Week 7&8

 In weeks 7&8 we have been talking about data and how we can use that to assess children. We looked at how some scores can be presented. For most, it is a personal preference on how they would like their scores presented, and there are many ways to do so. There are many different graphs that can be used to visually show data, or portfolios can be used to document scores. In week 8 we worked on how to calculate some of the different areas of scores that include: mean, median, mode, range and standard deviation. We worked on an Excel spreadsheet to analyze the data and put it into bar graphs or pie charts, depending on what needed to be shown. I felt very familiar using Excel as I took a business class in high school that was Excel based. I know feel I have grasped that knowledge again, and I feel more comfortable.

The Excel practice we did in class shows one of many ways students scores can be presented. As a teacher, it is important to remember that there are many ways to analyze and assess data. By using different charts and thinking about what is most user friendly. These charts and graphs can also be very helpful to parents to see where their child falls in a certain category or subject.

Vocabulary Words to Remember:

mean: average of all the numbers 

median: middle number

mode: number that occurs the most

range: largest number minus the smaller

standard deviation: variation of the answers 

Week 6

    

In all of our classes this week we have been working on aligning standards and objectives, and what that looks like when figuring out curriculum. We also talked about a backwards design approach to make sure we are aligned with the areas we need to be. Starting with the standard is the first step in writing any lesson plan. Without the standard, you cannot align the objectives, prerequisites, and all the areas that a lesson plan includes. In our math class, we have been writing a lesson plan aligned to a grade level and a standard of our choice. For my lesson plan, I chose to write my lesson plan at a Kindergarten level. I chose to write at this grade level because this is one grade level I have not had much experience teaching or observing. This was difficult for me to try and think about what would be developmentally appropriate. In this assessments class we were asked to look at the assessments we chose to include in our lesson plan. We looked at ways that we can measure a child's progress. Many people think that assessments have to be a test, or something of that nature. Assessments can be anything that can be used to measure a child's growth like an anchor chart or a drawing. In class we were able to look at our classmates lesson plans to see how they put their own ideas into action. It was interesting to see ways that I never would have thought about in that way. It also gave me ideas that I am able to incorporate into future lesson plans. I am looking forward to being able to write a lesson plan with my co op teacher when I go to field. I hope that I am able to learn from them how to improve my lesson plans! 

Week 5

Overview: 

It is important to set up learning objectives so that it is easy to see what students should be able to do at the end of a lesson as a result of what they learned. Learning objectives should be student-centered, actionable, and measurable. 

The ABCD objective formula helps identify what the students will be able to do as a result of the instruction, and gives a clear picture of the instruction and how the students success is determined. 

ABCD Formula:

-Audience: who

-Behavior: what students are able to do 

-Conditions: resources and limitations 

-Degree: level or criteria 

Ms. Lauren's Presentation: 

It was interesting to see the different types of report cards and how different types of assessments can be used to assess kids. It was nice to see real life examples of the topics we are talking about in class. I also feel that I have a much better understanding of the different types of assessments. She also talked about how she works with preservice teachers like us to help them prepare to be the best teachers that they can be so that students can get the best education they deserve. 

Week 4

What is Bloom's Taxonomy?

Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills that more from simple to more complex up the pyramid. Students become more knowledgable as they move through the different levels. This can also be helpful when writing lesson plans so that students can work on each level, and eventually be able to do them all automatically. There are also 6 levels to this pyramid which differs from DOK that only has 4 different levels. 

Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (6 being the highest level and 1 being the lowest)

1. Remember

2. Understand

3. Apply

4. Analyze

5. Evaluate

6. Create

What is Webb's Depth of Knowledge?

DOK is a building process in which each step requires more thinking as you progress. It will also determine the level of rigor that is being used. It is different from Bloom's Taxonomy due to the fact that you don't have to move in any certain order. The students also doesn't have to a master a skill to move onto the next one. 

Levels of DOK

1. Recall and Reproduction

2. Skills and Concepts

3. Strategic Thinking

4. Extended Thinking

.                

Future Use

Both of these will be beneficial to me because it will give me a place to start when lesson planning. I could also introduce both ideas to my students so they can see themselves work up the scale to see how much they learned. 

Week 3

What I learned about documentation:

I learned that documentation can be useful when it comes to seeing how a child is developing. If there is a running record of what the child can and can't do, it makes it easier to see the child's progress. This also gives a place for the parents to see how their child is doing. This can be done in a portfolio or a documentation panel. 

Differences between Reggio Emilia and Project Style:

In the Reggio Emilia type documentation, students work is shown creatively, but is scored or graded formatively. This also gives the students more creative freedom because they are encouraged to do so in a way that makes sense to them. The Reggio Emilia approach is a formative approach to documentation. In schools today, they use a more conventional and summative approach to fit the molds of curriculum. For project style documentation, it differs in the fact that the presentation is done creatively. 

How I can better my students:

I can better my students by incorporating different types of documentation into my classroom, and recognize that sometimes things don't always go to plan. I would talk to the students and get a feel for what they are wanting to get out of their own learning and base the documentation around that. 

Week 2

Overview

This week we learned about the different types of assessment used to assess children. I had never had to create a rubric, so this was a good experience for me. It was a little difficult trying to come up with the rubric, but with more practice I feel it will become a lot easier. Rubrics and assessment are a good way for kids to see how they will be graded. It also gives them the breakdown of the points and how they will be scored. When trying to come up with the grading scale on a project I wasn't familiar with was a challenging. It was easier to see the top tier work and bottom tier and know how I wanted the grading scale to be. Basing it off of what I thought I wanted to see was challenging, but once I saw the criteria, I knew how I wanted to create the grading scale. I also found that what one person deems a 5 and what another deems a 5 can be two different outcomes. 

Terms:

Holistic: consists of a single scale with all criteria to be included in the evaluation being considered together

Analytic: Allows you to assess participants' achievements based on multiple criteria using a single rubric

Single Point Rubrics: outlines the standards a student has to meet to complete the assignment

Difficulties

When developing an analytic rubric, it was difficult to make sure that each point value needed to incorporate a lot. For a holistic rubric, it is easier to make categories for each section that needs to be graded upon.