Reflection Post: Week 8

Blog Entry Week Eight

Description

This week in EDAT 6114 the reading focused on the different types of assessments and how they are used. Assessment is something we use all the time in the classroom, but there are many different types and forms of assessment available to us. Assessments should be used to determine grades, but also to drive instruction and to meet the needs of our students.

Analysis

            Slavin (2018) states that evaluation can be used for three different things: feedback, information, and incentive. The main goal in giving assessments is not always just to get a numerical grade. In terms of feedback, teachers can reflect on the effectiveness of their instruction and use assessment to meet students where they are struggling. Assessments are also an opportunity for the teacher to provide written or verbal feedback to their students on their strengths and weaknesses. Assessments can also provide information to parents, keeping them informed on their child’s progress. Evaluation can also provide information for selecting or grouping, and accountability. Finally, evaluation instills a sense of motivation in students and acts as an incentive. 

            Evaluation comes in a lot of different forms. Slavin first discusses formative vs. summative evaluation. Formative assessments are meant to “tell teachers whether additional instruction is needed and to tell students whether additional learning is needed” (Slavin, 2018, p. 350). These are the type of assessments that “form” instruction and drive the teacher to make decisions based on the knowledge her students are demonstrating. Some examples of formative assessment are observations during group work, quizzes, and exit tickets. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are “tests of student knowledge at the end of instructional units “ (Slavin, 2018, p. 350). Slavin (2018) says that while these types of assessments may not happen often, they must be reliable. In order to decide what the best way to evaluate your students is, you need to first evaluate the goals that you and your students have. Slavin (2018) also mentions norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced testing. Norm-reference testing “focus[es] on comparisons of a student’s scores with those of other students” while criterion-referenced testing “focus on assessing students’ mastery of specific skills, regardless of how other students did on the same skill” (Slavin, 2018, p. 350). Usually, formative assessments are classified as criterion-referenced. Summative assessments can be criterion referenced or norm referenced. Different assessments will be best matched for different goals. Sometimes teachers are evaluating for incentive or feedback, and other times teachers are assessing to compare one student to another. When choosing an assessment, teachers need to be mindful of what they are trying to achieve through the assessment.

            After deciding what is being tested, teachers can create the test. However, they need to be very careful to create a clear, fair assessment that represents what has already been learned.  Assessments should also be reliable, and should improve learning. When writing tests, there are many options for types of questions. Selected response items are can be scored as either correct or incorrect. Multiple choice, true or false, and matching are all examples of selected response items. Tests can also have constructed response items on them. These types of questions “require the student to supply rather than select the answer” (Slavin, 218, p. 360). This includes things like fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions. Some tests may also have problem-solving assessments on them, which prompt “students to organize, select, and apply complex procedures that have at least several important steps or components” (Slavin, 2018, p. 364).

            There are other forms of assessment that are not completed in one sitting or in the “traditional” way. The first form is portfolio assessments, which are collections of students work taken over a long period, and evaluated as a set. This is often a good item to show parents or to use to show growth over time. Another type of assessment, performance assessments, are tests of knowledge in a real life setting. This might be setting up and conducting an experiment, solving real world math problems, or completing an oral history project. These types of assessments are a way to connect to the students’ real life and build their schema. It also allows teachers to avoid teaching to specific test questions.

            The last thing Slavin (2018) discusses is grades. When giving grades, teachers must be able to explain the meaning behind the grades given. Grade may be given as letters, or performance-based grades such as emerging, proficient, and so on. Slavin’s (2018) main point is that assessments and grade should be fair and rooted in importance. Tests should not be given just because, and grades must be backed up by evidence. Assessment is not something that can be easily done. A lot of thought must go into what type, the goal, and the end grade. 

