This blog is devoted to teachers involved in the INTEL Teach Essentials Course. We will use this blog to reflect on modules, collaborate with peers, and to share ideas.
April 18, 2011
Module 5 Reflection
This module has helped me to think about student-centered assessment in the following ways...
Student centered assesments should have an ongoing element to them. No single assessment will properly gauge how much a student has acquired from a unit of study. For a teacher to ensure maximum accountability and effort, the students need to know that they are constantly being evaluated at some level, be it formally or informally. Additionally, students need the expectations clearly expressed at the beginning of an evaluation period so that they are completely aware and comfortable with how the ultimate grade is determined.
This module helped me to reflect on the importance of backwards design while creating assessments. A lot of times I do get carried away when I create my assessments, and I don't necessarily look back to make sure that the purpose of the assessment correlates to the standards I'm covering and the questions I'm asking. It is very important to stop and reflect on our own work, just like we expect our students to stop and reflect themselves.
This module has made me think about what assessments I do and why I do them. I need to be sure my assessments tie to my standards and objectives. I want purposeful assessments that enable me to reflect on what I taught and how well I addressed my content and standards. Also, am I including higher order thinking skills.
I have always been an advocate of student-centered assessment. However, this Intel course has given me such a wealth of valuable and usable sources that I have no excuse not to use them even more often. The information this course gives me also dispels any suggestions that students will be less accountable with project-based learning and student-centered assessment.
This module has allowed me to re-visit the importance of creating an assessment that is standards based. I need to be sure the assessment actually gives me a look into what the students understand from a unit or topic that has been taught. I am guilty of not always reflecting on what actually works.
Student centered assessment is important. Students need feedback before they are comforable moving on to the next level. This unit has helped me to relize that the feedback does not have to come from me. Informal peer feedback is important and helpful. Student can get useful suggestions from each other that caused them to think about their own thinking at the same time. I plan to use more of this type of assessment as well as the traditional forms.
As I reflect on Module 5, my focus is to remember to incorporate a variety of assessment strategies through the project and make sure that the purpose of the project and the assessments are aligned with the standards.
This module has helped me to think about student-centered assessment in the following ways... Looking at all the different types of assessments really surprised me. I never thought of using check lists as an assessment. I guess that we just don't have to use all the "standard" ways of assessment for our students. Trying to be a little more creative will help us out a lot. One thing that I just found out very recently is that when I hand out a student rubric to score themselves, they are pretty honest about them. A lot of my students have never done a student rubric before and it is a way that they can learn some self-reflection.
Student-centered assessment should help students learn to be reflective and to evaluate their own work. Because project-based learning is open-ended, it gives students the opportunity to decide what is important to them to learn. I think student-centered assessments allow students to develop those skills. It is hard work, though, because so many of our "school" assessments are not student-centered, or student-friendly, for that matter. I think the self-reflective aspects of project-based, student-centered learning is perhaps the most important element. We don't always give students enough voice or choice in school.
As I reflect on this module, I am reminded that I need to give careful consideration to the types of assessments I give my students. They need to be authentic, purposeful assessments. I need to be sure to give different types of assessments. In addition, I need to assess throughout the unit, not just at the completion of the unit. I want to be sure the students understand the material covered, not just going through the motions of doing a project.
Student centered assesments should have an ongoing element to them. No single assessment will properly gauge how much a student has acquired from a unit of study. For a teacher to ensure maximum accountability and effort, the students need to know that they are constantly being evaluated at some level, be it formally or informally. Additionally, students need the expectations clearly expressed at the beginning of an evaluation period so that they are completely aware and comfortable with how the ultimate grade is determined.
ReplyDeleteThis module helped me to reflect on the importance of backwards design while creating assessments. A lot of times I do get carried away when I create my assessments, and I don't necessarily look back to make sure that the purpose of the assessment correlates to the standards I'm covering and the questions I'm asking. It is very important to stop and reflect on our own work, just like we expect our students to stop and reflect themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis module has made me think about what assessments I do and why I do them. I need to be sure my assessments tie to my standards and objectives. I want purposeful assessments that enable me to reflect on what I taught and how well I addressed my content and standards. Also, am I including higher order thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteI have always been an advocate of student-centered assessment. However, this Intel course has given me such a wealth of valuable and usable sources that I have no excuse not to use them even more often. The information this course gives me also dispels any suggestions that students will be less accountable with project-based learning and student-centered assessment.
ReplyDeleteThis module has allowed me to re-visit the importance of creating an assessment that is standards based. I need to be sure the assessment actually gives me a look into what the students understand from a unit or topic that has been taught. I am guilty of not always reflecting on what actually works.
ReplyDeleteStudent centered assessment is important. Students need feedback before they are comforable moving on to the next level. This unit has helped me to relize that the feedback does not have to come from me. Informal peer feedback is important and helpful. Student can get useful suggestions from each other that caused them to think about their own thinking at the same time. I plan to use more of this type of assessment as well as the traditional forms.
ReplyDeleteAs I reflect on Module 5, my focus is to remember to incorporate a variety of assessment strategies through the project and make sure that the purpose of the project and the assessments are aligned with the standards.
ReplyDeleteThis module has helped me to think about student-centered assessment in the following ways... Looking at all the different types of assessments really surprised me. I never thought of using check lists as an assessment. I guess that we just don't have to use all the "standard" ways of assessment for our students. Trying to be a little more creative will help us out a lot. One thing that I just found out very recently is that when I hand out a student rubric to score themselves, they are pretty honest about them. A lot of my students have never done a student rubric before and it is a way that they can learn some self-reflection.
ReplyDeleteStudent-centered assessment should help students learn to be reflective and to evaluate their own work. Because project-based learning is open-ended, it gives students the opportunity to decide what is important to them to learn. I think student-centered assessments allow students to develop those skills. It is hard work, though, because so many of our "school" assessments are not student-centered, or student-friendly, for that matter. I think the self-reflective aspects of project-based, student-centered learning is perhaps the most important element. We don't always give students enough voice or choice in school.
ReplyDeleteAs I reflect on this module, I am reminded that I need to give careful consideration to the types of assessments I give my students. They need to be authentic, purposeful assessments. I need to be sure to give different types of assessments. In addition, I need to assess throughout the unit, not just at the completion of the unit. I want to be sure the students understand the material covered, not just going through the motions of doing a project.
ReplyDelete