Week 8: Reflections on Learning

I thought assessment looked a very specific way and the knowledge I had of assessment mainly consisted of assessment my previous teachers had used. My perspective on assessment was narrow simply because I had never experienced any other alternative forms of assessment. I never fully understood how limited my perspective was Hinchey (2010) compared it to music. The analogy she used was that people who have listened to rock music their whole life will have a limited concept of what music can be in respect to genre, style, mood, culture, etc. (Hinchey, 2010, p. 34). I knew a times new roman three-point essay, short answer and multiple-choice like the back of my hand but not much past that. Volante (2006) noted that this is effective in measuring reading comprehensive skills but misses the representation speaking and listening skills almost entirely (p. 138). Not only is this an inaccurate depiction of the skills students form throughout the year, but it also favours students who excel at reading comprehension and gives them an unfair advantage.

Summative assessment provides students with opportunities and as stated in Brown, Race and Smith (2004), can lead to a qualification that allows individuals to have certain professions. School is the starting point of change in society and teachers need to be particularly sensitive to issues regarding gender, class, and race to ensure they are a main contributing factor to the inequalities and unfair advantages that exist in society. I thought of politics in the classroom as simply interactions that occur between you and your students, but instruction and assessment are an integral part of that. I thought of assessment and instruction as mutually exclusive before this class and believed that being able to rattle off names and facts was an indication of knowledge. Sackstein (2017) disrupts this when stating that, “feedback isn’t separate from teaching: the teaching is in the feedback” (p. 41). I now know how vital assessment and feedback is when it comes to learning, and that reiteration is a mere factor of authentic knowledge.

Dochy and McDowell (1997) wrote about “authentic assessment”, a new form of assessment that accounts for skills such as communication, information technology, and personal or interpersonal skills such as working with others, improving own learning and performance, and problem-solving are important (p. 284). In my short time at pre-internship, I noticed how many students were completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable with problem-solving and open-ended questions that required them to apply knowledge. It was extremely difficult and uncomfortable to give these but the quality of answers and collaboration it led to was far better than the specific information questions. This reminded me of the point made in the lecture from week three, where it was stated that 21st-century jobs are not just labour and basic task-oriented like they were at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. If society favours creativity, ingenuity and engineering in individuals, then assessment and instruction should be tailored towards these attributes. What I had never thought about before this course was how often assessment looks for one specific answer to be given, and how that deters away from individuality and imagination.

Week 7: Questions around Assessment

My central question as I enter my three week block is the following: how do I know my students are learning from assessment? Things like performance vs. learning oriented assignments blurs the lines of authentic understanding and evidence of learning. I am concerned about my own expertise in the content I am teaching. I have learned several complex topics throughout University but there are many concepts in the curriculum I am far less familiar with. How do I ensure I am in the position to recognize when a student is demonstrating mastery of a subject or skill? I would also like to know more about efficient scaffolding. How do I balance familiarizing students with a topic without over covering it and losing students in repetition. I particularly struggle with this when it comes to the varying abilities in a classroom. How many students need to grasp a concept before I move on in class? Is there a certain percentage where I begin to work with struggling students individually?

In regards to assessment, I would ask my Coop teacher the following questions:

1. How do you use assessment to ensure students are an integral part of their own learning process?
2. What are your favourite assessment strategies/ formative assessments and why?
3. How do you know when responses reflect authentic understanding?

One of my peers was placed in an unconventional classroom specialized for the varying abilities of students and this taught me how different assessment looks like in different contexts. As an example, visual components of assessment do not serve students with visual impairments, meaning as educators we need to tap into other unique modes of assessments. Enhancing a students ability to demonstrate what they learned is just as important as providing a learning environment. Seeing or researching a non-conventional learning environment in action would be beneficial to me because it dawned on me that I don’t really know what that can look like. It makes sense that large takeaways are so enforced in school because we easily get lost in details like spelling or visuals. When you can’t use classes to enforce things like scientific terminology or note taking, you need a strong foundation of the concepts that are important for students to know.

Week 6: Assessment as Learner

My memory of school is largely tied to the social experiences I had with and alongside my peers. Therefore, things like collaborative assignments and field trips are where I relate most to past experiences. This social aspect of the school was beneficial only when the environment was accepting of mistakes. I remember how significant this was to my stages of development and how easily it was for a positive experience to become a negative one.