Reflection

            Schools have become very data driven in the recent years. Assessment is something I do in my classroom every single day. I have used assessment in all three of the ways Slavin (2018) mentioned in this chapter. I often give my students written and oral feedback on their assignments almost immediately. My students know how they are doing and what they need to work on. I also use assessments to drive my instruction and group my students in a way that they are working with peers who have similar misunderstandings and struggles. This way I can pinpoint exactly what they need to work on, and give my students targeted support. In terms of information, I often communicate with parents at conferences and go over assessments to give them an idea of how their child is doing. The last use, incentive, is something that I don’t always use, but it still happens naturally for some students. I try not to focus on the grade or the number, because some of my students just aren’t going to get an A. I frequently share with my students that math was really difficult for me in third grade, and that’s okay. I don’t want my students to be discouraged by a B or a C, so I use growth as an incentive. As long as students are getting better and learning, we celebrate.

            In my classroom I use several forms of assessment. The one I use most frequently is formative assessment. This might come in the form of quizzes and “at your seat” work during math workshop, but it also comes in during my small group sessions with my students where I can observe the way that they are thinking and interacting with the content. During these times, I give oral and written feedback depending on the activity. I use all of the things I see to drive my instruction and meet my students where they need support. I also use summative assessments in my classroom. We have county issues end of unit tests that we are required to give our students. There are usually seven or eight of them throughout the year. These do not make up my students’ entire grade since I do not feel that they always reflect my students’ true ability. I also use authentic assessments in my classroom when I am able. This usually comes in when I have my students complete projects that have real life context. One example is for area and perimeter, my students create a tiny house out of paper and have to put in specific pieces of furniture as well as other components. They are required to find the area and perimeter of their entire year, house, and all of the components of the house. My students use authentic assessment in math, writing, and science most frequently.

            When assigning grades I usually use a variety of summative and formative assessments to assign a final grade, along with any projects we have done. Our county uses letter grades for report cards, but I keep checklists of standards and whether or not students have mastered them to help me decide on grades if there is any uncertainty. I think it is absolutely important to keep in mind your goals when deciding on how to assess a student. You need to ask yourself: “what do I want them to know? How will I know if they have learned this?” Teachers should be using different assessments throughout the year since not all students respond to the same assessments in the same ways. I also try to make sure that grades are never a surprise. I communicate with my students frequently to let them know what they are doing well, and what they need to work on. Their parents are aware of these things, too, so that they can work on these skills at home. At the end of the day, assessment needs to be tailored to what is being taught. It depends on the teacher’s goals, and the students in their classroom. Assessments are very important not only for grades, but for teacher and students feedback, grouping and parent communication, and incentives. Teachers must be sure that assessment doesn’t come down to just shooting for an A and teaching to the test, because that is not the goal.

Reference 

Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Reflection Post: Week 7

Blog Entry Week Seven

Description

This week in EDAT 6114 the reading discussed how to create an effective learning environment through classroom management, procedures, and intentional planning. The way teachers respond to their students impacts their success and the way the classroom environment feels.

Analysis

            Slavin (2018) starts the chapter by stating that creating an effective learning environment “ includes strategies that teachers use to create a positive, productive classroom experience” (p. 272). A huge part of creating an effective learning environment is establishing classroom management strategies in order to prevent and respond to misbehavior, use class time wisely, and establish a theme of engagement and inquiry (Slavin, 2018). Slavin (2018) says that the best way to avoid misbehavior is through effective instruction. In a classroom where students are highly motivated, challenged, and activities are well structured, negative behaviors are rare.

            Time is another important concept that comes up in this chapter. Slavin (2018) refers to time as a “limited resource” which is affected by lunch, recess, specials, transitions, testing, and so on (p. 273). There are two types of time: allocated time and engaged time. Allocated time is the time in which student’s have the opportunity to learn (Slavin, 2018). Engaged time is the time students actually spend doing work or completing tasks. There are several ways to maximize learning time and cut down on wasted time. Slavin (2018) recommends starting right away when students are in the room and teaching for the entire period at a rapid pace in order to cover as much content as possible. One way to ensure that this happens is to make sure that routines and procedures are well explained and followed each day. Slavin (2018) also suggests that teachers minimize time spend on discipline and avoid interrupting instruction to redirect students.

