UbDDI+B1+Chapter+5

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Leighlan
Assessments are how teachers know their students are learning. Assessments can be anything from a standardized test to a journal entry, or audio drama. It requires consistent assessment throughout the learning process to make sure a student is learning. One test at the end of the unit does not show how far the student’s understanding has improved or even if it has improved, because one does not know how much the student knew about the topic before the unit. If a chess champion takes a beginning level class on chess and aces the exam, it does not mean they learned anything about chess. Generally in classes that only test at the end, one does not do too well, and since the test is at the end, it is pointless to go back and review what one had trouble with. As Lori Koban, a math professor at UMF says, “Tests are learning opportunities. Once they are graded you should go back and see where you need to improve.” If one is in a class that does not use pre assessments and formative assessments, one can create one’s own. Doing a learning log or regularly testing oneself on the material may seem like extra homework, but it really does build one’s understanding of the material.

Brittany
For some reason this chapter and I got along really well. It was almost like it was thinking with me about how students can have assignments that work with their strengths while still fitting into the nice little box that it is expected to fit in. What is even better is how it went on to say how there should be more assignments that relate to the real world that exists outside of the school. That is one thing as a history major that I have been thinking about quite a bit. There is one idea that I have from one of my high school teachers to have the students read the paper for a current event and then write a summary of what happened along with a small paragraph about what they think about the incident: the next day the student would come in and present the event to the class and therefore keep everyone informed. It was something that I had to do that I would like to bring into my own classroom. The other thing that I was thinking about was to provide a structured, safe environment for students to discuss or debate different issues from history and see how they affect the world today.

Brody
While //Fair Isn’t Always Equal// touched upon the three types of assessments, I was still left to wonder what an actual assessment looks like in a differentiated classroom. The fifth chapter of //UbD/DI// acts as a great companion to //FIAE//, as it expands on three key principles that inform and guide assessment. The first principle that Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe espouse is that reliable assessment needs to be based off of multiple sources of evidence. Different students need different formats to demonstrate their skills. By utilizing various assessment types, the likelihood that a student can operate to their strength and find success increases. Providing an appropriate measure of a goal is the second principle. There are three types of educational goals: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and dispositions. Knowledge must be matched to an appropriate assessment. For example, a performance task would make sense for a procedural knowledge as students need to show they can accomplish a task. The third principle states that form must follow function. Given that students must play to their strengths, it makes sense to give options when utilizing assessments. My largest concern when reading this chapter was how to facilitate equal assessments in terms of evaluative criteria in lieu of various, imbalanced criteria. Tomlinson and McTighe ease my worries by stating that “the criteria are derived primarily from the content goal, not the response mode” (75). Thus, I can flesh out the content understandings in the Backward Design process and then offer assessment options to show that the student reached that goal.

Jen
What I found most interesting and important in this chapter is how teachers have to create assessments that both fit the various learning styles of their students in the classroom and also make the assessments effective. The various assessments due seem to serve a purpose but what I found most important was that the assessments really need to show a "purpose." Students hate when they have to just take tests just because they haven't had one in awhile or because it's required to give tests. It seems like these assessments really need to emphasize how they correlate with the material that the students just learned or are learning. How does the teacher use this particular assessment to help all the students in the class as well as address all the material? I thought this was an interesting task because it all relates back to Differentiated Instruction and giving students choices on how they are going to illustrate their understanding of the material.

I really do believe my in field experience has given me a better understanding of what differentiated instruction is, as well as how effectively it can work for students. Reading the book and learning about this, I think I would have had a completely different view point such as "students should all do things the same way because it's how it's always been and it's worked and students need to stop complaining about not wanting to do typical work rather than all the assignments being fun." However, now though I still have that view point I do see how choice helps the students and motivates them to want to do better on the assignment and that is really important to get an accurate picture of how well the student knows the content of the material taught.

Max
This chapter went over how you should make your assessments. In math it will be hard to decipher the level of difficulty to make the problems on the tests and quizzes. With the quizzes I think I will give problems that show a basic understanding to understand where I need to spend more time for the tests. With the tests I think I really need to have them show mastery like the book //Fair Isn’t Always Equal// suggests. If the students truly understand the concepts it will show with a wide array of problems. Hopefully through the results of the quizzes, it will be easier to decide how hard I should make the tests. My practicum teacher lets me correct his tests so I got to see the variety of grades and levels of mastery and it is very easy to see who gets it and how doesn’t. You can almost predict biased on the examples you can make them do who will do well and who will struggle.