One of my high school science labs had little to no support and the teacher was very focused on harbouring natural talents. This led to a competitive and indifferent environment that impacted my personal learning in a negative way. I initially associated science with a feeling of inferiority and exclusion and therefore only took it when I had absolutely no choice. This experience fed the myth that I was not a “science person” and that only certain types of people could be scientists. I expected to fail when doing anything involved in science and this led to a self-deprecating journey of low resilience which led me to quit easily after making any mistakes. A really good science teacher I had in grade 12 did not allow me to quit and did not leave the classroom until I understood the concept I was struggling in. In addition, The group I was in collaborated together and this support was essential to our individual success. This led to such a significant shift in my perspective of science that I enrolled in general science in my first year of University.

Transferring this into my own teaching I put a lot of my energy into students who do not believe in themselves, maybe so much so that I need to focus more on the kids who are already excelling. I know firsthand how essential building confidence and school morale is to student success and it largely affects the way I approach the criticism I give a student. I struggle with giving too many or ingenuine compliments because it is hard for me to critique hard work and effort. I notice I instead need to shift more towards teaching students how to be inspired by suggestions rather than viewing them as a detriment.

Week 5: Sackstein (2017) and Davies (2001)

Sackstein notes on the tendency to use general nice words (good job) in feedback to students that do not assist in learning. According to Sackstein, clearing learning goals, elaborate overview sheets, criteria for success and work worthy of feedback are the beginning of efficient feedback (2017). Other strategies including having students annotate notes on assignment protocols together, and using question prompts to surface previous learning important to scaffolding. Learning objectives of assignments should closely align with the big picture targets of the outcome/unit and students should in some way identify what content was covered in class and what content is new to them. For teacher contribution to success, they are expected to give timely and specific feedback that isolates separate points. In reflections, students should provide specific targets they wish to work on, and these should be specifically covered in future feedback given. One strategy that assists in learning through feedback includes grouping helper students with developing students and having the developing students take ownership of their learning through methods like notetaking.

Informal feedback allows tone to come through and verbal feedback build relationships and tends to be received better. For students who have trouble with receiving feedback, ensure critiques align with learning targets, match pace/criticism to body language, and point out areas of growth. The article pointed out a few activities and strategies that assist in teaching students how to give feedback and develop rubrics. To ensure students are understanding the feedback they are given, they should practice asking clarifying questions and should summarize the feedback they are given in their own words. Rubrics building can start with a class discussion where criteria’s of success are brainstormed and then filtered out. Lastly, the article gave some strategies that could be used in fitting student-led feedback to meet specific classroom needs. In large classes, it was recommended that classes were split into smaller more intimate groups. The room could be set up to better assist in discussion tables, circles, etc. Students could move to the hallway, library, etc. and forms help students to gather data.

I found the Davis article closely aligned to topics covered in the Sackstein article. It also reflects on the importance of clarifying to students the meaning and purpose of what they were learning or creating and they were to be involved in choosing which evidence of learning to demonstrate. Recognition and feedback from both themselves and others were encompassed in the guidance and support of their learning. This feedback helped students to recognize the “depth, detail, and range of their learning to identify strengths and areas requiring development (Davis, 2001). Outside supports systems were widely regarded in this article and research found that parents or other support systems builds resilience in students and leads to increased achievement levels (Davis, 2001). Outside feedback was also found to increase success and examples given included older students providing specific feedback on mastery in a rocket launch for a technology class, and a cookie testing event with given feedback in a cooking class. It also highlights student group assessment and the benefit of the ability to “find evidence of [their] own learning, collect organize and reflect on evidence of learning. The ending of this article had a great ending, pointing out how traditional testing methods really do not involve students in the evidence of their own learning.

Week 4: (Hinchey, 2010) & (James, 2006)

The article “Rethinking what we know” completely transformed the idea for knowledge and quite honestly made me a little uncomfortable in my new discovery. Culturally we are all very limited in what we explore and knowledge essentially embodies a dominant philosophy which varies in what content is favoured (Hinchey, 2010). Throughout my University career I have met some incredibly intelligent people in science course, education course, etc. and I tend to follow their methods as if they are gospel. It was shocking to read that consistently taking experts “word for it” and adopting their processes is a disservice but as I read on, it began to make a lot of sense. If we do not truly understand the journey behind practices and the context and purpose underlying their use, there is no way to ensure it is being used properly. Everyone takes different routes in teaching and creating unique methods through trial and error is how we learn. In my in class placement I could not tell you as much about my successes because I prioritized my mistakes so that they did not happen again.