            In the case that poor behavior arises, it is important that teachers have tools and strategies to deal with them. One step toward eliminating negative behaviors is setting strong class rules at the beginning of the year. Slavin (2018) says that rules should be “few in number”, fair, and “clearly explained and deliberately taught” (p. 279). When students do misbehave, Slavin (2018) recommends using the principle of least intervention. There are seven steps in the principle starting with prevention. Varying activities in class, and students being engaged in the material can prevent negative behaviors. The next step is nonverbal cues, which avoid interruptions and do not draw much attention to a student, while getting the point across. Step three is praising correct behaviors, which is usually done on an individual basis. Step four is praise for other students for a correct behavior. Next are verbal reminders of the expected behavior, followed by repeated reminders, and finally consequences. The key to making sure that students behave properly is explaining rules and expectations explicitly as well as frequent modeling and reminders. Slavin (2018) expresses that communication between school and home can be helpful and that the use of daily behavior reports and home-based reinforcement can be great tactics. The success of this definitely depends on the students and their home situation. Ultimately, the teacher needs to decide what is most important for the success of their classroom, and must figure out what works for their specific students.

Reflection

Classroom management is one of the most difficult things to learn as a teacher because it is ever-changing depending on the class you have. I absolutely believe that if rules and routines are in place, and the instruction is effective, there will not be very many negative behaviors to deal with. Students should know your expectations from day one. I always begin the year by asking my students what they believe are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the classroom. We use those expectations to create five rules together that are applicable all throughout the school. I found that it was really easy for my students to remember those five rules for the bathroom, cafeteria, playground, and so on rather than trying to keep individual rules in minds depending on the setting. We repeat our rules often in the first few weeks so that students know exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

            In terms of time, I really connected with Slavin (2018) saying that it is a limited resource. I feel as though teachers are always racing against the clock, especially when we get close to testing. It is necessary for students to get transitions nailed down and understand that learning time is precious so that little to no time is being wasted. I set timers each time we transition and make sure my students know that as soon as our timer goes off, learning begins. I have also noticed that when my students are busy and engaged, there are not as many negative behaviors. Of course, there is no way to eliminate all negative behaviors. When they do arise, teachers need to have a plan in place to handle them and redirect the student. I really liked the idea of the principle of least intervention. The steps give a positive spin on behavior intervention and work to streamline redirection. Interruptions would be easily avoided with this process. Slavin discussed using the family and home as a possible reinforcement technique, which I really liked. Unfortunately, I don’t think this would be as effective with my students since many of them are the caretakers of their younger siblings as their parents work. Working in a low socioeconomic area, a lot of my students do not have to opportunity to interact with their parents as much as they would like. These parents are working very hard to make sure their children have everything, and they are more than willing to help in any way they can, but our communication lines between school and home would have to improve immensely to make this work. I am looking forward to using some of these tactics and strategies next year, and look forward to a fresh start with a brand new group of students.

Reference 

Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.).     Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Reflection Post: Week 6

Blog Entry Week Six

Description

This week in EDAT 6114 the reading surrounded the ideas of intentional groupings, differentiation, and technology in the classroom. Teaching is about more than designing a great lesson plan. A teacher needs to think about the individual students in their classroom and take their strengths and struggles into account when deciding on grouping students and what activities to use. The same lesson in two classrooms should look completely different, because no two classroom makeups are the same. A great teacher will use strategies and tools to make a lesson accessible to every student in the room.

