I am becoming familiar with so many of the new terms from Chapter 14.  The case study opens many topics with Ms. Ford the teacher in the situation making the students take their exams home and get them signed by their parents. The chapter says that assessments can motivate students to learn.  I think this is a true statement for a normal high achieving student, but it would seem to me that a student with something like test anxiety would not gain help from it. In my eyes it links straight over to the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.  Intrinsic coming from within the child's own desire for success through better grades and extrinsic coming from outside stimulus, maybe from the child's desire to avoid punishment from the parents. The chapter labels her statements as threatening because she says she will call the student's parents but we really are not given enough of the back story to label this as threatening.  If she has had these students for a long while and knows that they are capable of doing better then she may be trying to use the performance goal as a motivator towards a mastery goal.  Further more the exams are formal assessments and in this case she is showing that the test is important and important for the parents to know their child's progress. That being said I also believe that math can be a special case because performance goals can lead to repetition and in the case of math repetition can help grasp of the material or even eventual mastery of the subject. Without a doubt though there would be more circumstances that apply though.

Lydia Zeller – QTC  - Post 2

Student Achievement

February 3, 2014

Ingrid’s test results reveal several things but first one needs to understand how percentiles work and what they mean. Percentiles compare how a student does compared to other students. Above average means the student is doing better on average than other students while below average means the student is not doing as well as other students. This may or may not mean the student is not on grade level. If one cohort is above average than say another cohort, a below average score would not have the same negative connotation as it would if they were in a different cohort. The same is true of a student testing above average in a cohort if they are compared to another cohort. (For example, how a student fits in a Tennessee state cohort versus a Georgia cohort may vary.)

Ingrid is doing below average in spelling and math computation. This means that typically, students her age are doing better in those areas. In contrast, she is doing well above average than other students in reading, science, and social studies.

The areas she needs to most help in are spelling, math computation, and math concepts. If you are wanting to improve her scores these would be the areas to focus. However, just because these are the areas she is doing average or below average than her peers, it does not mean she is doing poorly. It may mean she is struggling in these areas or it may mean she could use tutoring in these areas. To help her, I suggest extra practice with spelling and all areas of math. If she works in these areas more and does not let go of her work in other areas, she should do better next time.

Wolford & Harryman Using Portfolios Handout

Wolford & Harryman Portfolio Presentation Information

Here is the link to our outside source for our Portfolio Presentation.

http://ncme.org/linkservid/6629B1E9-1320-5CAE-6E63F591DCFC6822/showMeta/0/

Our handout will be posted shortly.

Sarah Bourque - Chapter 14 Questions to Consider

I am going to approach each assessment based on the idea that I am in an elementary, self-contained, deaf education class since being at Tennessee School for the Deaf is my goal.  Keep in mind, most deaf students at residential schools, like TSD, have multiple disabilities.

Informal – I believe most of my assessment will be informal in nature.  I can see myself “testing” students almost every moment for understanding of the concepts I am trying to teach.  One example might be observing whether or not the students use the appropriate sign for a particular feeling and noting that I need to incorporate that sign into my lesson and teach the extremes to which that feeling could go to (i.e. upset-sad-depressed-devastated). 

Formal – Formal assessment will be very important to ensure proper documentation of student progress.  Unlike their hearing peers, deaf students have difficulty with summative, paper-pencil, standardized assessment because their first language is not English.  I could see a formal assessment including me showing the student a picture on a card and documenting whether or not they can show me the sign for that picture and match the picture with the appropriate word printed on a card.

Traditional – A traditional test to assess their number recognition and counting ability could be having different stacks of blocks and the students must label each stack with how many blocks are in the stack and then the student must put the stacks in order from least to greatest.  This gives them a visual and a manipulative but would test the same thing as having them fill in a number line.

Authentic – I don’t think authentic assessment is used enough in deaf education.  There is such a focus on passing tests and making sure they are at grade level that opportunities for incidental learning are missed.  An authentic assessment could be making sure the students can wash their hands appropriately after using the restroom.

Paper-pencil – These tests are particularly difficult for deaf students.  Many do not acquire language until they begin school so reading and writing fall way behind.  At this level, I imagine a paper-pencil assessment to be a matching activity, matching the picture to the word.

Performance – Reading is a big focus in deaf education since most deaf adults only read at about a 4^th grade level.  And many deaf students will tell you they can read something because they can sign each individual word.  I think a lot of my reading assessment will include retelling.  I will have students read the words of a story but then retell it in their own word (using sign language) to ensure they comprehended what they read.

Standardized – Ahhhh…standardized testing.  As I stated before, this is a very difficult task for deaf students because most standardized tests are not developed with any sort of disability in mind.  While accommodations can be provided, many times they are just a band aid.  Interpreters may be allowed but they are usually instructed to interpret word for word which does nothing for a student whose language is not English.  Unfortunately, I think I will be forced to practice those tests and teach the students how to take the test.

Teacher-developed – One of the ideas I can’t wait to use is walking around the TSD campus and having the students do a scavenger hunt for items of different colors.  I saw a wonderful idea to use egg crates and paint each cup a different color and the students have to find objects that match that color.  It would even be a good opportunity to teach that there are color variations and the colors don’t have to match exactly (deaf students tend to be very literal).

Criterion-referenced – After a unit on colors, each student would be shown an object and have to identify the color.  The assessment could progress first with signing the color, then with labeling the color with word cards, and finally writing the color.  Having the student sign the color would tell you that they can identify the color even though they may not be able to read or write the word yet.   

Norm-referenced – Much like the standardized tests, norm-referenced assessment does not take into account disability.  You CANNOT compare a deaf student to a hearing student without taking into consideration their disability and accommodating for it.  This is especially important considering most deaf children are starting school without language and therefore already 3-5 years behind their hearing peers.   