Often skepticism and criticism are viewed as negative attribute but they were framed as essential in multidisciplinary conducted research. In the article it was stated, “[t]hat Beethoven was a great composer and Twain a great writer are presented as facts as credible as the fact that water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit (Hinchey, 2010). Ensuring that all subject areas are seen as thoroughly researched helps bridge the divide between courses deemed as “creative” and courses deemed as “practical”. This article also had a fascinating take on what it looks like to teaching someone. You can provide facts but students provide their own meaning an interpretation of these events. And for students to truly learn or give meaning to content they must conduct their own research and put their ideas into words. As individuals, students should be information in their own way through a combination of vocabulary, personal experience and creative ideas. In addition, students need to expand beyond their own experiences to find new meanings and understanding. “Critical theorists believe we are all in the position of blind men, limited in our individual perspectives (Hinchey, 2010). Before we can begin to claim to “know” anything, we have to draw on a variety of dimensions and perspectives (Hinchey, 2010).

In the “Assessment, Teaching and Theories” one passage that struck me was that the “Differences between experts and novices are marked by the way experts organise knowledge in structures that make it more retrievable and useful (James, 2006). This struck me because it noted not only containing the knowledge but the ability to express that knowledge to others. The article also touched on the fact that teachers need to understand the purpose behind the theories they are teaching to ensure they have merit in the classroom. This relates to the previous article, which reflected on how learning and discovery is only meaningful when it belongs to the students. It was interesting to see the progression from the behaviourist approach to the cognitive, constructivist theories of learning and how this shift largely arises from the shift in how we see students. If we truly serve students it is not enough to get them listening and obeying because analysis and criticism creates fundamental understanding. The behaviourist approach works when basic knowledge or habitual skills is the goal but cognitive skills is advantageous when teaching complex interconnected topics. What I took from this article is that as educators, we prepare students for all sorts of situations so we need lots of approaches in our “toolbox”

Week 3: Rowsell & Walsh (2011) and Dochy & McDowell (1997)

One expert as the main source of knowledge, although this becomes less and less attainable as the transfer of information is now rapid and knowledge grows exponentially. Technological resources such as databases and communication create a new era of learning which develops new teaching and learning methods. Visual and audio resources open up new opportunities in understanding complex concepts that cannot be represented textually, and this will eventually lead to 3-D conceptualization and hands-on/  simulation learning. A firsthand example of simulation learning I have come across is ecoMUVE, which uses immersive virtual environments to teach middle school students about ecosystems and causal patterns. There is a disconnect between job requirements and skills developed through education, more and more work is being done to balance this at a governmental level (Dochy and McDowell, 1997, p. 281). A shift from teaching students what to learn to teaching them how to learn is largely due to a rapidly evolving technological society which requires individuals to quickly adapt and acquire new skills. Like the previous articles, Dochy and McDowell place importance on multiple forms of assessments such as student-oriented assessment and assessing pre-requisite knowledge.  21st Century assessment shifts teachers into a more challenging role and reflects on using assessment as a communication tool or to see where students are in their understanding (Dochy and McDowell, 1997, p. 283). 

Making literacy plural means removing the limits of what literacy looks like in terms of “contexts, texts, and the identities of people using literacies (Roswell and Walsh, 2011, p. 55). Multiple forms of literacies needed to be defined because research suggested that 21st Century assessment assesses several skills. Digital literacy is particularly important and if we are to prepare students with the tools they need in modern society, then we must incorporate digital spaces into teaching (Rowsell & Walsh, 2011, p.56). Digital communications allow for various forms of communication to occur simultaneously. Including the “synchronising of text, images, sound and movement” (Rowsell & Walsh, 2011, p.59). This new method of communication means a new form of learning and a new way of developing communication skills. Although this is in a lot of ways uncharted territory, this form of communication should be familiarized to students in a safe learning environment to prepare for encounters outside of the classroom.

