Standardized Test

Standardized test ugh what can I say, from my experience with them, I hate them. Now I wasn't the greatest test taker but that didn't mean a wasn't a good student. I feel that standardized test give extreme pressure to schools, teachers, and students. This test are to determine a students progress but, what happens if you get a student who is a good above average student in the class but, not a good test taker? The outcome of that standardized test will not reflect the student. Also, I don't believe standardized test reflect the teachers' teaching skills. I feel that this test only put pressure on teachers to teach closed minded. I understand that the state needs to keep track of the schools' but, these test are not the answer.

Report Cards-

I see reports as important and necessary for teachers, students, and parents. Reports make teachers consider all the students' work and progress and evaluate them to see if they go on to the next level. Students see how all they work paid off in the end. Parents see how their child has done for a whole year.
Reports may arise issues though. Evidence is need to back up that letter grade. Teacher need to consider test, classwork, homework, participation, and overall progress when giving a grade on a report card. Students see how all their work for a year paid off. If the child or parent is not understanding the grade the teacher needs to have that evidence. The report is a necessary tool in the education system is always teachers, students, and parents how well or how poorly a student is doing.

Portfolios

I absolutely love portfolios. Portfolios don't only help students and teacher keep track of the student's work but, it shows students the importance and effectiveness of organization. A portfolio allows the students/teachers see how far along the student has come. Keeping the student's work from it being the best or worst work they have done will help them see where things go right and where they go wrong. I love how students/parents/teachers can just go back and look in this portfolio to see where extra help or time is needed. Portfolios can make the assessment process easier. The students' work is their neatly organized for beginning to end for teacher to evaluate. Students know what they are being evaluated on and parents know where the grade is coming from. Also, portfolios can be take home by each student and that student can continue it and start a new at the end of the year. I love the fact that with portfolios you can look back on what you've done.

Multiple Choice or Essay ?

Both essay and multiple choice test are important parts in assessment. A multiple choice test is straight out right or wrong there is no gray area. A multiple choice test is great for the students who test will but, what happens to the others? Essay test give the student who may not be a great test taker the chance to express themselves without the fear of its right or wrong. Essay test can also give the teacher an insight on how far a student is taking the giving information or how they are not getting concepts. In a classroom no student is a like so, why not give the different types of evaluation. Different types of test will give each student a chance to shine.

Teacher Expectations

As, a teacher I will have high expectations for my students and by that I mean I want all my students to do the best the absolutely can. I want my students to feel that they are capable of doing anything they want. I understand that students are not going to be great wonderful angels who just to sit quietly and want to learn but, why can't they go a little further with an idea.

My expectations in the classroom vary. I expect my students' behavior to be appropriate such as, during lesson to raise your hand, don't call out, no side chatting, during stations to stay in assigned station, no running around, keep material in their station, during independent work to sit quietly and do your work, and during extra time to keep your hands to yourself, no running, or screaming. My students' behaviors will be held to high expectations because, it will determine on how I will teach my lessons. My classwork expectations, I believe are like any teachers, for students to give effort, take pride in their work and, do the best they can. Homework expectations are not held as high but still pretty high. Homework can be done with or without help, just don't rush through it like its not important.

I know that my expectations will not be met by every student I ever have but, I have high expectations not to punish my students in anyway. I want to encourage them to take a step further and open their eyes to something new and having high expectations I feel shows them that I believe their capable of anything.

Homework

I can honestly say when I was in school I hated doing homework. I would try to get it done before class or even in some other class just to not have to do it at home. Well, now that I look back I see I was just rushing through my process of learning. Homework is a component in the process of learning to me. Homework allows you to make those mistakes without consequences. Homework gives you the extra practice in any subject. Homework can be done independently or with some help. As teachers though, we have to remember not to put to much value on homework. Yes, homework is a form of formative assessment but, who really is doing it. All homework should be given to students to enhance their learning and not to overwhelm them to the point where they hate the subject or school. The homework you give your students should help the reach or go further then their learning targets. Homework is a necessity in the classroom and needs to be given to not punish students but, enhance their learning.

Rubrics

Rubrics are a great why to communicate with your students. It gives the student an insight of what went right and wrong. Rubrics are also very helpful to teachers when it comes grading. It gives the teacher evidence on why a student received a certain grade. Also, if the rubric is given to the students before a writing assignment then, your students know what your looking for. Rubrics are sometime looked as a closed door. Some teachers, as the one in the second video, feel rubrics are not accountable. The rubrics constrain us from creativity. Though I believe rubrics are a great way to communicate with are students, they may not work in every situation.

Rubistar Website

I think the rubistar website is awesome. I recently created a rubric for an oral in Spanish and if I knew about the website early it would have made it a lot simpler. The website allows you to create a rubric for any subject. I will be using this website to create rubrics for my lesson plans in my education course as well as, when I get into the classroom and have my own class. This is great useful website.

Learning Targets

As the book states learning targets are to focus instruction and assessment, and they also focus students and teachers on the knowledge and skills intended for learning. The students to be aware of what the learning target is in every subject. In having the students be aware of the target will help the get the most out of the lesson. Learning targets also will also help us as future educators focus and what is to be done to reach this goal.

Fairness in Assessment

Fairness in assessment is one important factor we as future educators can not forget about. Assessment has different factors such as, validity and reliability. As the book states, validity is defined as the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students' assessment results and reliability is defined as the consistency of assessment results over replications. Both of these are key factors when doing fair assessment. When correcting a test we should not just think of a number grade but, to what were the stronger and weaker of students knowledge. Allowing students to take similar test at different times in the day will always only help increase the knowledge and help the student be confident with the knowledge. Rubric are a great way of giving the students great feed. Rubrics my be time consuming but, in the end you and your student will have a better understanding on what went right and what went wrong. Also, rubrics give you evidence on why a child's assessment is the way it is. Fairness in assessment is not bias. When assessment is taking place as educators we have to remember not to be bias to ethnicity, socioeconomic, and life style.

What is Assessment?

Assessment is an on going process. Assessment of a student's performance in the classroom can take place as a traditional test with paper and pencil, oral discussion, projects, or an essay/paper. It is important to remember that all students learn different as well as test different. As a teacher, you should remember that your students are not all going to perform on the same level. As the teacher, you should remember to test your students not only with paper and pencil, but, also own their creativity. Projects and essays allow the students to express themselves in a different sense. Projects can show how creative a student is and how they make connects within the subject matter. An essay/paper can be a useful assessment by allowing to see how far students take the subject matter. Oral discussion within the classroom are another great way to assess a students performance. Oral discussion are nonthreatening and it allows students to get fed back not only from their teacher but, also the peers. Assessment is an ongoing process in a classroom. As educators though, you have to remember like all students learn differently, they also test differently.

Intro

Hello, I'm Paola Velasco and welcome to my blog! I'm from Sayreville New Jersey and in my third year at Saint Peters College. I am an elementary education major as well as spanish.