TIme saving assessment tips...

These are fairly basic, but they are a good start. Your best bet is to learn from your mentor teacher and colleagues. Also, "Time Management for Teachers" and "Tomorrow Begins at Three" by Scott Purdy are useful books in framing out your classroom so that the details don't overwhelm you and you have a procedure for everything. If you teach writing then Purdy's "Teaching Students to Write" also has some great tips for assessments and grading. 

http://www.teachhub.com/grading-overload-12-time-saving-assessment-strategies

Chapter 14 Assessment

Last semester I worked a lot on developing appropriate forms assessment and different strategies that can be implemented in the classroom in order to acquire the information needed to evaluate, which developmental milestones children are at and have achieved. After reading the chapter and the other discussion posts I have come up with a few different approaches to assessing in the classroom. Informal vs. Formal Assessment: I focused on informal assessment. I believe that this type of assessment allows children to have flexibility and less pressure. A prime example was today in class after our “pop quiz”. The way it was introduced and carried out brought a lot of pressure for all of the students. This is why I feel that sometimes, informal assessment might be a better approach for teachers to gather the information they need in order to evaluate if the children are learning. One example would be to ask the children to write down one concept they have mastered throughout the lesson, and then one idea that they are still struggling in understanding. The information wouldn’t be graded but would be useful for the teacher as a supplement to guide her in planning her future lessons. Traditional vs. Authentic Assessment Because I am an early childhood major I lean more towards authentic assessment. Authentic assessment can be helpful to many students that struggle with standardized tests. It also gives teacher the opportunity to be creative on how they want the information they presented to be taught and evaluated. One example would group projects. This could lend itself for many different subject areas like Social Studies, English, etc. Two things can be evaluated with this type of learning; social skills and applied learning. This encompasses two important standards that are targeted in learning. Teacher Developed vs. Standardized Tests Personally I am not a fan of standardized tests. I was one of those students throughout my whole life that got test anxiety or would blank out. Teacher developed tests can help students like me. Even though multiple choice is not my forte, teachers are able to add on different forms of assessment. Tests that include multiple choice as well as fill in the blank, short answers, essays. There are a variety of different methods that are used by educators that can allow children to express their ideas in a way that they feel more comfortable. Paper-pencil vs. Performance Last semester when I completed my teacher-student practicum I learned that checklists are a great way to collect data and formulate assessment on particular tasks or skills that your student can or cannot do. Checklists helped me target a certain area and then I was able to adequately gather information on my students. The way I used checklists I would ask the children to do certain tasks, which I would then note if they could or couldn’t do it and then add comments about behaviors that I observed. Norm Referenced vs. Criterion Referenced I think both of these have their advantages and disadvantages. Although I do think that criterion referenced is better suited in an early childhood setting. One of the advantages of criterion referenced is that teachers are able to isolate the standards they are targeting and then are able to aim towards achieving them. During assessment part there will already basically be a guideline, which was laid out when you chose the standards focused on your lessons. However one disadvantage is that teachers are focused on achieving those targets only. It doesn’t give room for flexibility to take lessons in a different direction like with informal assessment. Norm referenced can be useful when creating a graph of your classroom’s developmental levels. This is specifically useful in early childhood because it helps teachers identify which students could be recommended for evaluation or in providing future special needs. One of the disadvantages though is that children are compared within a group rather than the national standards, which were developed according to the appropriate development that children should be at in their particular age group.

Hack Schooling....thoughts??

This is an interesting video....What are your thoughts on hack-schooling?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY

Stephanie Harryman Free Response

There are so many types of assessing a students abilities! I just never realized it until you see them all on paper. At the beginning of Chapter 14, the example with Ms. Ford gives many examples from today's class. Ms. Ford was obviously shocked and upset over the scores her students received on their math test. She responds by having them re-examine the same questions and correct them, hoping they will grasp the concepts she intends for them to learn. The students are very shocked and upset, as well, over their scores. Their scores and the possibility of raising them are extrinsic motivators that will hopefully increase the students' desire to learn. Another extrinsic motivator is the possibility of their parents being called. 
Ms. Ford is described as being threatening and harsh, however, we do not know any other information about the history of the school year so far. Has she tried other motivators? Has she tried other assessment types? Has she tried just about everything, and her students just aren't trying? Maybe a little tough love will be the motivator this bunch needs? Maybe her students will finally understand the importance of the material. Having the students test and retest will help Ms. Ford learn what her students learn by redoing the assignment. This assessment is reliable in this sense. The assessment is also valid, in that she will get an accurate measure of what the students' math skills are. 

Chapter 14: Assessments Blog

Being a student myself I have found that assessing a student’s knowledge based on a written test is not always the most accurate way to see what a student knows.  This exercise was very helpful for allowing me to think of other ways that I could assess a student’s ability to learn and understand information for a class.

Informal assessment vs. formal assessment

For an informal assessment I could use the method of observations.  While students are working on an assignment in the group I could walk around the classroom and ask questions to the group to see what the students know.  I could also have students write down questions that they need help with or topics they would want to know more about.  This would be a good way to assess what they know and if they can apply it to further learning.  In contrast, a formal assessment requires students to be aware of it before hand.  If I were to conduct a formal assessment I could tell the students in the morning that they would be assessed in the afternoon over the information we were learning that day.  If we were to work on multiplication that day I could have each student come to my desk one at a time and go through a stack of multiplication cards.  I would do this while the other students were working on group work.  I would start with allowing the student three strikes for incorrect answers, but as we spent more time on multiplication facts I would only allow the student to miss one question before going back to their seat.  I would have a source of positive reinforcement for students when they made it through the entire stack of cards without missing a question.