Response: Performance-Based Assessment (Kabba, 2008)

I felt it would be easier to explain how I would use performance-based assessment in the classroom if I applied it to a specific context. I chose the grade 11 unit “Atmosphere and Human Health” and the following outcome: “Assess the impact of human activities on indoor and outdoor air quality and the need for regulations and mitigating technologies to minimize risks to human health”. One structured performance task I found online has students measure the relative level of atmospheric oxygen by measuring the amount of oxygen burned during combustion (using a candle). Students are less likely to separate the atmosphere from the physical air they breathe through this activity. Additionally, students will produce data themselves rather than simply use a fill in the blank or list. I think this is a great way to use observation and inference in the classroom, students observe the amount of oxygen in the test tube and use that to inference the amount of oxygen in the air (troposphere). If any branching questions arise, students can be given the opportunity to explore these as well. Since money, time and effort are all limiting resources for teachers I would probably use this mode of assessment when it proves most advantageous. I see myself utilizing this when introducing a topic or when reinforcing the essential topics of a course.

            For the open-ended performance task, I would have students investigate the success of the Montreal Protocol and how it could be used as a model for further policies/treaties on atmospheric pollution. I would use something like this because it requires students to demonstrate skill as well as content knowledge. If done right this will measure a student’s ability to incorporate as well as evaluate multiple perspectives through evidence, to create a new course of action. This closely aligns with the STSE Decision Making learning context and allows students to be more literate in media and the internet. Where I can see this being an issue is that it would require the teacher to build a lot of background, especially if students are new to research. In conclusion, I interpreted Performance-Based assessment as useful in the classroom if used strategically and periodically.

Activity Mentioned: Composition of the Atmosphere STEM Lab

STSE Decision Making (listed steps)

• clarifying an issue;
• evaluating available research and different viewpoints on the issue;
• generating possible courses of action or solutions;
• evaluating the pros and cons for each action or solution;
• identifying a fundamental value associated with each action or solution;
• making a thoughtful decision; examining the impact of the decision; and,
•  reflecting back on the process of decision making

Week 2: Volante and Brown, Race and Smith

Volante (2006) begins with the common myth that more than one type of assessment is the foundation of good assessment. It provides principles of good assessment and summarizes these in separate subheadings (this helped with clarity and kept me organized while reading). The first principle is student centred, which means giving students responsibility for monitoring their own learning. This empowers students, indicates strengths/weaknesses, gives peer teaching opportunities, and individual level of understanding is assessed both by the teacher and the students (Volante, 2006). The second principle is clear learning targets. Across the province, students have the expected prerequisite knowledge to move into subjects in the next grade level. Students know what is expected of them and there is a level of uniformity across classrooms, schools, and district (Volante, 2006). Students also leave with the same cross-curricular literacies expected to run from Kindergarten to grade 12.

The third principle is multiple method assessment that represents an array of skills. The reading states that well rounded assessment includes selected response, constructed response, performance assessment, portfolio assessment, personal communication, and observational technique but is successful and dependable only when done carefully and correctly (Volante, 2006). The fourth principle is aiming to reduce bias and a specific consciousness to race, class, and gender. This is to slow frequency of inequality, examples given by the text include the following; reflecting on preconceived notions, multiethnic/multicultural representation, gender neutral terms, using a blind process in grading, and reducing test wiseness by carefully constructing assessment and providing a review (Volante, 2006). The next principle is reliability of assessment, which means that inferences made about student understanding based on assessment results should be accurate. Inaccurate inferencing comes from things like unclear instruction, an irrelevant/bias focus, inadequate timing, etc. (Volante, 2006). The principle of efficiency points out that sound and multifaceted assessments require time and a supportive environment provided to teachers creating assessments.

Brown, Race, and Smith (2004) mirror Volante in a lot of the points they make about assessment (i.e. multiple methods, validity, etc.). The authors of this article organized their main points into four categories; best assessment practices, why we assess, what to assess, and when to assess.

Best assessment practices (Brown, Race, and Smith 2004) :

This includes ensure results reflect desired outcomes/skills and reliable marking means clear targets that allow multiple markers to reach the same conclusion. Results should be transparent and solely come from the student as well as align with course outcomes. Assessment should continue throughout the course and demonstrate to students what they are learning, how they are learning and how to represent this learning. Different assessment opportunities, fair assessment practice for all individuals, and feedback should always be given. Assessment should begin as early as possible and allow time for students to practice and opportunity for redemption. Assessment should ensure students demonstrate growth and intellectual improvement but also be effective and manageable in terms of a teacher’s time and resource.

