Ima Sample Assessment Summary During my practicum experience, I have had the opportunity to observe teachers utilizing many different forms of assessment in their classrooms. I have noticed teachers using informal assessment techniques such as asking questions; and I have observed teachers using a varied assortment of formal techniques such as written tests, class presentations, and creative projects. I have been fortunate to be able to try out some of these forms of assessment during my lessons. By utilizing and reflecting on different types of assessment, I am developing a repertoire of effective assessment techniques that I can use when student teaching. Because I am in a primary grade for practicum, I notice my cooperating teacher using a lot of informal assessment techniques. For example, while reading a story aloud to the group, she may stop and ask if some students would like to retell, offer a prediction, or make an inference. By stopping at certain points in the book and asking open ended questions, she is informally assessing the students’ understanding of the story and their use of reading strategies. Another type of informal assessment involves the teacher simply watching the students’ current performance on a task. I noticed my cooperating teacher walking around to each student while he or she was working on an activity, and visually observing the progress made by each. By walking around the classroom, and monitoring each child’s progress on the task, the teacher can take note of the child’s current understanding, and any areas in which the child may need more explanation or assistance. Along with utilizing more informal assessments, teachers in the primary grades also tend to use more formative than summative assessments. If a teacher chooses to formatively assess her students, she will check for student understanding during the lesson, rather than when the lesson is finished. Formative assessment should instruct his or her teaching as well. If the students appear confused or disinterested during the lesson, the teacher may adjust his or her lesson accordingly before reaching the end. On the other hand, when using a summative assessment technique, the teacher checks for understanding after the lesson has been taught. During my observations, I noticed upper grade teachers utilizing more formal and summative assessments. The teachers would indeed ask questions to ensure understanding along the way, but their main form of evaluation of the upper grade students was administered after the lesson was taught. These often included formal assessments such as group presentations, creative projects (murals, posters, advertisements, dramatic performances, etc.), and even written exams. In my future classroom, assessment will take many forms, formative and summative, informal and formal. The process of learning, to me, is just as important as the product. Because of my belief, I will assess using more process-oriented forms of assessment such as writing portfolios and journals to show development over time. Most importantly, however, I will use assessment to inform my instruction. Not only am I assessing how well the student is performing a task, but I am also assessing the effectiveness of my teaching strategies. As mentioned, I would like to use writing portfolios in my classroom as one form of writing assessment. The students will choose their best work and include it in their writing portfolios. This will give the students and me information on how the students are progressing on their writing throughout the year. While looking through the portfolios, I may notice that many of the students are demonstrating similar strategies from their writing samples. I may also notice that half of the students are still not using capital letters at the beginnings of their sentences. I will then plan on giving a mini-lesson on capital letters at the beginnings of sentences for the next language arts lesson. In this way, I have used assessment to inform my own teaching. Effective teachers are those who use a variety of assessment strategies before, during, and after their lessons. These teachers also do not rely on one assessment alone to draw conclusions about a child’s learning. There will be some assessments that do not accurately display students’ understanding. A child who took a standardized test while ill or hungry may end up with a score that does not accurately reflect his or her understanding of the subject. However, if the teacher had been collecting other forms of assessment such as writing samples, creative projects, or journal entries, one will have a more well-rounded view of the child’s progress. In conclusion, assessments can range from simply asking questions during a lesson to class presentations after a unit of study. Assessment is not only a way we can measure student performance, but it is also a way for teachers to plan instruction and reflect on their own methods of teaching. I plan to use assessments in my classroom that show progress over time, as well as assessments that allow the student to display what they have learned at the conclusion of the lesson. Assessment is a way for students and teachers to evaluate their learning. Link to Digital Photo of Assessment Link to Anecdotal Records and ABC Observations Return to Course Page |