Paper-pencil assessment vs. performance assessment

For a paper-pencil assessment I would provide each student with a dry erase board and give them a math question to solve.  When the student finishes the problem they will raise the board in the air.  Having the student’s complete a reading and explain to the class what occurred in the reading would be a way to carry out a performance assessment.

Standardized test vs. teacher-developed test

A standardized assessment would be the different exams that the state requires our students to take.  If I were to give a teacher-developed test I could make it apply to exactly what we discussed in class that day.  I could give a pre-assessment for a subject using the teacher-developed test and use the results to plan what I need to teach the students.

Criterion-referenced assessment vs. norm-referenced assessment

An example of a criterion-referenced assessment would be to provide a list of 50 math problems covering the different types of math that we cover: long division, subtraction, multiplication, and fractions.  If a student were to get all of the long division questions wrong, I would know that he or she had not mastered that topic.   An advantage to this assessment is that a teacher could easily see where a student makes the mistakes and what student’s need more help with.  A disadvantage would be that all examinations don’t always show exactly how well a student understands a topic.  A norm-referenced assessment would be giving the students the Tennessee math assessment that all students in Tennessee had to take.  An advantage to this assessment would be that you could see if your students were caught up with other students in Tennessee.  A disadvantage would be that all schools and students are different.  If a student were to score low on this test it does not mean that they do not understand the concept. 

Traditional assessment vs. authentic assessment

An example of traditional assessment would be to give the students a spelling test or a math test, similar to above assessments.  An authentic assessment is one that measures student’s knowledge and skills in the real-life.  An example of an authentic assessment would be to give students a set amount of money and place prices on objects in the classroom.  Students would practice their math skills by purchasing as many items as they could for the set amount of money that they have.  

Assessment and big data

As we continue our discussions about assessment...here are some ideas about what data can't do...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/opinion/brooks-what-data-cant-do.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1&

APRIL DRAKE- QTC 1

An informal assessment can be helpful, especially when it comes to subconscious cues.  During a lecture or activity, a teacher can walk around the room and observe body language, as well as facial cues.  A teacher can also listen for verbal cues of confusion, and look for an opportunity to extend another explanation to students that may be stuck on an activity or question. However, I think a formal assessment gives a better overall picture of a student’s progress. For this, a teacher can check an assignment or a quiz at the end of class, to check for understanding and attentiveness during class.  Giving a straightforward answer could show that they know the correct answer, but a teacher can also give an essay response question. This would better show a student’s mastery level and full understanding through explanation and application.  Either of these could be in the form of a quiz to review the main concepts for the day.

 

Traditional assessment has its positive attributes.  It is always a good sign when a teacher asks a direct question, and students can return to him, or her, a direct response.  This ensures that a student is paying attention and knows the “textbook answers”.  The true test lies in an Authentic assessment.  Teachers can assign students to bring in an article about an issue occurring in the country, or have them write a paragraph on how they could use a concept that has been taught that week to apply to their life or future.  These assignments show application. If a student can take a concept that they have learned and apply it to a real-life situation, and on that scale relate to it, then it may show the teacher that the student knows more than just “textbook answers”. He or she actually understands the material on a level where it can be put to use.

 

Standardized tests can be used throughout the semester, in terms of Common Assessments, or at the end of the semester as a final.  This can help assess not only the subject material that was learned and retained by the student, but can also compare teachers and/or teaching styles.  This can help show what topics need more time dedicated to them, which teaching styles seem to work best, and what can be improved on. This helpful to teachers because they can see where their students are in comparison to other classes, and can see what areas they need to improve on compared to other teachers.  Teacher developed assessments are very important in terms of assessing individuals in a particular class.  The teacher can then figure out what material is being absorbed by a particular student, and what material is not. If all, or most, or the students are having issues in one area, the teacher can realize that another route may need to be taken to make those concepts clear to all.

 

Paper-pencil assessments are good when explaining a concept and putting ideas about a topic down on paper. This allows students to gather ALL of their thoughts about what has been learned, and describe the ideas in their own words and explanations. This shows the teacher that the student does not only know the basic definition or concept, but can also go into a deeper explanation and description about the concept and its applications. On the other hand, a Performance assessment helps teachers assess the application perspective of a concept. If a student can put a concept into physical practice or demonstrate it smoothly, then a teacher can suspect that the topic is not just fully learned, but understood enough for application when there may not necessarily be time to get thoughts together. If a student stumbles through a performance or simply cannot perform the task, then he or she may need further explanation.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both Criterion-referenced and Norm-referenced assessments.  Criterion-referenced allows teachers to assess their students alongside of other students in the school, county, or state, to see how their students’ scores compare. This lets teachers see what areas they need to improve on, and in what areas they are doing better.  The disadvantage to this assessment is that it usually comes at the end of a course, so teachers cannot make improvements necessarily on that class in particular. A teacher can only improve on the next class.  The advantage of a norm-referenced assessment is that students can be assessed against their peers in that class. This can help a teacher during the semester to see what material is being absorbed well and what material is not. A teacher can also see if there are any students falling behind or needing help in a particular area.  This allows for improvements throughout the semester.  The disadvantage to this assessment, however, is that it does not allow teachers to compare to other teachers’ styles.  He or she may be doing a poor job, but their kids still be making good grades, and simply not know it because they cannot compare outside of their own teaching style.