Why we assess (Brown, Race, and Smith 2004):

Assessment should help students improve and identify errors, find their interests, and understand their ability to adapt. Assessment sets standards, and helps decipher whether a course is suitable for a student in terms of demand and interest. Assessment can motivate students and help them truly understand course expectations and allows the teachers to see their own success/struggles in instruction. It allows students to demonstrate an array of skills and literacies, prioritize information, and shows them their level of understanding in relation to peers. Assessment provides data of student progression, which can demonstrate achievements and in some cases an individual’s qualifications or licence to practice.

What/When to assess (Brown, Race, and Smith 2004):

There is a few questions aimed at deciphering what to assess. Is assessment designed for specific information or applied theory? Is it demonstrating individual work or team work? Do grades need to be applied or is it strictly informative? Is there opportunity for individualism or individuality? Can assessment draw from a variety of sources/subjects or designed for a particular time? And lastly, should students be assessed in relation to each other or in relation to a set of criteria? Assessment should begin as early as possible, should define pre-requisite knowledge and should be well divided among the semester. Assessment should be done qualitatively instead of quantitatively and due dates should be democratically set but firm. For example, it should help students understand concepts or formatively assess things that students have not yet covered. Assessment should avoid the “7 week nightmare” and should be receptive to student feedback.

Week 1: Assessment Philosophy

Assessment is the measurement of how well students are understanding target information given to them through some form of teaching. It’s aim is to demonstrate the way that students are interacting with what the are learning and their though process in exploring this information. Assessment, classroom environment and instructional practice are all involved in the process of student learning and they all must be tailored in order to fit context, individuals, specific goals, etc. Classroom environment and instructional strategy should be presented in a way that provokes thought and engagement. There should be clear targets for skills and knowledge presented in class and assessment should provide an opportunity for students to show you that they hit those targets.

When designing assessment teachers should be thinking about the full range of student ability and way assessment represents this range. It should be ensured that students are not trapped by specific questioning or formatting in every single assignment so that they can produce original though and content. In addition students should have the opportunity to grow from assessment and things like feedback should assist in next steps and overcoming challenges. Teachers should have what they want students to take away from the class evident through every piece of work they have them produce. In teaching students skills, teachers should utilize many forms of assessment and strategies that move beyond a certain “box” or “comfort zone”. Allowing more unpredictable answers/products and assessment beyond multiple choice provides more opportunities for students to experience authentic understanding and learning.

Curriculum as Literacy

1. How has your upbringing/schooling shaped how you you “read the world?” What biases and lenses do you bring to the classroom? How might we unlearn / work against these biases?
2. Which “single stories” were present in your own schooling? Whose truth mattered?

1. Many students in my school had little guidance at home and social connections with their pupils at school held more importance than anything. Many of my friends throughout elementary and high-school were not treated well at home and were home alone more often than not. This is not to say I know everything about their home life, just that I understand why these students put so much importance on forming social relationships. Looking back now these students were wise far beyond their years and understood social cues and language incredibly but they did poorly in school because it was “informal” language. Even though these students were wise beyond their years they had been conditioned to think that effort in school meant social suicide. Due to this I was silently told I was “better” at school or “smarter”. I think to work against these biases it has to be considered how little you see inside a classroom. It is also important to fight against giving a student a permanent identity. For example when I was labelled a “good student” it worked in my favor and brought me success. In turn, students labelled as “bad student” had to uphold this given identity and it was a constant struggle.
   
2. Language completely dictated school success. I was considered successful in school largely just by speaking fluent English. I didn’t have to go to special classes or fight to interpret every assignment. Students talented enough to learn two languages were categorized as undeveloped because they did not speak English with ease. In addition, it wasn’t enough just to be fluent in English, it had to be the “right kind” of English. I grew up mostly around adults and picked up on academic and “adult” vocabulary. In my schooling students who learned slang or modern language were immediately categorized as rebellious or immature. The truth that mattered was the one that reinforced tradition and repetition.