Is Assessment Important to Teachers?

Assessing Student's Leaning 

(click on the link to watch the video!)

I learned a great deal from this video. I can honestly say that I have a better understanding of assessment, and how to be an effective citizen.

The beginning of the video teachers spoke about what the most important parts of being an active citizen are. The ultimate goal of an active citizen, is to bring about change. In order to perform this task, you need to know the history, the laws, and the history behind the laws in order to put your critical thinking skills to use. The best way to teach this to students is to use real world applications of knowledge.

 One of the teachers said something that struck me in a positive way. She said "at the end of the day we are all the same, people." I love that quote, because even through all the differences we have, in the end we are all people. It's something to really think about. We all have something in common.

We know students are learning through this method called assessment. The only negative thing about assessment is teachers will only get a partial view of what their students are learning. Assessment is performed for the sake of teachers planning.

 There are three types of assessment: formal, informal, and on going.

The first thing the teachers spoke about in their assessment class was all of the different assessment techniques they perform on a yearly basis. There were 5 different examples: dip-sticking  portfolios, flip books, friendly letters, and the use of white boards.

1. Dipsticking- ask the students to go back to their desk and write down three things they remember from the story, right after you finish reading it. 

2. Portfolios- these devices show how well students are learning throughout the years. The teachers are able to keep a permanent assessment of the children throughout the years. The teachers will be able to show the parents the progress each year.

3. Flip books- These are best for children with special needs. Drawing is a great feedback for teachers. Flip books help the students practice time and sequencing.

4. Friendly Letters- The assignment is to write a letter to a younger student and explain to them what they have learned. The students must explain in detail this way the younger student will be able to understand it.

5. White boards-Each child is given a white board and a marker. During the lesson, the teacher asks questions and asks the students to write their answer and hold it in the air. This allows the teacher to set a learning pace and see where everyone is comprehension wise. This is not a form of permanent record keeping, but it is not threatening to the students.

This video showed 2 different examples of assessment. The teachers were asked to use the sign below as a checklist of everything the teacher did right.

The first classroom was a kindergarten classroom.

This teacher was working on the difference between needs and wants. 

Criteria- the students were given a chart with two sides then asked to put their needs on one side and then wants on the other. The students also had the option of drawing pictures instead of writing words.

Overt Student Awareness- The children were learning from each other through their presentations.

The students had to make connections between the plant analogy and piece it together with what humans need in order to live. This brought them to the activity where they could relate it to themselves. Inside the chart the children wrote down what they need and want in life. For example-they need water and a home and they want a kindle and a skateboard. 

Students using IMovie

The second classroom was filled with elementary school aged children.

The tool for assessment was a research project.

The purpose was to teach children about missions and develop research questions

Criteria- the students were asked to make a 3D model, create a poster, use technology(imovie), and create a presentation that is between 5-10 minutes.

The students had the materials in advance, and were able to probe their understanding of vocabulary and the material they studied.

Feedback- As the students presented the the teacher asked questions.

The next part of the class involved the teachers acting as students. 

They were asked to come up with three people who are influential in history- In the group they are asked to decide on the best one. This assignment is a matter of perspective. 

Some of the people the groups came up with were:

Ben Franklin, Martin Luther King, Booker T. Washington, Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

The groups came up with Booker T. Washington, Walt Whitman, Rosa Parks and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

Criteria- The content on their poster and presentation must be historically accurate, they must connect periods, link events, make the presentation visually interesting, and it must be under 2 minutes.