Reflect on the various tests or assessment tools you have used in your classroom or school. Which one would you view as being the "go to" option for determining whether or not your instruction needed any modifications?
Some would argue that student teaching is not a form of assessment because it involves no solitary pencil-and-paper brain cell burning. On the contrary, I've found that student teaching maximizes engagement, optimizes memorization, encourages student responsibility and accountability, and produces more lasting effects than T or F, multiple choice, fill in the blank, or even the all-holy essay test. What's more, with a well-constructed rubric in place, student teaching can be beneficial for both participant and grader. Kids learn willingly from other kids, and become more active in the process. The assessment practice that reveals a need for modification in my classroom would be some of our pop quizzes. They leave little room for exceptionalities or disabilities.
I truly appreciate John's comments regarding the importance of "student teaching" as a tool for assessing our students. It is true that someone must have a deeper understanding of the content in order to teach another.
"Kudos" to all who tap into this under appreciated strategy! :)
I find that informal assessments and everyday observations are the best kind of assessment to see if my instruction needs any modifications. I can tell right away if the students are getting it or not. At the end of all my lessons I think, "Well, that went well", or "I will never teach it that way again." I am not only assessing my students, but I am also assessing myself.
As far as assessment goes I really value the time that I get to spend one on one or in small groups with my children. Sometimes if you just step back from the crazy hectic day and have actual conversations with students you can learn so much. In kindergarten I find it easy to use checklists and observations so I can track student growth. I can also quickly compare data to get a sense of how the overall class is doing.
Informal assessments are such a valuable tool. I have found that observations and spending time with students in small groups provide invaluable information. I can assess where students are and where they need to be. I can also determine if my teaching strategies are working or if I need to back up and punt again. As far as a more formal assessment, I tend to look at practice benchmark assessments to help predict future success for students.
I learn a great deal from informal assessments and looking at my students daily work. I have recently spent some time looking at my students benchmark scores and last years FCAT scores for weak areas I need to focus in on in the next few weeks before test time.
As a secondary administrator, I seem to find my time consumed by the administration of standardized testing. Of course, all of us deal with the FCAT (or SAT 10) and the benchmark assessments, but in high school, we also give the PLAN, PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB, and AP Exams (I am sure I missed something). I miss the other assessments I used in my classroom; however, the benefit of being an administrator is that I now get to go through all the classrooms and see the various assessments other teachers use. I get to see student writing assignments, interesting journal topics, the products of student teaching, project displays, fluency charts, and the many other various things teachers use to assess students. Based on my short time observing classrooms, these are the assessments that drive most classroom instruction, not the alphabet soup I mentioned earlier.
I once worked at a charter school that used "backward planning" or "backward design," and I still have my doubts about it. Here's the issue: Entire units are plotted and geared toward the eventual outcome of a student assessment, which normally consists of a project or test. The only problem with that approach is that both teachers and students are left with no "wiggle room" for spontaneous or creative inquiries during the performance phase of the unit itself. Everything must be by the assessment, or the results won't measure up in the end. As well-intended and uniform as this form of assessment may be, it serves to be more restrictive than rewarding. Just one fella's thoughts, though.
8 comments:
Some would argue that student teaching is not a form of assessment because it involves no solitary pencil-and-paper brain cell burning. On the contrary, I've found that student teaching maximizes engagement, optimizes memorization, encourages student responsibility and accountability, and produces more lasting effects than T or F, multiple choice, fill in the blank, or even the all-holy essay test. What's more, with a well-constructed rubric in place, student teaching can be beneficial for both participant and grader. Kids learn willingly from other kids, and become more active in the process. The assessment practice that reveals a need for modification in my classroom would be some of our pop quizzes. They leave little room for exceptionalities or disabilities.
I truly appreciate John's comments regarding the importance of "student teaching" as a tool for assessing our students. It is true that someone must have a deeper understanding of the content in order to teach another.
"Kudos" to all who tap into this under appreciated strategy! :)
I find that informal assessments and everyday observations are the best kind of assessment to see if my instruction needs any modifications. I can tell right away if the students are getting it or not. At the end of all my lessons I think, "Well, that went well", or "I will never teach it that way again." I am not only assessing my students, but I am also assessing myself.
As far as assessment goes I really value the time that I get to spend one on one or in small groups with my children. Sometimes if you just step back from the crazy hectic day and have actual conversations with students you can learn so much. In kindergarten I find it easy to use checklists and observations so I can track student growth. I can also quickly compare data to get a sense of how the overall class is doing.
Informal assessments are such a valuable tool. I have found that observations and spending time with students in small groups provide invaluable information. I can assess where students are and where they need to be. I can also determine if my teaching strategies are working or if I need to back up and punt again. As far as a more formal assessment, I tend to look at practice benchmark assessments to help predict future success for students.
I learn a great deal from informal assessments and looking at my students daily work. I have recently spent some time looking at my students benchmark scores and last years FCAT scores for weak areas I need to focus in on in the next few weeks before test time.
As a secondary administrator, I seem to find my time consumed by the administration of standardized testing. Of course, all of us deal with the FCAT (or SAT 10) and the benchmark assessments, but in high school, we also give the PLAN, PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB, and AP Exams (I am sure I missed something). I miss the other assessments I used in my classroom; however, the benefit of being an administrator is that I now get to go through all the classrooms and see the various assessments other teachers use. I get to see student writing assignments, interesting journal topics, the products of student teaching, project displays, fluency charts, and the many other various things teachers use to assess students. Based on my short time observing classrooms, these are the assessments that drive most classroom instruction, not the alphabet soup I mentioned earlier.
John's reflection on the 1/31 assessment article:
I once worked at a charter school that used "backward planning" or "backward design," and I still have my doubts about it. Here's the issue: Entire units are plotted and geared toward the eventual outcome of a student assessment, which normally consists of a project or test. The only problem with that approach is that both teachers and students are left with no "wiggle room" for spontaneous or creative inquiries during the performance phase of the unit itself. Everything must be by the assessment, or the results won't measure up in the end. As well-intended and uniform as this form of assessment may be, it serves to be more restrictive than rewarding. Just one fella's thoughts, though.
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