Lauren Lynch - Free Response - Chapter 14

In reading this chapter, I think the first thing that really piqued my interest was talking about promoting learning. It said assessments can motivate students to study and learn, and it can influence how they study. It got me thinking about how we're taught to basically regurgitate information. It stated how different kinds of assessments can affect how students study and that's really true. We make flashcards for vocabulary, or make an outline for an essay question. But on the other hand, we're often not motivated to study or learn things that we think or know won't be on the test or quiz or whatever form of assessment. I feel like there are disadvantages of assessments that people forget to discuss. When they say that it helps them develop different ways of studying, that's true. However, the opposite side of that is that we're inclined to only learn what we think we need to know to earn an A. Whatever else isn't relevant or tested over is just cast aside and forgotten. So I think it is important to recognize how assessments can be helpful, but also damaging. 

Another thing that grabbed my attention was informal assessments. I never really thought about assessments as being “informal.” And if I did, I wasn’t sure what was considered an informal assessment. It was interesting to me to read about that type. It makes so much sense, though. When you ask a student a question, his/her response is going to say a lot about what they know or feel about a topic. If they make a confident statement, but it’s wrong, you know that they feel like they have a solid foundation in what is actually a misconception. But, if they answer your question with a question, they’re not sure or don’t grasp the subject. It’s a good way to get a feel for whether the student understands, is confused and needs further instruction, or doesn’t understand at all.

A third thing that was interesting to me, partially because it was in the QTC, so I was looking for it, was the difference between norm and criterion reference assessments. I think the criterion assessments are important for judging an individual student’s ability and knowledge. They’re good at evaluating whether a student grasps a subject or concept. Norm assessments, on the other hand, compare students to each other. These tests are good at evaluating whether a student is performing at grade level, has acquired the knowledge they should by a certain point. They are both very useful. However, I think norm assessments are only appropriate in certain situations. I think they’re useful at the end of the year, for example, to make sure a student is learning at the level appropriate for their age, grade, or even disability.

            Lastly, I liked the teaching testwise-ness section. It made me think about standardized testing, like SAT and ACT. I was always that kid who rushed through a test and made careless errors and didn’t go back to check my work. I had to learn how to slow down and then once I finished, go back and check through it. Also, using deductive reasoning and guessing made me think of multiple-choice tests. I use those two strategies together if I’m not sure of an answer. I use reasoning to narrow my choices down, and then guess between the two. I think teaching testwise-ness is important for children to succeed in test taking. I think its especially helpful is students who struggle, because it helps them figure out ways to do the best they can.

Free Response Chapter 14

Christina Daugherty

While chapter fourteen was quite helpful and interesting in applying certain assessment strategies to everyday "classroom-life," the opening case study caught my attention in how Ms. Ford is viewed through the chapter's eyes (i.e. editors, etc.).  This captured my attention because I believe readers do not have enough information to assume Ms. Ford is being cruel and angry towards her students based on their test scores, rather than sympathetic.  Readers are unaware of the classroom environment, how Ms. Ford conducts lessons in her classroom, how the students react, how many students there are present in her classroom, how many students there are with learning disabilities present, what the students' backgrounds are like, and etc; the list goes on and on.  When reading this chapter, and returning so often to the opening case study for evaluation, my thoughts immediately turn to what I do not know about her classroom background.  On page seven of chapter fourteen, the text goes as far to say that Ms. Ford is "threatening" by her statements: "It is your responsibility to correct these problems and turn them in."  While the text indicates that students are not intrinsically motivated, I disagree.  By having parents sign students' test papers, parents are aware of where their students stand within their mathematics class.  The intrinsic motivation then derives from pleasing one's parents, that is, gaining approval by raising their test scores (one would do this per se by studying, taking extra time out of their day to receive tutoring which could be early morning or in the afternoon).  Rather than "undermin[ing] students' sense of self­ determination," I believe it would enhance self-determination; this notion of enhancing self-determination comes from the idea that students would want to prove their instructor wrong (which in and of itself may be seen as a form of intrinsic motivation--to prove something to themselves as well as their instructor).  Also, reliability and validity become issues at this point; having no example of the exam or how it was administered makes judging Ms. Ford difficult.  Although, what could have possibly made the situation lighter, is offering extra credit for parents' signatures as well as correction of incorrect math problems completed on the exam.    

Chapter 14/Free Response- Brittany Edmonds

In chapter 14, the first idea that caught my attention was the introduction into assessment. Of course, it explained what assessments were, but it also presented valuable information about the subject of who is to blame when assessments do have the results expected. I thought that was a very good point to put into the chapter that I haven’t seen in other books. It says, “…educational assessments are merely tools that can help…When people use these tools for the wrong purpose or when they interpret assessment results in ways the results were never meant to be interpreted, it is the people—not the assessment instruments—that are to blame” (Ormrod 504). This proves an excellent point, and provides future educators to see exactly how these assessments are suppose to be used and not manipulated. Ormrod explains that you can’t do it all as a teacher, but what you can do is make sure you are seeing all aspects of the assessment and how it was used.  One issue that I struggled with is the norm-referenced assessments. I know that this type of assessment can become helpful in particular ways, but it can also be detrimental in other ways. Sometimes educators place too much attention on how well their students are doing compared to those in a higher academic area. This begins to place too much pressure on students and educators to compete with those that may have a completely different classroom environment. This is one of the ways that the assessments can become manipulated. Another interesting and helpful point that Ormrod made was about evaluating the quality of instruction. She states, “When most students perform poorly after an instructional unit…we must consider not only what our students might have done differently but also what we, as teachers, might have done differently…In any event, consistently low assessment results should tell us that some modification of instruction is in order” (508). I completely agree with his statement because so many teachers assume that it is the student’s lack of attention or faults that have kept him/her from learning from your instruction, which is not always the case. I think that every educator should look back after EVERY assessment to see the quality and revision that can take place in that specific module, unit, or lesson plan. Looking as these briefly mention topics, as a teacher, I see that I have the professional responsibility to not only look at my students’ performance, but I need to evaluate my own. So many instances have gone on throughout my own academic career where I was blamed for a teacher’s manipulation of an assessment or dense, unreliable instruction. Reading this chapter has not only opened my eyes to all ways examine that I am serving the appropriate needs for students to improve more, but also, I never realized how many different assessment there were. I always thought that when you speak of assessments, you are referring to a hand-written or computerized test. After reading, I can see that teachers are assessing students daily and in informal ways that are beneficial to the student. 

