Karen Donohoe
EDU 486
Standard 5
Standard 5 Assessment
in a multi-racial, multicultural democracy
1)
Educators
should understand that assessment is an integral part of teaching, and that
children’s developmental and academic interests, accomplishments, and
challenges should drive their daily instructional decisions.
2)
They
should know that various types of assessments, including self-assessment, have
different uses, advantages, limitations, and biases. They should understand that appropriate
assessment must consider the cultural, familial, and community contexts from
which children come.
3)
Educators
should know how to use a variety of formal and informal assessment tools and
strategies to monitor and promote each student’s learning and development; use
both formative and summative assessments to determine students’ understanding
in each subject area; and be aware of technological tools that can facilitate
assessment.
Standard 5
is all about effective assessment. All assessments should be information that
the teacher can then use to teach effectively. Assessing students learning
should be done in a creative way so that the teacher can assess students
reading, writing, and listening skills of the topic. It is important to use all
different forms of assessment keeping the children’s culture, family and
community in mind. It is very important to test the students as they learn so
that the teacher is able to gage which students understand the content and
which students need more help. It is also important to assess students’
knowledge as whole, so assessing students learning at the end of a unit. This
is also important because the teacher is able to test how much the students
were able to absorb throughout the entire unit and whether or not they are able
to apply it on their own.
This
standard is extremely important for teachers in many ways. I think that one
reason why this is so important because teacher need to know that what they are
teaching is being learned, that is the whole point of teaching, isn’t it? If
the student does not understand something it is the teachers role to change the
style of what is being taught to make sure the students understand the content.
Assessment is also important for the teacher to have a more concrete way of
which students are comprehending what is being taught and which ones are not.
Assessment is also extremely important for teachers because it is to often seen
in the format of a test, worksheet, or quiz. It is important for teachers to
assess their students in the most effective way possible. Some students might
not be able to show their learning in a timed test format because of the stress
of being timed. It may be more effective for some students to be tested in a
more hands on format.
Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher are both
professors of educational leaders and they wrote in their book, Checking For Understanding, “Additionally,
students aren't always self-regulated learners. They may not be aware of what
they do or do not understand. They sometimes think they get it, when they
really don't. If you doubt this, consider how often you have heard students
comment, "I thought I knew this stuff, but I bombed the exam."
I often catch myself asking the kids
“yes?” when I am teaching math. I don’t always know that I am doing it, but I
think that I am checking for understanding, when really they are just nodding
their heads out of habit. Frey and Fisher point out in chapter one of their
book that it is difficult for students to be able to self regulate their own
learning. It is difficult to realize or have the confidence to say that you do
not understand something. This is why different form of assessment is so
important. Assessment is supposed to tell the teacher what the students have
learned what is being taught. I have been trying to working on checking for
understanding through verbal assessment because it is not effective according
to Frey and Fisher, and I agree.
I taught a lesson on symmetry and I
had the students act as mirrors to each other, and find the line of symmetry in
different figures. I assessed the students learning in different ways. I had
the students work in partners and find as many lines of symmetry that they
could as well as work on a symmetry worksheet independently so I could gage
their learning. The most important part of assessment, to me, is one on one
assessment with the kids. I like to take the time to walk around and ask each
students questions about what they are doing or learning so I will have a
better understanding of what they know and how they know what to do when I am
looking at their final products. Artifact 5A, below, shows the final product of
student work on symmetry. Students had different shapes and in partners they
had to work together to find different lines of symmetry within one image.
Working in partners helped the students with explaining their thinking. This
was helpful to the ELL’s because they could work hands on with a new concept
but also work with a partner who is fluent in their native language as well as
English to help them further their learning, and reassure that they understand
the lesson.
Artifact 5B is an example of the
individual assessment that the students did to assess their learning. This
worksheet showed different ways of finding the line of symmetry and also shows
the learner what a symmetric shape looks like and what a shape looks like that
is not symmetric. I liked how this worksheet required the students to work with
symmetry in different ways. It started with them identifying whether or not the
line of symmetry is a line of symmetry or not, then they had to make their own
line of symmetry, and last they had to complete the symmetric figure.
I believe that artifacts 5A and 5B
reach standard 5.4 because within this lesson I used formative and summative
assessments on a smaller scale and in a shorter period of time. The formative
assessment was where the students worked with a partner to show what they have
just learned about the line of symmetry. I was able to walk around and see
students thinking and sharing with each other, and then I was able to see their
final product. 5B is a summative assessment that showed me the student’s
summative understanding of symmetry based on the lesson. Through the worksheet
the students were able to show their knowledge and understanding of a line of
symmetry using different strategies. I think it is important to give students
the time to practice what they have just been taught and then assess them at
the end of each lesson to make sure that they have comprehended what they have
just been taught. If each lesson is not assessed for student understanding it
is impossible to move onto another lesson until each student’s understands what
is being taught. No students learning should be left behind.
Artifact 5C is an assessment of a
social studies group project that was given a grade and assessed with a rubric
by myself. The students also had to assess themselves with the rubric and give
themselves a grade on their own project. The students were put into groups and
given a national monument or memorial to do a research project on. I like how I gave the students a rubric
because it provided them with what was expected of them to receive a god grade.
