincial assessments" I sit and ponder how technology will change these assessments. It has already been stated clearly that these "tests" will be online in the coming years. We are not talking 10 years and probably not talking 5-6 either, but within the next coming years. My question or main pondering about this is "How will the schools be able to logistically and authentically provide each student with the necessary technology to do this?"

First point : Logistics - coming from a small school with even smaller class sizes, there will be enough computers to enable all students in MY class access to the online assessment. However, depending on the day, there may or may not be enough working computers, which will leave some out in the cold. Working computers is one issue, but given the fact that provincial assessments are being written by Grade 3 and Grade 6 students at the same time, where will all the computers come from to accommodate both classes, especially since the Department wants all assessments completed in the morning? Money, money, money.

Second Point - authenticity. It is a wonderful thought that the province of NL is viewing technology as the way to the future and heading towards provincial assessment being on line. However, one must be careful of what they wish for. It is exciting to think that in the coming years, students will be able to use the technology they have already incorporated into their daily (outside school) lives, as a means to represent their learning. However, if this technology is not used throughout their school day, how would one be able to truly show their learning if the means is not available or offered until the day they get assessed. I am not saying students are not using word processors, internet etc in school, but merely suggesting that the necessary technology needed to allow provincial assessment to 'go online' would be more than what is being used in today's schools. The schools, district and government are going to have to commit to a huge investment in the technological advances for ALL schools to meet their goals and expectations.

So, if it was a perfect world with an infinite amount of resources, here is how I would like my Grade 6 class to look in the coming years when doing provincial assessments:

Each student in my class will have an Ipad, one in which they have been using all year. Each day, the specific part of the assessment will be emailed or an app will appear in which they get the text and the questions. These questions will be created with some type of technology such as Socrative, where responses for multiple choice will be clicked on and immediately received at the Department. The constructed response questions will appear where students would type in their responses and again, these answers would be sent directly to the department. From there, the department of Education would automatically get results from each student, school and district - work complete and compiled. The constructed response answers would have to be corrected individually, but instead of having a 35-45 person marking panel travel to one site, pay for accommodations, etc, each marking panelist would be given training via skype or some other form of technology, and the responses would then be emailed. Teachers would then give immediate feedback, track student scores and information would be compiled electronically. So, when you talk money, let's look at what they will be saving. Paper and printing costs will be eliminated completely, travel, meals, accommodations and all other expenses to have a marking panel will be eliminated. Yes, technology to run this would have to be available, but I would argue that this is already accessible, but just not made available. Oh the possibilities.