Reflective Statement
I believe that assessment provides both a solid foundation for teaching, but also a way for both teacher, student and parents to measure the progress of each student's learning. By knowing their students and how they learn, teachers are able to build a highly effective learning environment in their classroom and plan lessons to suit their specific class. Standard 1 of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2015) addresses this connection in detail. A copy of these standards can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Through the effective use of diagnostic assessment, teachers can identify the areas in which students are strong and areas that need to be built upon. Using different forms of diagnostic assessment, (such as short answer questions, open-ended questions, discussion, mind maps etc) teachers also build a wide database on how the student organises knowledge and connects themes and ideas. I believe that by allowing students to be creative in their assessment responses, they are able to express their knowledge more effectively. Once a teacher has a good idea on where their students are in terms of learning goals and standards, they are able to plan their teaching most effectively and select the best pedagogical approach for their specific class of students. In my own teaching I always plan at least two forms of diagnostic assessment to inform my planning and pedagogical approach to teaching.
Formative assessment helps track how students are learning and informs the teacher on the speed the lessons need to take (i.e. if the students are picking up the information quickly or if more time needs to be taken) as well as areas where perhaps some of the students need to practice more than others. Again, I believe formative assessment works best when used in a mixture of ways such as mind maps, role plays, projects, conversations, pair and share, and of course observation. In my teaching, I record observations in a notebook, as well as collect each piece of work along the way to assess and provide notes for the students to guide their learning. I like to use KWL (know, want, learn) charts (Ogle, 1986) and WALT (we are learning to) and SOS (signs of success) boards to guide the students and make them aware of what they are learning, as well as act as a springboard for self-assessment at the end of the unit.
Summative assessment works as an efficient way to measure how much students have learnt and absorbed from the unit of work. I like to use culminated projects as a form of summative assessment, meaning that the final assessment features all of the different learning areas from the unit and ties them all together. By creating a project and displaying it in the classroom, the students are able to visually represent their learning. Also, by allowing students the freedom of choosing how to represent their learning, the various learning techniques of the class are being addressed. By using different methods of summative assessment, further teacher planning can be enhanced and therefore inform future teaching more effectively. Wynne Harlen (2010) touches on the importance of using several methods of assessment, specifically in principles 8 and 9.
I believe that assessment, when used correctly, is an invaluable resource for planning and teaching. It informs the planning of teaching, the pedagogical approach to teaching, and the ways in which teachers relate to their students.
Through the effective use of diagnostic assessment, teachers can identify the areas in which students are strong and areas that need to be built upon. Using different forms of diagnostic assessment, (such as short answer questions, open-ended questions, discussion, mind maps etc) teachers also build a wide database on how the student organises knowledge and connects themes and ideas. I believe that by allowing students to be creative in their assessment responses, they are able to express their knowledge more effectively. Once a teacher has a good idea on where their students are in terms of learning goals and standards, they are able to plan their teaching most effectively and select the best pedagogical approach for their specific class of students. In my own teaching I always plan at least two forms of diagnostic assessment to inform my planning and pedagogical approach to teaching.
Formative assessment helps track how students are learning and informs the teacher on the speed the lessons need to take (i.e. if the students are picking up the information quickly or if more time needs to be taken) as well as areas where perhaps some of the students need to practice more than others. Again, I believe formative assessment works best when used in a mixture of ways such as mind maps, role plays, projects, conversations, pair and share, and of course observation. In my teaching, I record observations in a notebook, as well as collect each piece of work along the way to assess and provide notes for the students to guide their learning. I like to use KWL (know, want, learn) charts (Ogle, 1986) and WALT (we are learning to) and SOS (signs of success) boards to guide the students and make them aware of what they are learning, as well as act as a springboard for self-assessment at the end of the unit.
Summative assessment works as an efficient way to measure how much students have learnt and absorbed from the unit of work. I like to use culminated projects as a form of summative assessment, meaning that the final assessment features all of the different learning areas from the unit and ties them all together. By creating a project and displaying it in the classroom, the students are able to visually represent their learning. Also, by allowing students the freedom of choosing how to represent their learning, the various learning techniques of the class are being addressed. By using different methods of summative assessment, further teacher planning can be enhanced and therefore inform future teaching more effectively. Wynne Harlen (2010) touches on the importance of using several methods of assessment, specifically in principles 8 and 9.
I believe that assessment, when used correctly, is an invaluable resource for planning and teaching. It informs the planning of teaching, the pedagogical approach to teaching, and the ways in which teachers relate to their students.
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A reference list for this page can be found below:
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, Professional Standards for Teachers, Available at: <http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list>, accessed 26 March 2015.
Ogle, D 1986, K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active reading of expository text, Reading Teacher, Volume 39, pp. 564-570
Harlen, W 2010, 'What is quality teacher assessment?', in Gardner et al, 2010, Developing Teacher Assessment, McGraw-Hill Education, London, pp. 29-51
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, Professional Standards for Teachers, Available at: <http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list>, accessed 26 March 2015.
Ogle, D 1986, K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active reading of expository text, Reading Teacher, Volume 39, pp. 564-570
Harlen, W 2010, 'What is quality teacher assessment?', in Gardner et al, 2010, Developing Teacher Assessment, McGraw-Hill Education, London, pp. 29-51