I chose Domain 4b (maintaining accurate records) for my article, video, and blog summary. Maintaining accurate records is a very important part of Special Education but, it is equally important to keep accurate records for all my students. When a new student comes to our center, we place them according to grade level on the transcript. At times, it is very difficult for them to keep up with the rest of the class. Documentation weighs heavily when making a decision regarding the level of course work for my students. Knowing what assessments are needed when testing my students is an area I want to become more proficient.
Blogs:
http://www.edutopia.org/authentic-assessment-measure-student-performance
Ben Johnson
Johnson's blog spoke about how to differentiate instruction (vary lessons) to meet the needs of all students without sacrificing high standards for other students. According to Johnson, differentiated instruction focuses on whom we teach, where we teach, and how we teach. He also states that it is the primary goal of teachers to focus on processes and procedures that ensure effective learning.
An example of this type of learning Johnson gave was the encouragement of student inquiry. He states when students are asking questions, they are automatically going to be at his/her cognitive level. He says the key is to help students find the answers at their level. I agree, and want to assess them and maintain accurate records in order to get the services they need if any.
In our small room, I have a very diverse class not only in course level, but abilities within those levels. Assessment is needed for the correct placement and to utilize the learning styles of all my students. When this information has been gathered, I feel a plan of implementation can be formed utilizing all styles.
Anthony Cody's Blog
Cody agrees that teachers must find ways to measure student learning. He says in place of tests, authentic educator's are developing new assessments. Examples are portfolios, peer reviews, and exhibition. In my class, displaying a students work gives them pride and a sense of accomplishment. I do projects in Arts & Humanities and Life Skills that require paints, markers, crayons, and construction paper. I use all the space I have on the walls and door. I feel it's important to show off their work, especially when so little praise is given to them outside of the classroom. Incorporating rubrics and journaling may be a way of informal assessment that would help me assessing levels in multiple subject areas.
Video
Big Thinkers: Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences
http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intellegences-howard-gardner
On this video Gardner discusses student-directed learning, multiple-intelligences, and a different approach to assessment.
In this video Gardner states that teachers hope that the information that they teach children will remain with them outside of school; in real-life situations. He states unless children learn to take an active role in what they are studying, unless they learn to ask questions, to do things hands on, to re-create things in their own mind and transform them as is needed, the ideas disappear. The student may have a good grade on an exam but a year or two later, there is nothing left of what was taught.
Gardner states that if a student has carried out an experiment himself or herself, analyzed the data, made a prediction, and saw whether it came out correctly, looked up the history, and actually does the documents, listens to it, goes back ask further questions and writes up the findings-that is the type of assignment that will adhere. Memorization gives the students little to hold on to. I agree with this type of teaching. I have always been an advocate of hands-on with everything I do in the classroom.
He also states that every child has different intellectual strengths that are very important in the way they learn. Knowing a child's learning style is how we take what we teach and conform it to their needs. This information is very important for assessment. If we know a child is a hands-on learner, or one who is a "deep thinker," or has a very spatial or visual-spatial way of learning, we can provide materials, software, or other resources to make learning interesting for the child. Everything may be taught in many different ways.
Regarding assessments, Gardner says that we as teachers should highlight for kids from day one the performances and exhibitions for which they are going to be accountable. Look at the things that we value in the world. Be as explicit as possible. Provide feedback to kids so they can internalize the feedback so they themselves can tell us what they understand and what they need work on. Self-assessment is something students can do to make sure they are on track. Rubrics for all assignments would be an example of this way of thinking.
Although this video didn't have a lot on assessment, I felt it did have a wealth of information to think about in the way I present my lessons to the class and possible ways to do informal assessments (asking questions). It has also given me ideas to make the class become more active in the lessons. Child-centered learning doesn't work with the same old multiple choice test. As Cody stated in his blog, new authentic ways of assessment are needed, portfolios, peer reviews, and exhibiting the students work give the class an opportunity to become engaged.
Article
http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-introduction
Mark Nichol
Nichol reports in his article that assessment is at the heart of education. Furthermore he states that teachers and parents use the test scores to gauge a student's academic strength and weaknesses, communities rely on these scores to judge the quality of their educational system, and state and federal lawmakers use the same metrics to determine whether public schools are up to standards.
In this article Nichol reports that typical multiple-choice and short-answer tests aren't the only way to gauge a student's knowledge or abilities. He states that many states are incorporating performance-based assessments into their standardized tests or adding assessment vehicles such as portfolio's and presentations as additional measures of student understanding.
What Nichol is implying - students need to apply what they are learning to real world tasks. This type of assessment would include standard-based projects and assessments that would allow students to apply their knowledge. An example he gives in this report is designing a building or investigating the water quality of a pond nearby. Other suggestions to use in class are rubrics or criteria to evaluate student work. Rubrics would allow a consistent evaluation of student work, opportunities for students to benefit from the feedback of teachers and peers.
Nichol states that using a rubric in the classroom would allow an opportunity to assess the student and assess what is working and not working. Teachers can intervene if a strategy is not working for a student. It would also allow change in the lesson if it were not as challenging as hoped to be.
This was a good article with good suggestions regarding assessments. I liked the fact it had other related articles to resource regarding assessments.
Inquiry Plan
Assessment is important in my classroom. When students enter my class, I put them into classes according to what the transcript shows. Some of my students are coming from other centers or sometimes from other districts. I am not clear on where these children stand academically. I would like to focus on a pre-test, interventions, and a post-test. Maybe a pre-test followed by a couple weeks of interventions (work sheets, one-on-one tutoring) and then give a post-test to see if the assessment strategy worked. This may change but, this is what I am thinking about implementing at this time.
