Research & Assessment
Why do we assess?
For students, we collect it as evidence and use it to help them to improve their learning
For teachers, we do it to improve our teaching and see what we can fix to allow all students to work to their best ability
Equity
Regardless of a student's ethnicity, SES, gender, learning style, you CAN assess their abilities
As long as we do not change the whole criteria we can aid/asess them in other ways. For example. if ESL, try to put the criteria in their first language
single point Rubrics are faster and easier for teachers and much easier for students to understand- rather than multiple columns, there are two- what the student did really well on, and what they can do to improve
Not just the same old levels 1,2,3,4 rubrics from when we were in school
Main topic
Assessment
Assessment→feedback→learning
Formative assessment is beneficial as it can improve both teaching and learning as it is an ongoing exchange between both teacher and student
So many different kinds, such as checklists, Peer and self assessment, anecdotal notes, rubrics- and these can be used in both primary and junior grades. They can also be used for formative, summative, self, and diagnostic assessment.
Subtopic
Feedback
Needs to be TIMELY, especially for young students who may forget shortly after their assignment what it was even about
FAST FORWARD FEEDBACK is more beneficial than traditional feedback as it allows one to grow as a student and as an individual
Regenerates talent
Expands possibilities
Helps them because its specific (opposed to "information dump")
Subtopic
Effective feedback=structure (identify what was done well first, what needs improvement, how to improve), focus (relate to learn goals and success criteria), amount (don’t want to overwhelm, so prioritize)
Use feedback to develop student's self awareness: Descriptive feedback (detailed, specific) models what kind of thinking you want students to do as self –assessors
Focus on most important feedback, do not put piles of comments, students will be overwhelmed
Achievement Chart
Is a BASIS for consistent and meaningful feedback
Categories involve: 1) Knowledge (meaning and significance), 2) Application (select appropriate tool and fit it), 3) Communication (can you explain how you did it?), and 4) Thinking (go through a variety of solutions and pick the one you think fits most)
Can help create criteria for assessment purposes and tells you want you can do to get your students to a level 4
Track all the data you have for students
Important tips to remember when assessing
Using homework as assessment does not prove anything because for all we know, students may not have even done it
Do not use ALL their grades in a subject for assessment, use MOST RECENT
Frequent evaluation and grades may have a negative impact, because they may lose motivation
Different sources are used: 1) Observation, 2) Conversations, and 3) Student products (Watt, pg 17)
PACK THEIR PARACHUTE: all students are DIFFERENT, and as long as they get to their end goal, it does NOT matter how long it takes to get there.
Not what we grew up learning, it was always one try