Lily
This chapter talks a lot about the assessment of student understanding. There are many ways of going about it, but what chapter 5 tries to cover are the effective versus the unpractical ways of assessing students’ knowledge. Using the phrase “photo albums versus snapshots” is a great way to look at this. We as teachers should not use a standardized test at the end of the unit to gage if the students are understanding the material, “unfortunately, most politically driven accountability systems in North America rely on “quick and dirty” standardized test”(60) and this one size fits all type of testing does not work in either teacher or assessing what has been understood. Figure 5.3 on page 68 does a great job showing inauthentic work versus authentic work and the how much more effective the authentic work is for most students. When I was in the classroom my mentor sadly used inauthentic techniques almost 100% of the time and would just use quizzes and test out of a workbook instead of making his own and truly creating a lesson plan. This was very hard for many students because it is not the way that they learn. A great point I think it gives is having students do self-assessments and reflection because this way the teacher and the students can be on the same page and hopefully be able to work together to do even better in the future.

Kim
This chapter reinforced what I already know about designing units backwards to ensure that the end results are the main focus and not the activities to arrive there. It talked about the different methods of assessments, which I don’t think most students realize exist. Most of us are used to the typical tests, quizzes, and projects, but there are so many more that aren’t necessarily assigned or given that help teachers to determine the next course of action. I think that a lot of students don’t realize that they are being assessed throughout the course of study and assume that the end test or project is their only chance to prove that they know what they’re doing, and while this is unfortunately the case with some teachers, there are other teachers who use formative assessments to assist the summative assessment. Then, if a student does not do well on the summative assessment, the teacher is able to look back at formative assessments and see if there is something along the way that the student struggled with or if it is another matter altogether. I really like the idea of pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments, and I think that if they can be used together correctly they can be really beneficial to the teacher and the students. Certain aspects of my subject area will be difficult to find all three of the assessment types for, but I think that I can be creative and find ways to assess my students from beginning to finish.

Casey
Chapter five of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// gave me a good understanding of the assessment principles that are crucial to student understanding. One thing that I particularly liked was how it said “Including a variety of assessments is important not only from a measurement perspective but as a matter of sensitivity to varied learners.” From this I know that I can give assignments that I know certain students will have less difficulty due to the fact that this particular kind of work that I am giving them targets their strengths. If you focus, and consistently stay with the same kind of learning style your whole class is not going to work. Differentiated instruction is extremely important in this case, and you need to know the different kinds of assessments to cover all the different types of learning styles that the students carry in your classroom.

The author in this chapter highlights how teachers should design their classroom assessments. I enjoyed that there was plenty of emphasis on how teachers should not use a standardized test to measure a student's learning at the end of a unit if they already grasp the concept of what has been taught throughout the lesson.On page 70, The GRASPS Frame is basically a model that teachers should use to assess a student's understanding which stands for goal, role, audience, situation, products, and standards. It is important for a teacher to follow this concept because it is an excellent framework for not only students that are engaged in learning but also successful teachers. As a future teacher, I need to make sure that I create my units and lessons based on the variety of different learners I have in the classroom because every student has different strengths and weaknesses.
 * Mike**

Seth
One of the best things a student can do is self-assessment and reflection, no matter the subject. Whether it is history, math, science, English or any other course a student should always look over his/her work. One time when this is very important is while reviewing for a test. Cover up the answers or write yours on a separate sheet of paper go through and see what you know then go back and see what you missed and need to study up on. It’s a great way to self-assess your work. As for the reflecting… what I have in mind sounds crazy but I’m going to say it anyway. When you’re assigned a paper go home and write out all your ideas the very first night, don’t try to cram it in the night before it’s due. Write out your ideas, take a day or two off and then go back and look at them. //Reflect// upon then and see what you think you can do to make them better. After that’s done, write your paper. If you have time, read your paper, correct/fix stuff and print it again. Sometimes I amaze myself. I just wish I thought like this in high school…

Jasmyn
This Chapter in //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// //seemed to be very similar to chapter four of// //Fair Isn’t Always Equal,// //both touched upon assessments and the principles behind those assessments. In UbD/DI the author describes that there should always be a clear “purpose’ to the assessments. The teacher must make it clear what the expectations are for the students, but they should also make an attempt get the students to see the “big picture”. A teacher may announce that there will be an end of the year project and throughout the year the students will work on mini projects that will help them adapt the skills to conquer the final project. As the mini projects are presented the teacher has the opportunity to assess the understanding of each sublet of learning. The student is offered feedback and given the opportunity to revise. The teacher should also provide opportunities after the mini projects for student reflections and again, give feedback.// //As a student I enjoy getting plenty of specific feedback and also given the opportunity to revise my work. I think that I have retained and comprehended the most from those situations. I will take the time to give feedback to my students and provide multiple opportunities for revision.//

Kaitlyn Bartlett
In the beginning of chapter 5 of UbD/DI, the authors give a really good analogy about photos and photo albums. Not only was this a great hook, I feel that it is 100 percent true. Giving students one test will not test their ability completely or the effort they put into it. Standardized tests don’t test student abilities of the material; it tests them on how to take a test. I feel like this will really impact my class because as a math teacher I will have to prepare students for MEA’s and SAT’s. Although I feel as an educator that it will be my job to teach them this in a more engaging way rather than reviewing old test.