Analysis

            Slavin begins the chapter by describing the QAIT model created by John Carroll in order to ensure instruction would be have the proper quality, appropriateness, incentives, and time allowed for learning (Slavin, 2018, p. 214). Each of these four elements is said to be necessary in order to create effective instruction. When a lesson is high quality, “the information presented makes sense to students, interests them, and is easy to remember and apply” (Slavin, 2018, p. 215). There are things such as intentional grouping, technology, and activating background knowledge that can add to the quality of instruction. The content also needs to be appropriate for the students in the classroom, which is difficult considering our students enter the classroom at all different levels. Reaching appropriateness will involve differentiation and adaptation. Some ways to improve appropriateness include frequent questioning, careful ability grouping, and remediation for the students who are struggling (Slavin, 2018). The incentive portion of QAIT refers to the motivation students have and the way the teacher creates that motivation to learn. If information is not naturally interesting, which it can be, the teacher may have to find ways to make it interesting for their students. They may connect lessons to interesting topics, offering feedback and praise, or use of grades, certificates, games, or prizes in order to increase the level of motivation (Slavin, 2018). The final component is time. Time is measured in allocated time and engaged time. Allocated time is the amount of time you allow for a lesson and plan to have, while engaged time is the amount of time students are engaged in the lesson. Multiple things can affect the time used for a lesson, both negatively and positively. Ideally, well-organized and well-managed lessons will leave the teacher with plenty of time to teach what they need to and allow students to grasp the concept.

            Slavin also discusses grouping in this chapter and how teachers can use grouping to differentiate for students’ needs. The first type of grouping,, which is found to be ineffective, is between-class ability grouping. This form of grouping separates students into classes by ability where one class would have all high achievers and another class would have all the low achieving students. While this has shown benefits for high-achievers, there are huge downfalls for the students stuck in the low-achieving group. This eliminates exposure to positive role models and the thought processes of students who are higher achieving. This type of grouping also creates a stigma that surrounds the students in the low achieving class, which decreases their self-esteem and creates a negative relationship with school and learning. Regrouping is another grouping strategy where students are grouped based on their achievement in specific classes such as reading or math. This has shown positive effects because students are still exposed to a mixed ability environment. Within-class ability grouping is one of the most popular forms of grouping within elementary schools. This is where students are placed into groups within their classroom for specific times of the day and work in small groups with students at the same level as them. While this type of grouping is used often, there are a few things that need to be done in order to ensure the success of this model. The teacher needs to be sure that they do not have too many groups to avoid loss of instructional time during transitions, and maximized direct instruction time. This type of grouping also does not often have the same type of obvious stigmas as other types of grouping does.

            Grouping is a form of differentiation, just as peer tutoring, teacher tutoring, and intervention are. Another way that teachers supplement instruction is by using technology. Technology should not be used in place of lessons, but rather to add to the lessons and give students more of a takeaway. Some forms of technology used are tablets, computers, and interactive whiteboards. As long as teachers set limits and teach online safety, their students can benefit from the use of technology.

Reflection

            This chapter was one of the ones that I connected most with. The components of QAIT are all essential for creating a successful lesson. I believe that o a lot of creating an effective lesson is one that is connected to the students’ lives and is interesting for them. The teacher must be sure that they are meeting all of the students’ needs and doing what is best for every one of them, not just the high or low achievers in the room. It’s also really important to keep time in mind. I work with ELL’s, and time is a huge factor. It’s important to provide an appropriate amount of wait time, while also making sure that you leave yourself with enough time to teach the concept. Reaching all of your students is difficult when they are not all the same level. I use grouping often in my room, but usually I stick to within-class ability grouping. We use the workshop model in math, reading, and writing. As a result, I do a lot of small group work with students at the same level. I usually have three or four groups depending on the subject. I don’t always meet with the groups every day, but I feel like my students really benefitted from this form of teaching last year. My students who were less likely to volunteer in whole group really opened up in small group, and seemed to make better connections with peers at the same level. The students also still got mixed-ability exposure because they stayed in my classroom all day and we did mini-lessons as a whole group. I think that it’s really important to consider the different types of groupings and what they do for the students. We also have to consider that some students may not follow the “norm” when it comes to what is helpful or not.

            Knowing that all students are different leads us to the necessity of differentiation. I love using technology in my classroom to supplement for my students and myself. I have a class website where my students are able to access all of the links and resources we use in class. For math workshop, I have a technology rotation where students play games and use online resources to better learn the material. My students often make connection more quickly when using technology and really enjoy learning material through using it. They also are able to receive supplemental practice through videos, quizzes, and activities I can design specifically for leveled groups. Technology is one of my favorite tools to use, and one of my students’ favorites as well. The key to effective lessons is engaging your students and the ability to get them to buy in. As long as they are engaged and committed to their learning, they will grow.

