UbDDI+B2+Chapter+5


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Tiarra
This chapter of UbD/DI asks future educators to pay attention to the various forms of assessment so that they might more effectively judge student understanding. It is suggested that teachers use the GRASPS method of assessment in order to create more ‘authentic’ performances of understanding. Also by differentiating what forms of assessment are used a teacher allows her students to display their understanding more accurately on a variety of levels the way a standardized test does not. There are different forms of assessment such as Summative, Diagnostic and Formative which all provide different purposes and should be used accordingly. Summative assessments which manifest themselves as tests, performance tasks, final exams, or work portfolios tend to summarize and evaluate what has been learned. Diagnostic assessments on the other hand, are generally applied before learning takes place in order to allow the teacher to identify what form of instruction would work best for an individual student, and include skill checks, knowledge surveys, non-graded pre-tests, and interest or learning preference checks. Finally, Formative assessments come in many forms such as ungraded quizzes, oral questioning, observations, draft work, think-alouds, student constructed concept maps, dress rehearsals, peer response groups, and portfolio reviews which are ongoing forms of assessment which guide learning and instruction.

Justin C.
The fifth chapter of this book was all about how to assess a student’s knowledge. It introduced to us, as readers and future teachers, the idea of using the GRASPS frame for assessment. When reading about what each of the letters stood for, it sounded like a great way to have students get all that they can out of an assignment. Having students who know what they are striving for and know what the purpose of an assignment is will go a long way in helping them to complete an assessment. It also talks about summative and diagnostic assessments. Summative assessments are used to summarize what a student has learned (71). The classic example of this type of assessment is a test. Diagnostic assessment is a fancy way to say pre-assessment. Pre-assessments go a long way in getting a handle on what a student’s level of competency is on a particular subject, but also allows for the teacher to find an appropriate place to begin instruction. There are also formative assessments, which are used while conducting a lesson. These can be as simple as posing questions out to the class about what material is being taught. The response, or lack thereof, from students will give the teacher the message that they either need to slow down or can speed up to allow students to stay focused. Going into a math classroom, I imagine myself being able to use all three of these assessment techniques. I would use diagnostic assessment at the start of each new unit to measure what knowledge, if any, my students have on the subject. Summative assessment would be a test at the end of each unit to measure exactly how much students got out of my teachings and see if I may need to revisit topics later on down the road. Lastly, formative assessments would be used during classes, such as asking a student where to go from a certain point in a math problem to see if they understand what I have been teaching or if I need to make the content more clear.

Will L.
This chapter focused on the various forms of assessment that come with teaching. Often times, teachers are relatively unfair when it comes to assessment. Summative assessments are given once students have exemplified when they have covered a certain amount of material over time, where it is then graded. Formative assessment, which is fairly effective, is demonstrated during instruction. They come in the forms of ungraded quizzes, observations, or simple question-and-answer sessions. A diagnostic assessment is meant to test the prior knowledge of the students, to help the teacher what types of strengths and weaknesses particular students have. Like formative assessment, diagnostic more often helps teachers and students rather than harm the relationship between them. The chapter also talks about how standardized testing has taken over education and is the primary form of assessment. As I would agree, standardized testing is pretty narrow and unfair to students who may not be great test takers. I believe that when I become a teacher, I will try to implement various forms of assessment in order to adapt to most learning styles.

Grace K.
In chapter 5, Tomlinson and McTighe present an argument for meaningful and effective assessment in the differentiated classroom. The authors outline various goals of teaching (specifically, they established three knowledge goals: declarative knowledge [what students should know], procedural knowledge [what students should be able to do], and dispositions [attitudes or habits of thought that students should have]) as well as means to achieve those goals, and efficient means to assess whether or not students are meeting the goals. I agree with the authors’ assertion that, just as instruction must be differentiated for various learning abilities, so too must assessment be differentiated. I understood that concept going in to the chapter but I wasn’t sure how to achieve that goal in a classroom. The authors discussed the necessity of having a common set of criteria with which to evaluate student products, no matter how the product varied from another in the same classroom. Essentially, the Tomlinson and McTighe suggest that the path and vehicle to get to an understanding can vary, but the destination must be the same for the whole class. I feel that this simplification of what could have become an overwhelming topic will help me work towards that goal in my own classroom. Other aspects of assessment that the author’s emphasized included different stages of assessment (formative, diagnostic, and summative), the importance of prompt and meaningful feedback, and encouraging self-assessment in students. All of these are practices that should be integrated into a secondary classroom.

Dan B.
Chapter five talked about assessment, and the importance of assessment. When a teacher assesses a student they need to make sure that the student really grasped the material and did not just memorize things that they thought would be on the test. A way to make sure that the material was really understood is to give answers that test whether the student authentically learned the material, the way to do this is to give them questions that are open ended and require them to really explain themselves. Inauthentic learning are questions that are fill in the blank, or there are multiple answers to choose from; these do not challenge the student, and they do not really learn anything. As a teacher I want my students to really learn what I am teaching them so I will give them questions that require them to really know the material; I will not give them questions that they could just guess to get right because then the student did not really learn the material, they memorized it and will probably forget it when the next unit comes around.

