Summary Of Harrison Elementary School Engaged In A Computer Based Online Assessment

Overview

During the spring of 2015, third graders at Harrison Elementary School engaged in a computer based online assessment, known as The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, PARCC. The assessment required students to not only use technology to access the questions, but also to answer them, utilizing their keyboarding skills. Consequently, third-grade teachers were astounded to observe students hunting and pecking for each letter on the keyboard while they were on the writing section of the test. As a result, teachers observed that students did not write to the best of their ability, and became frustrated trying to get their writing thoughts across and dealing with hunting and pecking each letter on the keyboard. With technology skill demands imposed by online assessments and classroom writing assignments, it is evident that typing is an essential skill student must hold, in order

The quantitative data is revealed in a pre-assessment structured to test students’ level of keyboarding skills. Third-grade students scores will reveal the changes and strategies needed to include keyboarding skills in our curriculum in order to teach keyboarding skills at a level of fluency to all students. The pre-assessment will evaluate third-grade students in the areas of keyboard key striking the computer keys, fingering: using the correct key reaches, spacing: correct space bar spacing, correct line returning and shifting: using the correct key for capitalization. The results from this assessment will identify students’ current typing skills conditions, however, it may not provide me with an accurate picture for an immediate strategy, but it can serve in the implementation of a future action plan. In order to deeply understand the nature of the root causes qualitative data must be