Bekah Wolford - QTC 1

Before reading Chapter 14 I have to say that I had never thought about all the possibilities there were as far as assessment. I was amazed to read about so many different types, the ways they work, the ways they are given, and so much more. There were so many things I had never really thought of when it came to giving an assessment, but I definitely feel that this chapter and book as a whole will be very helpful in my future teaching career.                                                                 

When Ormrod brakes down each assessment, it makes it harder to create a different type of assessment for each one, however the following are the types of ideas that I have came up with:

Informal & Formal Assessment:

In the case of formal assessment in my 2^nd grade classroom I would provide a fill in the blank worksheet for studying the states. In this assessment I would have the students write in the name for the 20 states I have pictured on the worksheet. Then as I review the children’s work I can see which children picked up on the states, and which students did not.

Traditional vs. Authentic Assessment:

In the case of Authentic Assessment, I would provide a hands-on activity for my students like making cookies by using a recipe I provided. This would allow me to measure their knowledge of being able to read instructions and follow steps, while also teaching them a concept that they can use in real-life. In my opinion, I feel that a lot of people learn better from hands on activities and from making and fixing their mistakes. However, some teachers would prefer to constantly use traditional assessment by giving math quizzes, or spelling tests all the time.

Standardized Tests & Teacher-developed Assessment:

Standardized tests in my opinion are a terrible way to assess what people know. There could be a variety of reasons that a child does not perform well on a standardized test, even if they are a straight a student. The child might not have understood the questions, the subjects on the test may have not been covered yet, or there could be so many other things that could affect their performance. Unfortunately as a teacher I am sure that I will have to give a standardized test at some point in time, but I will not personally use this as a determination as what my students know.  Instead I will construct my own teacher-developed assessment in order to focus in specifically on what we have covered in my classroom.

Paper-pencil & Performance Assessment:

For paper-pencil assessment I would have my students write a short story, which would allow me to see their performance and knowledge on knowing how to write, what words to use and not to use, their understanding of a story making sense, and whether or not they know how to write a flowing story. As for performance assessment, I would have a student read me a short story out loud from a book so that I could see how well of a vocabulary they have developed so far, where they are at in terms of understanding a story, and to help me determine their current reading level.

Criterion-referenced & Norm-referenced Assessment:

As for criterion-referenced assessment I would math test that consisted of 20 simple math problems that we had reviewed all week, and then depending on how many each child gets right would determine their score. For example if they got all 20 right then they would receive a 20 out of 20, or if they missed three they would get a 17 out of 20. If the child has not stops, or mess ups then they get a perfect 100 but if they pause for an extended period of time, or mess up a word or two they might get docked a point or two. Then for norm-referenced assessment I would have my students all take a math test that is given across the states and compare their results to the results of other state results.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Criterion-referenced assessment:

*Advantage: It allows me as a teacher to see what problems the child does and does not know.

*Disadvantage: Does not give me a reason as to why the student may not know the problem, or they possibly could have known it earlier in the week and just made a simple counting mistake.

Norm-referenced Assessment:

*Advantage: It allows me as a teacher to see where my students perform in comparison to those in other states.

*Disadvantage: How do I know that other teachers did not just provide answers, or under what conditions they gave their math tests. Therefore the study is not 100% accurate unless everyone is tested under the same testing environment.

*Disadvantage: The layout of other tests may have been different than the layout I used.

           This was a very interesting chapter and as I mentioned previously I was very amazed by the variety of assessments that really exist. As a future teacher I hope to use a mixture of authentic assessment, along with paper-pencil assessment, and teacher-developed assessment. I most definitely hope to stay as far away from standardized testing as possible, as much as possible, because I do not feel that it is really a good way to understand and assess what children do and do not know at the current time of assessment.

Chapter 14 Response David Sands

Although only a minor detail, one thing that stands out from the chapter is the example of that ludicrous fill-in-the blank question: "Every rock contains a _______." I can't believe that anyone who knows anything about science or has any common sense about science education could compose such a question. It's as if the test creators expected the students to memorize the textbook word-for-word. There could be numerous correct answers for the question, almost all of which would be better than the expected answer of "story." If a professional geologist was given this test, he or she would not get the expected answer. I would be skeptical that this example is even real, except for the fact that I remember getting worksheets in middle and elementary school with similarly dumb questions.


I was also struck by the author's seeming leniency on cheating. The author's usual response to cheating is to make the student retake the test, sometimes for less credit. What is the disincentive to the student to cheat? If a dishonest student doesn't know the material and believes she is about to fail, why not gamble on lifting answers from a neighbor? The worst that will happen is she has to retake the test and might not get full credit. She wasn't expecting anywhere near full credit anyway.


As a math teacher, I have nearly always given tests where the student works out the problem. I can remember giving only one matching question, only because I felt that was the only practical way to ask the question. I have designed only one multiple choice test, and that was because of the practical necessity of covering a large amount of material and needing to be able to quickly score the exam. The students were initially excited by the prospect of a multiple choice test, thinking it would be easier. But, if I ever give another multiple choice, I have a dilemma. Such a test can be made extremely challenging by putting as possible choices answers students would arrive at by making common mistakes. Students expected they could solve the problem, and if they got it wrong, the solution they got would not be there, allowing them to go back and try to fix it. However, I have a good understanding of what mistakes they are likely to make and can put those choices. Therein lies the dilemma. Is that the right thing to do for a summative assessment? (I surely believe it is right for a formative multiple choice assessment, as it clearly points out to the teacher and students where the misunderstandings lie.)

