Final Reflection

Creating Assessments

What I struggled with

Surprisingly, I had the most trouble with determining a performance task. My first thought was developing something science or social studies related which honestly isn't my specialty. I had such a hard time finding a topic that was suitable but still within my range enough to apply a detailed rubric. I thought this would be the easiest of all the tasks but it was actually far from it. However, the rubric took the cake. For some reason, it's really hard to determine the most important aspects of the test without being biased or examining the wrong age. Staging a reenactment is a lot harder to grade in depth than I initially realized. I also struggled with developing THIRTY questions. I think it was hard to base them all around Blooms taxonomy because our questions often feed off of our students questions or confusion. However, it was really eye opening to see the importance and benefits of preparing questions beforehand. 

What Felt Easy

Opposite of what I expected, I enjoyed making the selected response assessment the most. There are so many structural steps that guide you. I chose a topic I am pretty developed in so it was relatively easy to format a test that covered the material and learning targets. I could really see the assessment of mastery as I created each section. I also found the extended written assessment to be quite easy, too. Although I am not a fan of rubrics, finding a topic to write about isn't hard. There are so many options and topics to dive into that the opportunities feel endless. Especially given the various writing styles. There are just so many directions this assessment can be taken in that it didn't feel limiting. I also think being a literacy major played a role in that. Writing papers has become very familiar so creating a prompt wasn't very far fetched. 

Something that Surprised me:

Something that surprised me was how time consuming planning assessments can be. Between determining a topic, type of assessment, and adequate way of assessing each learning target, so much goes into the process. It's easy to write on a lesson plan how you will assess something, but actually formatting that into a resource that is kid friendly is quite difficult. I'm glad to have recognized what it's like to be on the formatting end of assessment but definitely could use more practice on doing so. 

Blog #5

Lesson Planning

What was easy?

For me, I felt like forming an assessment was the easiest portion of this assignment. In prior lesson plans I have done it enough to understand the expectation and what works well and flows easiest. I feel like having some sort of standard/ learning target to build off of (as we already had going into this assignment) made it easy to create guidelines. Another part that I found relativity easy to navigate was the modeling portion. I completely agree with the "I do" then "we do" and last "you do" structure of a lesson. I designed a lesson about supporting details and defending an opinion, so giving a personal example was an easy incorporation. 

What was hard?

On the flip side, I found some of the attention grasping portions to be a little more difficult. For example, creating an introduction that tied into past experiences while also trying to keep the attention on the lesson topic. I think creating an engaging hook can be challenging especially since every lesson is different and takes on a alternate form of interest. It's hard to find a question that is both personally relevant and intellectually rigorous while also catching the attention of your students. I'm not sure I properly accomplished this section but I gave it my best guess. I also struggled with the practice portion as my lesson wasn't designed to have any portions taken home for homework. In addition, I didn't want the practice be solely independent as it makes it hard to get feedback but I also didn't want to require the help of someone else for students who don't have that support at home. Overall, these two portions made me think the deepest but I also think that's just another piece of being a teacher. The challenge may be frustrating but it definitely adds fun and flavor to lesson planning. 

Blog #4

Assessment Types

Selected Response:

This form of assessment is realistically more centered around a yes/no or true/false subject type. Whether that be math, history, etc., it is typically more suited for a single answer response. The pros to this type of assessment includes its ability to capture knowledge mastery and determine patterns in reasoning. It shows the difference between right vs. wrong and portrays whether or not the students can recall/ reach the proper answer. On the flip side, this assessment type carries cons in regards to the more creative side of things. Teachers cannot assess creative ability on a yes/no scale as it limits ideas and isn't structured around every performance type. In terms of product assessment, it can only determine the accuracy of the result, not the overall quality of the finished product. Another con is the testing anxiety that follows this type of assessment. When students only see the finished product rather than the overall process, students can be misjudged by the panic of having to choose the right answer (rather than showing their thinking that went along with it). Although selected response may be ideal for some subjects, it is not a suitable form of assessment for all. 

Extended Written Response:

This assessment type is pretty self explanatory as it is an in depth, written response to one or more questions/ prompts. This happens to be a very ideal form of assessment as it not only shows the students answer, but also shows how they got there. Some pros include: showing mastery through answer and explanation, a look into reasoning proficiency, and written product creations. A written response is long enough to see the students thinking while also providing a clear answer to the question or prompt. On the other hand, some cons are its limitations with communication and other product types. A written response would struggle to assess personal communication as it is a silent category of testing. It also would only pertain to the written side of assessment which leaves out various product types such as art and technology. If incorporated in the right scenario, this could be a beneficial assessment type to grasp students level of understanding. 