I think that it is also important in projects like this one, to have the
students reflect on their own learning and their own role and cooperation
within their group. Group projects can be really difficult sometimes and I
thought it was important for the students to try and reflect on their role
within the group.
I can show my understanding of
standard 5.2 through artifact 5C and 5D as well. During this project I had to
keep in mind that a lot of my students do not have computers or printers at
home. I knew that some of my students are new to the U.S. and might not know
what or where Washington D.C. is so I provided the students with articles, and
websites where they could find information on their topic, I also met with each
group and brought in materials and printed pictures for their posters. If students did additional work they received
extra points on the project but it was not expected of them to do so. This shows how I was able to assess the
students learning within the limits of their community, cultures or life at
home.
I strongly believe in standard 5.1, Understand that assessment is an integral
part of teaching an that children’s developmental and academic interest,
accomplishments and challenges should drive their daily instructional decision,
although I do not have evidence to support my understanding of this standard
yet. I believe that assessment coincides with teaching and learning. I follow an
open circle curriculum in my classroom where we talk about everyday life
skills. I have taught open circle lesson on teasing, tattling vs. telling, and
friendship. These are life skills that I am teaching to kids and I assess their
understanding and learning of the subject through skits, conversation, and
participation. At some point in the discussion the curriculum opens the
conversation up to the class where they can talk freely about the subject. This
curriculum helps the students with their daily decision-making, and how to deal
with everyday interactions. I do not have an artifact for this standard but
fully understand it and its importance to being an educator.
Artifacts 5A, 5B, and 5C shows my
understanding of standard 5.3, Know how
to use a variety of formal and informal assessments tools and strategies to
monitor and promote each student’s learning and development, through a
variety of assessments I have used with my students. Artifacts 5A and 5B are
informal assessments that monitored student learning by having giving more
instruction in a shorter time frame. Artifact 5C shows my understanding of
formal assessments and promoting the students learning and development through
giving the students the guidelines and what is expected of them. I think that
providing the students with guidelines and expectations in a research project
like this one, it motivated them to do well because they knew exactly what they
needed to do to get a good grade. Frey and Fisher taught me to look at assessment
deeper and not to check for understanding verbally. There are so many different
forms of assessment that should always be used by teachers. I think that it is
important to assess students in different ways frequently because a timed
assessment might not work best for the students who are on individual education
plans and need more think time to show their learning. I have also learned that
I need to assess my students in a way that benefits them the most. Timing my
students or assessment that involves a computer is not the most effective way
to assess my students. I have a students who is extremely intelligent but it
takes him a very long time to do his work, and it is not because he doesn’t
understand is it just because he takes a long time to work. Assessment and
teaching have to go hand and hand or else there is no reason to teach at all.
It is a teacher’s job to teach the students and the teacher will not know if
the students are learning what is being taught unless they assess the students
learning.
Attachment 5A
Attachment 5B
Attachment 5C
S.S.
Research Project: Due April 16th and 17th
Students will be given a
national monument to research. Students will be working in their table groups.
Students will be provided with readings to do research and they will also be
able to use their computer time to find information on their monument.
Students will have a week to
work in their groups and collect information that they will then share with the
class in a fun and engaging way. Students will be asked to present their
research to the class in the form of a book, skit, poster, song, dance, flier,
or pamphlet.
If students have any other interesting ways
that they would like to share their information they can check in with a
teacher to talk about their idea.
1
Showed
no effort
|
2
Showed
little effort
|
3
Met
all requirements
|
4
Met
all requirements and did more than what was asked
|
|
Information
|
You
have collected no information.
|
You
have collected your information but missed a few questions.
|
You
collected all of your information.
|
You
collected all of your information AND MORE!
|
Cooperation
|
Did
not contribute to the group.
|
Negatively
contributed to the group.
|
Contributed
to the group neutrally.
|
Contributed
to the group positively, and got along well with group mates.
|
Creativity
|
Presentation
of information has spelling mistakes, is not clear, or organized.
|
Presentation
of information is not clear or organized.
|
Presentation
of information is clear, and organized.
|
Presentation
of information is engaging to classmates, colorful, clear, organized, and
interesting.
|
Presentation
|
No
presentation
|
Presentation
is not engaging to classmates
|
Presentation
is clear, organized, and interesting.
|
Presentation
is unique, and engaging.
|
Artifact 5D
Thursday April 9, 2015
-Gathering more information
|
Friday April 10, 2015
-Finish gathering
information
-Come up with an idea of
how you want to present your project
|
Monday April 13, 2015
-Each group will have a
conference with Ms. Donohoe and will finalize their project ideas and talk
about materials that might be needed.
-Start creating project
|
Tuesday April 14, 2015
-Draft of project is due
|
Wednesday April 15, 2015
-Final draft is due
-Students will rehearse
their presentations
|
Thursday April 16, 2015
FINAL PRESENTATIONS!!!
|
Fisher,
D. Frey, N (2014). Checking for
understanding: Formative assessment techniques for your classroom, 2nd
edition. ASCD. (Chapter one)
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