“Assessment for learning is a central feature of effective learning and teaching”
During this school placement I took the time to observe lessons throughout the school, and in particular within the maths department. I wanted to see if assessment for learning was being used, if at all, to improve students learning. I discovered that the school does have a clear assessment for learning agenda, which is made clear to all members of staff, whom are encouraged to plan it into each of their lessons, in order to ensure effective learning. Obviously different teachers place a different emphasis on assessment for learning. I targeted for observations not only the teachers in my department but also those who were renowned for their expertise in assessment for learning. Below is a description of my observations, and my findings from them.
One Yr 11 class in which I observed at the beginning of them starting a new topic; begun the lesson with discussions and small tasks. The teacher told me that this was how she begun all new topics, by using these tasks and discussions as assessments to ascertain the current state of the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the topic. This was an excellent example of AFL in practice, it enabled the first lesson to be used as an information finding exercise to work out each learners starting point for that particular topic. Teaching can be explained as a journey, in which a teacher guides the learner on a path to greater knowledge. It is obvious that for this to take place, the teacher needs to know the starting point and thus be able to devise the best route for the student. This teacher’s use of the first lesson of a new topic to gather information on the student’s current knowledge is AFL at its be...
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... be used as a tool for engaging learners, and equipping them with the life skills necessary to continue with their learning past school.
References
Butler, R. (1988) Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: the effects of task-involving and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 58:1-14
Sadler (1989) Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems, Instructional Science, 18:119-44
Rowe (1974) Wait time and rewards as instructional variables, their influence on language, logic and fate control, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 11: 81-94
David Spendlove (2013). Putting assessment for learning into practice. London: Bloomsbury. p1-50
Paul Black et al (2011). Assessment for learning: Putting it into Practice. London: Open University Press. 5-71.
In Ms. Hall’s seventh period ESL freshman biology class I chose to do a write around or pass a question formative assessment probe. I came up with three different questions and printed each one on an individual sheet of paper. The three questions were; 1. What is one thing you were surprised to learn about the past few weeks about genetics, what is one thing you wish you could learn more about related to genetics, what was the hardest topic for you to learn or that you are still confused about? I started the class by talking about what the purpose of the write around activity was. I informed them that this activity was an opportunity for them to reflect and talk about the lesson they were working on and also an opportunity for me to read about what students thought about their genetics unit. I placed students into groups of three and then asked them to read the first question and take 2 minutes to write as much as they could about the question at hand. If students were confused at the question at all I encouraged them to ask me about their confusion or ways in which to respond. After the 2 minute time slot students then passed that question to and the next person would spend 2 minutes to respond to the previous person’s comments or respond to that new question as well. This was repeated one more time so each student had an opportunity to respond to each question prompt. The classroom consist of 17 students whose first language is not English. Primary languages of the students in the class consist of Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Polish.
Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable assessment: Rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22(2), 151–167. doi:10.1080/713695728
Assessment has been the greatest challenge in my development as a professional. My coursework as supported my growth in this area, especially in understanding the broad range of assessments used to support students’ growth and development. My courses have also supported my understanding of how ongoing observational assessment and standards-based measures can be used to inform instruction and support the cycle of observation, reflection and planning. Coursework
I feel that this model ties in nicely to our current policies and especially ties into the Danielson framework and the Common Core Standards. The easy to follow format of the assessment model made sense and really stuck with me.
Stiggins, R. J. (2006, November/December). Assessment for learning: A key to motivation and achievement. Edge, 2, 3-19.
William, D., & Thompson, M. (2007). Integrating assessment with instruction: What will it take to
Sufficient and current and - Meet internal and external assessment requirement Involve learners in assessment : peer and self-assessment represent an interesting way to involve students in the assessment process as students assess each
Assessment plays an integral part of the teaching and learning process by providing teachers with information on students’ developing mathematical capabilities (Booker, Bond, Sparrow, & Swan, 2010; Reys et al., 2012). Assessment is a daily requirement within the primary school context and when properly developed and interpreted can be used positively to encourage students, provide information to direct and modify teaching and learning activities, provide feedback to students about progress and contribute to reporting (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [DEECD], 2009; Junpeng, 2012; New South Wales Department of Education and Communities, 2011). This essay will examine formative and summative assessment strategies teachers
In the world of education, assessments play an integral role in student learning. To get the most out of assessments, they must be aligned with the standards, accurately measure what students know, as well as promote student learning (McTighe and O’Connor, 2005). In order to do this, it is important to include students in the assessment planning process. This should begin at the beginning of a unit with the pre-assessment and should be carried throughout the formative and summative assessments. Dr. Anne Davies believes that “when students are involved in the assessment process, they are more engaged and motivated, and they learn more” (Davies, 2007, p. 31). In my interdisciplinary unit, I attempt to include students in every stage of the assessments
...or Well-Structured and Ill-Structured Problem-Solving Learning Outcomes. ETR&D, Vol. 45, No. 1, 1997, pgs. 65-94, SSN 1024-1629.
Assessments are according to Edglossary.org (2014), “the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning process, and skill acquisition of students”. Assessments can be used to identify several important aspects of learning and development. First, they can be used to distinguish a child’s strengths and weaknesses as well as measure specific knowledge and skills. Assessments can also be used to demonstrate what a child has learned and what they understand (“Assessment,” 2014). My opinion of assessment has not changed; however, now I understand how to use assessments that will help ensure that I am providing the most benefits for my students.
Stiggins, R., Arter, J., Chappuis, J., Chappuis, S., (2007). Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right -- using it well. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson.
For my homophones lesson in Mrs. Anderson’s class, I feel that I did a great job teaching the lesson and providing plenty of practice opportunities. I believe that the formative and summative assessments that I used throughout my lesson provided the information Mrs. Anderson and I hoped to get out of this small unit.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a
Indeed, involving the students in the learning process can only enhance learning and self-development. Infusing the love of learning within the students may encourage them to become lifelong learners, always striving to become better knowledgeable citizens, long after compulsory schooling. I find teaching to be an ongoing, continuous yet challenging process that is rewarding in return. I see no end for improvement. I want to be a teacher who even after years of teaching, still strives to make each lesson better than the previous one, with my mind set on engaging my students to love Physics and Science as much as I do.