Michelle Swaney, Chapter 14 Free Response

As part of my duties with pepnet 2 (national grant funded through the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs), I work with evaluation and assessment through the development and analysis of our database. While I work with evaluation and assessment in this realm, it is not something I have an in-depth understanding of in the area of teaching. Chapter 14 has helped me to think about assessment in a different arena and expand upon the understanding I have of validity and reliability and the types of assessment.

The case study of "The Math Test" with Ms. Ford was frustrating to read. The approach and tone used seemed to me to have the potential to be counterproductive to what she wanted to accomplish with instruction. When my oldest son was in 1st grade (almost 15 years ago), his teacher explained to me that when she gives a test and a large percentage of the students do poorly, she automatically looks at herself and her approach to see what she needs to do differently. That explanation has always stuck with me since and came to mind reading the case study. I couldn't help but wonder why Ms. Ford wasn't stepping back and reviewing her approach.

With the increase of mainstreaming over the last 10 to 15 years, it is interesting that the book minimally addresses the issue of accommodations for students with special needs. In addition, the difficulties and struggles that standardized testing for students with disabilities is not addressed. For me it raises the question of how mainstream classroom teachers are prepared to deal with standardized testing for this population. While accommodations are a critical component for testing, they are not the only issue at hand for students with disabilities.

For example, when considering students who are deaf or hard of hearing, the complexity of the english language can create difficulties for some students. The National Task Force on Equity in Testing Deaf Persons at Gallaudet University provides information regarding test construction, test accommdations and technology: http://research.gallaudet.edu/NTFETDHHI/stantest.html.

Do teachers deal with these issues on an as needed basis? If so, where do they go for reliable information so that they can not only accommodate the student but also provide instruction to help the student be successful not only in testing but in the course as well?

This chapter is also helping me to think about how as an interpreter I would need to prepare for instruction and testing preparation to provide the student with an equivalent message via American Sign Langauge. For both the teacher and the interpreter, it is important to keep the needs of the student first and foremost in our minds.

Lauren Owsley - Free Response Ch.14

Free Response - Ch.14 Assessment 

Through reading the chapter on assessment, I in general, struggled with the concept of assessment as a whole. As a future teacher I know the importance of knowing your students ability level and making sure they are meeting certain standards, especially now with the new push on common core. However, I remember as a student, how unfair and detrimental assessments can be.

In terms of detriment, I attended a middle school that used T-CAP scores to place children in ability level classrooms. I was new to this school and the state of Tennessee so I had not taken the T-CAP yet. I was placed in the lowest ability level classroom and moved up as the year progressed. I got a great opportunity to see the differences in each of these classrooms. The lowest ability was treated very differently and the teachers assumed many negative things about this set of children, thus it was very hard to ever improve or get quality learning opportunities. The supplies and resources were non-existent as well. In the highest classroom, teachers were readily available to help and supplies were plenty. It was a different and positive mentality altogether when it came to high achieving students.

Because I experienced this, I often question what I will do in terms of assessment in my own classroom one day. I know that in order to instruct my students I have to know what they already understand and if they gain knowledge after I teach them. That is part of the learning process. However, I can't help but turn away from summative assessment. There are so many other ways to assess - yes, it will take more work on my part - but I believe it will create a better environment and more engaged students. Informal assessment is something that can be done in many ways, assesses more students fairly, and is a good way to gauge knowledge gains. The biggest problem I struggle with in summative assessment is that learning never stops so to have an end-all-be-all exam to see what your students learned then never come back to what they still struggle with does not make sense to me.

Lydia Zeller Post 1

Lydia Zeller – QTC – Blog #1 – Chapter 14

Assessment

Informal Assessment vs. Formal Assessment

                I can use informal and formal assessment within one class period. For example, I use informal assessment as I walk around the room helping individuals who ask for help with an assignment. The questions they ask, and the responses they give to my questions back, often give me a good idea of what they are struggling with. This also gives me a chance to explain a concept another way that will hopefully make more sense to that student. I like to use this assessment because it lets me work with each student individually. At the end of a class I sometimes give an “exit ticket” as a formal assessment. I will have each student answer a question on a piece of paper and turn it in on their way out of the door. The question will be aligned with the objective and essential question for the day. For example, “What are the steps in mitosis?” This formal assessment gives me an idea of where they currently stand with knowing the steps of mitosis. This assessment is good because I have a concrete piece of evidence of their learning.

Traditional Assessment vs. Authentic Assessment

                To have a traditional assessment and authentic assessment at the same time, I can ask different kinds of questions on a quiz. For example, one question may ask what osmosis (the diffusion of water across a cell membrane) is showing traditional assessment where another question may ask why fingers are wrinkly after being in water for an extended period of time. Students should be able to apply what they understand about osmosis by explaining that the concentration of water is higher on the inside of the finger than the outside and so the water moves out of the finger by osmosis. Being able to apply this knowledge to something that happens every day shows authentic assessment. I like to use both forms of assessment on a quiz because it shows how deeply the students understand the concepts.

Paper-pencil Assessment vs. Performance Assessment

                I have used both of these types of assessments in my class room. For example, while learning about machines, specifically levers, I asked students to draw and label the three types of levers. Before asking them to write them on paper at the end of the unit, I had them practice the order in a performance assessment. I put the students in groups of three with cards that contained the name of each part of a lever. I would ask them to get in order of a specific type of lever. The students worked together to arrange themselves correctly. I like to use performance based assessments like this to help prepare and practice for the paper-pencil assessment.