           

Reference 

Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.).     Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Reflection Post: Week 5

Blog Entry Week Five

Description

This week in EDAT 6114 we discussed the constructivist approach to instruction. This theory is all about instruction being student-centered and incorporating discovery and discussion. The chapter we read summarized the idea of the constructivist approach as well as discussed how to effectively use the practices and strategies that go with student-centered instruction. 

Analysis

            Slavin (2018) begins the chapter by defining constructivist theory as “the idea that learners must individually discover and transform complex information if they are to make it their own” (p. 188). In this method of teaching, students gain a more active role and the teacher’s becomes more of a moderator or guide. Vygotsky was one of the theorists who influenced constructivist instruction through social learning, the zone of proximal development, cognitive apprenticeship, and mediated learning (Slavin, 2018). Social learning is the idea that children learn through experiences and interactions with people who are more knowledgeable. This can be done through cooperative learning and discussion. The zone of proximal development “marks the range of tasks the child might not be able to do alone but can do with the assistance of peers or adults”, and when participating in cooperative learning students are likely working within this zone (Slavin, 2018, p. 189). Vygosky’s next concept, cognitive apprenticeship, refers to the idea of a student learning through interactions with an expert, whether that is a child or an adult. This is very similar to social learning, but the focus is more on the fact that a student is learning from someone who is considered an expert and uses the expertise they gain to work through complex tasks. This is another place where cooperative learning, and particularly peer tutoring, is helpful. The final concept Slavin (2018) discussed from Vygotsky is mediated learning. This concept is synonymous to scaffolding, and requires that students receive adequate support throughout the activities they are completing. All four of these components are present in the constructivist approach.

            Slavin (2018) goes on to explain that constructivist approach is about “top-down” thinking where students begin with a difficult task and work with teacher guidance to “discover the basic skills required” (p. 190). As a result of the complexity of the tasks and activities, students will need the support of their teacher and each other in order to come to conclusions and discover the skills required. The peer interaction piece provides students with the opportunity to talk through their ideas and clear up misconceptions.

            Another part of student centered learning that is so important is questioning. The focus on discovery requires students to come up with questions and push to answer the questions that they have. The idea of reciprocal teaching involves a teacher working with a small group of students in order to model questioning and encourage students to practice questioning each other in the same manner. The teacher moves from a leader to facilitator as the students begin to do the questioning (Slavin, 2018).

            There are several ways for teachers to integrate student centered learning in their classrooms. Some of these include jigsaws, project-based learning, and think pair shares. Each of these activities presents opportunities for critical thinking and discovery.

Reflection

            This week’s topic was particularly interesting to me because I do a lot of student centered learning in my room and really value what it does for my students. I attended a conference on Instructional Conversations last year and the whole idea is that students become the leaders while the teacher takes a back seat as on observer. At first, I was very hesitant to hand the reins to my students, so to speak. I worried that they wouldn’t stay on task or get much from the experience. However, after discussing our class norms, choosing conversation goals, and splitting my students into groups for the first time, they proved me wrong. I heard my students having deep conversations and making connections I hadn’t expected.  They were actually listening to each other and using each other’s ideas as a springboard.  My students made connections across content areas, and remembered the things they discussed together a lot longer than when I had just presented the content in a whole group setting.

            Students make better connections and gain more knowledge when they are invested and engaged. Student-centered learning focuses on providing those opportunities through things like project based learning and frequent chances for discussion. Using this form of instruction allows students to take charge and learn new things through questioning and discovery, rather than just by being told what is true or not. I believe that student centered learning should absolutely be a part of every classroom. This will create independent students who have a desire to learn and discover more. Student centered learning also creates opportunities for students to learn from each other, forming relationships and social skills at the same time. While teacher led instruction has its place in the classroom, constructivist theory is essential to encouraging our students to being active learners and take control of their learning.

Reference 

Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.).     Boston, MA: Pearson Education.