Performance Assessment:

This assessment is a great way to assess students ability to perform a task or show a completed product. This is a great match for reasoning as it can show the critical thinking behind each student's process as we observe and analyze their ideas. It also gives teachers a way to assess all of the different aspects of the product as we see the entirety of what they are completing. I feel like this is a less stressful type of testing for students because it isn't a sit down test but instead an evaluation of their ability to complete a task. On the contrary, assessing mastery would be very time consuming using this method as there are so many different types of content and ability to assess. Performance is definitely more suitable to a single task rather than an entire unit or concept. I would say this assessment type leans more towards creative ability than right vs. wrong. However, I would say this is my personal favorite assessment method in regards to creativity as it's kid friendly and great for younger ages. 

Personal Communication:

This assessment method is an awesome source for learning new languages, communicating ideas, asking questions, or showing oral language proficiency. It allows the teacher to see how students communicate, their think aloud process, or even what they've learned in regards to a new language. I think this is an awesome way to not only grasp where students are at, but also work on social and communication skills as students have to practice orally presenting their thinking. On the flip side, there are a few cons as this a very subject/ scenario specific form of testing. When determining mastery, it is a time consuming option like the performance assessment. As for products, it is all around not a good match as it isn't meant to be a project of any sort. This method is slightly limited but can be very effective if incorporated into the proper lesson. 

Assessment in my Lesson Plan:

In regards to my own lesson, I think choosing the proper assessment type is vital to capturing "my students" understanding of the learning target. In order to best understand their thinking or process, I need some sort of final product to show their understanding. Since I chose a writing standard and learning target to focus on, it seems only fitting that my assessment be an extended written response. I think this is great in terms of a final product (term paper) or even something in between like a list of written out ideas, evidence, and explanation. Other assessment types could work but I think a written response would be the most effective for this particular lesson. 

Unit 3: Blog #3

Learning Targets

When determining learning targets from a standard, I didn't have any issues. When I look at a standard, I can immediately grasp the goals that kids are expected to master. I just look at it as if I am putting an idea into a verbal action statement. However, the process of unpacking a standard is still unfamiliar to me. I can't decipher if I am properly accomplishing the process or if I am completely off base. While working with classmates, I started to discover that everyone was using a different approach to tackle this concept. As a result, this made me question which method is truly the correct way to achieve proper analysis of the standard. Regardless, I think we were able to decide on a consensus and create some great learning targets that went hand in hand with our desired goals.

In terms of assessment, learning targets are what guide the areas we aim to assess. The learning target in any given lesson tells students what they are expected to know. It sets a goal for them to work towards and accomplish. The idea is, if students master the learning target, they mastered the content. As a result, their assessment should reflect their understanding of these concepts as they should go hand in hand. The best way to put it is that learning targets pave the pathway for assessment questions. This way, students are prepared and never caught off guard by unfamiliar testing content. 

Unit 2: Blog #2

Samantha's Standards Reflection

My Feelings About Standards as a Student:

As a student, I personally love standards. For me, I live by the comfort of structure and squirm at the thought of completing anything less than what's expected of me. However, the power of educational standards is the guarantee that you will eventually discuss every necessary topic before graduation. It's the ultimate promise to be prepared for college and future life endeavors. Given that I am not a fan of surprises and surely don't enjoy being ill prepared, it's a very reassuring concept. I not only know what is expected of me in the present and current school year, but future years to come. Within standards, there are so many different types of hidden learning targets that can be intertwined to teach an effective lesson. As a student, I feel like standards provide units that give me the most bang for my buck. Of course they can feel overwhelming and scary at times given the significant number of them, but luckily, my teachers have always made it feel manageable and pretty effortless. 

My Feelings About Standards as a Future Teacher:

As of right now, the thought of being thrown out into the teaching world is highly intimidating. I feel like I have so much more to learn and pretty much no idea where to start. When I think of what needs to be taught throughout the year, I couldn't imagine remembering every single topic without some sort of guide. For that reason, I love standards from a future teacher's perspective. I look at them as a crutch to lean on when I get lost or confused. In the end, they are not only there to help you organize your classroom, but also to ensure you provide the best well rounded education for your students. As teachers, we should want nothing but success for our students. I personally believe that standards help us achieve that. Now there is always that desire to branch off and try things your own way. However, standards don't limit how you teach, they just require a certain amount of information to be translated within your classroom. For that reason, I don't see it as a boundary but instead a seed that you can grow into whatever plant you see fit for your classroom. 

Unpacking Standards:

Prior to this unit, I had never heard of the process of unpacking standards. When I first read the chapter, I was confused. Even though they attempted to break down the concept into 5 "simple" tips, I found it to be chaotic and overwhelming. I felt like the book made the process seem much more difficult than it was truly meant to be. After completing the assignment, I feel like I have a better idea of the expectations behind the process. Yet, this is assuming we completed it properly. The main takeaway I gathered was the importance of being able to break down a standard into a specific learning target that hits not only every aspect of the requirements but is also manageable within your classroom. One thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on standards being taught entirely in one lesson. Although the steps may seem chronological, they are meant to be intertwined and never skipped over. Overall, I have a way better understanding of standards but wouldn't mind learning more about them as they are so essential to every successful classroom.