Standardized Test vs. Teacher-developed Assessment

                 During the course of the school year there are several standardized tests developed by the state that we administer. One is the DEA (Discovery Ed Assessment). This test is taken at three different points in the year, measuring how much knowledge of the curriculum each student is gaining. In theory, students score better each time because we have covered more of the test material in class. Another example is the TCAPS (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program) taken by students every year through the eighth grade. One last example is that my honors students take a midterm in December created by the state. However, I use teacher-developed assessment for each unit we cover. I work with my teaching partner to develop each test. These tests ask questions that may be of a more familiar format for students as they may use examples we specifically discussed in class. In theory, using teacher-developed assessments help prepare students for standardized testing.

Criterion-referenced Assessment vs. Norm-referenced assessment

                In my classroom, the regular unit tests are examples of criterion-referenced assessments. These tests are written to test each objective and standard. Right and wrong answers show where mastery of content as occurred or not occurred. An example of norm-referenced assessment occurs with the annual TCAPS. When students receive their results they are shown a percentile. This percentile shows them how well they did compared to all others in the state taking the assessment.

                There are advantages and disadvantages to both criterion-referenced assessment and norm-referenced assessment.

Criterion-Referenced Advantage: This can show where students are showing mastery with concepts versus non-mastery of content.

Criterion-Referenced Disadvantage: This may not show how deeply a student understands a concept. Is the question just scratching the surface?

Norm-Referenced Advantage: This can show the highest achievers in a cohort.

Norm-Referenced Disadvantage: A student may appear to be in the middle fifty percent of a cohort but that does not mean they do not know the material.

Good read for social/emotional strategies

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/01/low-income-schools-see-big-benefits-in-teaching-mindfulness/?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

Neuroscience and Education

Some of you had expressed interest in learning about the brain and it's connections to teaching/learning strategies. This summer symposium is for your consideration:

http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_email/neuroconf/index.html

How to post on blogger

Your posts should reflect careful consideration of the topics we have read and discussed in class, and may contain links to scholarly articles, videos, news articles, and other credible sources.  Please read your colleagues’ posts and consider thoughtfully responding.  Please write your response by Tuesday night at midnight; but feel free to respond to posts or post links that might be of interest at anytime.

Below is a tutorial created by a student in my last Spring 401 class. You will likely notice that the title of the blog is different, but all other instructions/visuals apply.
______________________

This post serves as a tutorial for properly creating and labeling a post so it may be easily viewed by your colleagues.

To begin, locate the EP 401 blog from your Blogger dashboard.  This will require you to log in with your Google account.

Once you have located the EP 401 blog on your Blogger dashboard, click the "Create a new post" button. [my apologies if the screenshot doesn't come through for you. If you need further help, see me before/after class]

This will take you to the "new post" page.

Before you begin typing your post, go ahead and label your post with your first and last name.  To add a label to your post, locate the "Labels" option in the right-sidebar.  You will need to label your post so others may find your posts to read and comment more easily.

Once you have located the "Labels" option in the right-sidebar, click it.  This will open a text box.  In this text box, please type your first and last name, as shown in the example.  Click "Done" when you are finished.

After you have labeled your post with your first and last name, you may continue writing your post as normal.  When you are satisfied with your post, click "Publish" to publish it to the blog.

Once you have published your post to the blog, check the right-sidebar on the main page for your label.

To view all posts by a single author (colleague), simply click their name.

NOTE:  Clicking a name under the "Contributors" section of the right-sidebar will NOT show you that person's posts.  Instead, it will take you to their Blogger profile.  You MUST label your posts for others to easily find them.

READ ME FIRST: Free Response and Question to Consider Instructions

Questions to Consider:  Spring 2014

To help assist you in being an active community participant and to facilitate inquiry, curiosity, discovery, and critical thinking about the class topics, you will prepare a one to two page response regarding the chapter material being covered in class. I provide two options: (1) Free Responses (FR) and (2) Questions to Consider (QTC) prompts. QTC prompts will help you build your final paper in class (see chapter-based prompts below). Free responses would include issues you are committed to understanding and questions or comments that would help you pursue that understanding. Respond either in a Free Response or QTC in any format that allows you to clearly communicate your thoughts and reflections. This may be in the form of numbered list, bullet points, paragraphs, etc.   

There are two ways that you may complete this assignment:

1.  Public Option: You may post your responses to a blog. This may be the class blog created for this purpose or your own blog. Your responses will be available for view and comment by your classmates.

2.  Private Option: You can create a Google Document where you will post all your responses. Share the document with me before the due date for each post. Your responses will not be available for view and comment by your classmates.

This assignment will be due at the beginning of class on the first day the chapter is examined as part of your participation grade (see due dates below). It is best if you have a copy available in some format (access to file on your computer or a paper copy) to refer to in class discussions.  

FREE RESPONSES

Consider the following prompts when writing your questions and comments in a free response (Adapted from Dr. Shawn Spurgeon, Counselor Education 551 Theory and Practice of Counseling Syllabus, Fall 2013):

• What ideas/concepts caught your attention and why?

• What ideas/concepts did you struggle with and why?

• What are you unanswered questions about the material?

• Was there anything in the chapter that you disagreed with?

• Did you have an emotional reaction to any to the ideas in the chapter?

• What concepts were confusing to you? 

• Is there any idea that you encountered that you would like to know more about?

• Can you relate to any of the concepts on a personal level? How so?

• As a teacher, how do you see the ideas in the chapter applying to you?

• If you were the student, what would be your reaction to these concepts?