Grady B.
This chapter of //Integrating DI/UbD// provided a useful complement to the chapter in //FIAE// that also dealt with assessment. While reading, I liked the accusation that the book made, that the snapshot nature of standardized testing in America is ineffective in getting a true picture of the level of intelligence and mastery over content that a student possesses (pg. 60). Juxtaposing this accusation with the idea that the best way to capture the true essence of a student’s mastery is through a more continuous and diverse grouping of assessment, really drove home the point that there is a better way of assessing that would benefit both students and educators. I also found the list of caveats on pages 76-77, which aided in clarifying the difference between differentiating and being frivolous or inefficient, to be very helpful. The caution of not losing sight of a content standard in the effort to make a unit “cool,” was especially important, in my opinion. This chapter helped to illustrate a happy medium that must be maintained between form and function in a curriculum, with each being integral to the proper execution of a lesson.

Chapter five covered the importance of assessment. It is important for a teacher when they are assessing their students to make sure the students don’t just memorize the material to get a good grade on the assignment or test. You want your students to understand the main points of the material in a way that they will not forget what they have learned after that unit is over. I think this is very important because as a high school student I would always study to memorize material for a test, then after the test was over I would forget everything I had memorized. There are many different ways to assess your student’s knowledge of the material. In the chapter the authors covered the different stages of assessment, which are formative, diagnostic, and summative. When I am in the classroom I will use meaningful feedback and give my students feedback in a timely fashion.

Jonathan B.
This chapter discusses assessment and its various principles. The book argues against the “quick and dirty” single-event exams which provide only a “snapshot” of a student's performance and capability rather than the whole “photo album.” In addition, assessments must be constructed to properly measure the goals being worked toward. This is essential to effectively evaluate students' performance. Beyond the construction and nature of the assessment, it must be responsive and adaptable so as to be most effective with a student body. The book also encourages constant feedback and stresses the importance of self reflection. These principles are a necessity for any teacher, because they highlight the contributing factors to //effective// assessment. The most important principle, I think, is that the assessment matches what work has been done prior to it. I will be certain that all my assessments are appropriate as to what my students have been working on.

Chris D.
Chapter 5 is all about assessment of students’ knowledge. These assessments are used to determine whether or not a student has actually mastered or understood the information that we presented to them, and are generally given in the form of a test or a quiz. However, this form is just a small snapshot of the entire picture, as it doesn’t exemplify the student accurately as a learner. Instead of just having a student go through the same thing over and over, it is suggested teachers assign work that is authentic work instead of just inauthentic work. Inauthentic work, as Tomlinson and McTighe compare it to, is similar to practices in sports, whereas authentic work is compared to the actual game. Inauthentic work would then be similar to response related homework. Authentic work would then be creative, project-based, or in depth assignments that engage the student in the activity and force them to think outside of the box a little bit.

Kaitlin T.
Tomlinson discusses the importance of having more than one form of assessment in chapter five of her book Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understand by Design: “A single test at the end of instruction is less likely to provide a complete picture of a student’s learning than a collection of diverse sources of evidence is.” There is not a single test in our education system that can possibly “capture it all.” Too often high-stakes decisions are based of single a test or exam. Each student takes tests differently; two students may very well know all the proper information required to pass an exam, but one of them may let nerves and pressure get the better of him or her. Although he or she knew the material, the test taken doesn’t accurately reflect his or her learning. Students need different opportunities to show what they’ve accomplished and learned. Tomlinson offers some suggestions to gathering students’ understanding. Exit cards is a concept I’ve heard of and adore! There’s an extremely good chance I will use exit cards on a daily basis if I am able. I also love the concept of student self-assessments. I’ve taken part in these numerous times through high school and college. Teachers often say the students are harder on themselves; it’s rare for a student to give him or herself a score higher than her or she is actually deserving of. Typically students low-ball their scores.

Jen R.
Chapter five of //UBD/DI// covered assessment within a classroom. This chapter correlated nicely with chapter three in //FIAE// and a majority of the information given between these two chapters was very relatable. In addition to what I learn in my previous readings, this chapter taught me that when assessing my students, I need to determine whether or not they have grasped the material. As a teacher, it is important for me to acknowledge through assessment when a student has learned the material to their full potential versus when a student is reciting or testing from memory. This chapter has impacted me to bring a variety of assessment methods into my classroom. I will use the GRASPS method to ensure an authentic and real understanding of the material for my students, as well as focusing on open ended question that test their intellectual ability to answer the question in great detail.

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Tyler S
I learn simply be reading or hearing something, and I can easily recall it most of the time. I can write an essay just as well as I can answer multiple choice questions or fill in short answers. Even giving visual presentations, I can present all the information in a neat and organized way. I guess because of that I don’t fully grasp the needs of students mentioned in this chapter. I definitely lack creativity of any sort, but to me, creativity should not be part of what is assessed unless you are directly assessing someone’s creativity. If the only way someone can portray their understanding of something is through artistic design, then I think the more important goal shouldn’t be finding a way to assess them, but to teach them to present their understanding in some other way. I think they may find life difficult because you can’t draw a picture for everything.