assessment

Part 1:

 

· “The combination of these assessments and their implementation in the curriculum make the assessments tools for learning (Wiggins and McTighe 2005) rather than merely assessments that might otherwise be invalid and unreliable” (Schleigh, 2014, p. 53).

 

· “An effective assessment system incorporates both summative and formative assessment tools and implements them discerningly to address and answer specific questions” (Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, 2014, p. 23).

 

· “Initial use of the probe as an elicitation informs the instructional path that will lead students toward a conceptual understanding of the disciplinary core idea” (Keeley, 2014, p. 27).  

 

· “The project built excitement for science learning and got students talking and got students listening to one another.  Students use their investigations to find answers to real-world questions in a collaborative setting” (Zissman, 2013, p. 74).  

 

· “In many ways, realigning the arts with the sciences puts trust back in the teachers and their capabilities and instincts and makes for a more exciting, creative, and successful classroom” (Sousa & Pilecki, 2013, p.242).  

Part 2:

The first quote I chose came from the author Schleigh (2014) in Assessments and Arguments.  The quote I chose is important because assessments should be viewed as powerful tools that can be used in combination with other tools to support student learning.  Effective assessments are an important part of the teaching and learning process for both the teachers and the students.  In this article, arguments are used as a way to assess students using a round robin journal approach, where the students engage in discourse (Schleigh, 2014).  When students engage in evidence-based arguments they are preparing to ask questions, plan, and carry out investigations.  This type of assessment supports the NGSS for engineering and designing.  Using arguments as formative assessments, that are aligned with the curriculum and content standards, help create a safe environment for students to communicate their thought process.  

I chose the second quote because I feel that it is important to understand that using different types of assessments can help guide teaching and learning and tell different information.  When both formative and summative assessments are embedded throughout the curriculum, they become more integrated and relevant for students (Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, 2014).  Currently, I am using rubrics and self-checklists for students to assess their writing prior to turning it in for grading.  This has become part of their writing process.  The students work on their writing using the rubric so they understand the expectations and can be successful.  The students use the rubrics to self grade their own work based on the rubric criteria.  This is one way to embed assessment into instruction using the curriculum.  

The third quote that chose was important because it involves using the same assessment as a pre and post assessment to allow students to revisit their initial thoughts and revise them after they have investigated something.  Using assessments as probes can be used to formatively address student misconceptions and provide students with opportunities to reshape their understanding (Keeley, 2014).  

The fourth quote that I chose was important because it involves students investigating and gaining excitement about a project.  The development of the project was based off of field trip bus rides.  The bus ride to and from the field trip can be stressful for teachers, so colleagues worked together to come up with a plan where students still get to experience something outside the classroom without the stressful bus ride.  The team integrated several subjects in a unit using a local river as the point of focus, which was close to the school, and did not require a bus ride.  Students were asked questions about the river which aligned with the curriculum, creating a perfect transition into their first engineering design project (Zissman, 2013).  This was a great opportunity to get students engaged through investigations based on their own unique questions.  

The last quote that I chose was important to me because I agree that allowing teachers to reshape integrated units does help give teachers a boost in their confidence and their abilities to make sound decisions based on what is best for students.  In order for this type of change to occur, educational stakeholders need to create a culture that promotes innovation and risk taking (Jenkins et al., n.d.).  When school leaders allow teachers to take these types of risks, a shift occurs where teachers are enabled to implement personalized learning (Jenkins et al., n.d.).  

Part 3:

This week I have studied how assessments play a role throughout teaching and learning and can be used as a powerful tool.  Both formative and summative assessments can be used to help guide teachers in their instruction.  When designing assessments, it is important to consider many complex areas in order to use them effectively.  When creating assessments for integrated areas, it is important to consider how the curriculum and content standards will align with the assessment and promote critical thinking in which students are able to develop a plan, revise the plan through investigations, and provide evidence to support their understanding.  According to Wolpert-Gawron (2012), assessments need to be meaningful for students and come in all different types of forms.  It is important to develop assessments that help students foster connections with the real world and promote creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking (Wolpert-Gawron, 2012).  

References

Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation. (2014) INNOVATE: A Blueprint for  Science,

              Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in California Public Education - A report   

               by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s STEM Task Force.

               Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/documents/innovate.pdf

Jenkins, S., Williams, M., Moyer, J., George, M., & Foster, E.  (n.d.).  The shifting paradigm of

              Teaching: personalized learning according to teachers.  Retrieved from

              http://www.knowledgeworks.org/sites/default/files/u1/teacher-conditions.pdf

Keeley, P. (2014). Habitat change: Formative assessment of a cautionary word. Science and

             Children, 51(7), 26-27.

Schleigh, S. (2014). Assessments in the arguments. Science and Children, 51(8), 46-53.

Sousa, D. A., & Pilecki, T. (2013). From STEM to STEAM: Using brain-compatible

           strategies to integrate the arts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

Wolpert-Gawron, H.  (2012).  How to make assessments meaningful.  Retrieved from           

           https://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-assessments-meaningful-heather-wolpert-gawron

Zissman, T. (2013). Measuring success: Second graders design, build, test, and improve tools

            to map a waterway. Science and Children, 51(2), 68-74.