Questions to Consider

Post 1 (Chapter 14): To be completed by Monday, January 27th

Looking at the diagram on p. 505 in Ormrod’s text, write down an idea for an assessment for each of the five categories.  Be sure to explain why you would use the assessment within the context of your lesson. Then, consider norm referenced assessment and criterion referenced assessment. Are there advantages to both? Are there disadvantages?

Post 2 (Chapter 15): To be completed by Monday, February 3rd

Turn to p. 559 in Ormrod’s text.  Now, imagine that you are meeting with Ingrid’s grandmother today to explain her scores on the recent standardized achievement test pictured at the bottom of p. 559.  What will you tell her about Ingrid’s performance? her strengths? her weaknesses? If Ingrid’s grandmother asks you what she could be doing at home to help strengthen Ingrid’s skills, what will you suggest? Provide at least three areas where the grandmother could help Ingrid.

Post 3 (Chapter 11): To be completed by Monday, February 10th

Consider the theories of motivation from the book and class discussions.   Which theories of motivation are most helpful and instructive for you?  How can they enhance motivation and affect your students?   Please give at least one example of how a theory of motivation could be used in your future classroom.

(For Educational Interpreting students): Consider your role as an interpreter and the responsibilities of the  student for whom you are interpreting.  How might you enhance motivation and affect in your student using the theories of motivation?

 Post 4 (Chapter 13): To be completed by Monday, February 24th(note: there are two parts to this question)

1. Based on our readings and class discussion, how will you create a learning environment that is conducive to learning? 

2. Now consider your CSEL case study.  Develop a full continuum of responses for dealing with the misbehavior of your case.   

This will be something that will be used in your CSEL artifact.  You may want to refer to the guidelines for how many levels you may need to create. Those guidelines will be found in Part II of the CSEL Artifact Guidelines.

(For Educational Interpreting students): Consider a student who is disruptively playing with a neighbor while you are interpreting the teacher’s instructions.  Develop and list a full continuum of responses for working with the teacher to deal with the unproductive learning behavior.

Post 5 (Chapter 6): To be completed by Monday, March 3rd (choose one)

a) What are the essential skills and/or learning outcomes you want your students to know and be able to do that relate to cognitive learning?

b) Consider your CSEL intervention case study.  Are there tools from a cognitive view of learning for either encouraging productive behaviors or discouraging undesirable behaviors that you could apply to the case?  What are they?  

(For Educational Interpreting Students: ) If you interpret for a student throughout the course of a school day, what strategies could you. employ to help your student become increasingly independent and to develop long-term memory storage of things like signs for course specific language, class schedule,  etc. Identify at least one strategy for long-term memory storage to: (1) promote metacognition, (2) encourage meaningful learning, and (3) make use of mnemonics. 

Post 6 (Chapter 7): To be completed by Monday, March 4th

For Chapter 7, you will be responsible for creating QTC.  Create two questions, one that requires lower-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: knowing, understanding, applying) and one that requires higher-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: analyzing, synthesizing, creating).  You will categorize your questions so people can see what level you think it is.  

Here is an example question: (1) What is the difference between informal and formal assessments and which do you think will be most effective in your classroom? (memory/apply) 

Along with creating questions, you will choose another student’s questions to both answer and comment upon.  For example, you might think the question they asked could fit into more than one of Bloom’s categories, so you would explain that after answering it. Post these on the class blog and find another’s question to answer.

Post 7 (Chapter 8): To be completed by Monday, March 24th

Similar to Chapter 7, you will be responsible for creating QTC for Chapter 8.  Create two questions, one that requires lower-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: knowing, understanding, applying) and one that requires higher-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: analyzing, synthesizing, creating).  You will categorize your questions so people can see what level you think it is.  

Here is an example question: (1) What is the difference between informal and formal assessments and which do you think will be most effective in your classroom? (memory/apply) 

Along with creating questions, you will choose another student’s questions to both answer and comment upon.  For example, you might think the question they asked could fit into more than one of Bloom’s categories, so you would explain that after answering it. Post these on the class blog and find another’s question to answer. 

Post 8 (Chapters 9 & 10): To be completed by Monday, March 31st (choose one)

a) How would you define successful mastery of your lesson objectives from a behavioral view of learning? From a social cognitive view of learning?

b) Consider your CSEL intervention case study.  Are there tools from a behaviorist view for either encouraging productive behaviors or discouraging undesirable behaviors that you could apply to the case?  What are they?  Conversely, how might self-efficacy and self-regulation contribute to the intervention plans you use in your case study?

Post 9 (Chapter 10):  To be completed by Monday, April 7th

Similar to Chapter 8, you will be responsible for creating QTC for Chapter 10.  Create two questions, one that requires lower-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: knowing, understanding, applying) and one that requires higher-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: analyzing, synthesizing, creating).  You will categorize your questions so people can see what level you think it is.  Please post this to the class blog. 

Here is an example question: (1) What is the difference between informal and formal assessments and which do you think will be most effective in your classroom? (memory/apply) 

Along with creating questions, you will choose another student’s questions to both answer and comment upon.  For example, you might think the question they asked could fit into more than one of Bloom’s categories, so you would explain that after answering it. 

 Post 10 (Chapters 2, 3, & 5):  To be completed by Monday, April 21st

Similar to Chapter 8, you will be responsible for creating QTC for chapters 2, 3, and 5.  Create two questions, one that requires lower-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: knowing, understanding, applying) and one that requires higher-order thinking skills (as described by Bloom: analyzing, synthesizing, creating).  You will categorize your questions so people can see what level you think it is.  

Here is an example question: (1) What is the difference between informal and formal assessments and which do you think will be most effective in your classroom? (memory/apply) 

Along with creating questions, you will choose another student’s questions to both answer and comment upon.  For example, you might think the question they asked could fit into more than one of Bloom’s categories, so you would explain that after answering it.