Week 8 Portfolio

.docx

School

University of the People *

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Course

5440

Subject

Communications

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

2

Uploaded by DukeDinosaur1765 on coursehero.com

As we are ending this course, please reflect on the course’s information: Is there one type of assessment that has been most useful for your practice in the classroom. I must admit, this was one of my most dreaded classes from the entirety of the course requirements for this degree program. One reason is because I am passionate about speaking out against the culture of over-testing through standardized and other assessment tests. I do understand the necessity of gauging where each student falls against the required benchmark standards, but I disagree with the push towards a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. “They (other researchers) hold the view that the most serious threat to the effectiveness of formative assessment occurs when it is assimilated into larger accountability systems such as National Curriculum Assessment in England” (Ninomiya, 2016, page 80). Sometimes it feels as though the constant emphasis on obtaining certain results does more harm than good to the psyche of our students, which is the crux of my push back on assessments as a whole. That said, I do feel as though I learned quite a bit of useful information from my colleagues throughout the last eight weeks of this course. The peer-assessments of our assigned writing exercises opened my eyes to the many different philosophies and methods being utilized by others in my profession. In addition, I had a decent experience corresponding with my small group for our class project. It was interesting to hear about the experiences of others, who teach in very different milieus under different circumstances, and compare those to mine. I still maintain that the following paragraph from my Week 2 Writing Assignment is the most accurate description of how I utilize a formative assessment in my class. This method is also the most useful, for me, in terms of measuring the skill set being required of students as young as mine. “As a preschool educator, one might have a small group of students sit at a table with large pieces of paper. The educator might hand each student a pair of safety scissors and ask each one to select a sheet of colored paper, cut ten thin strips, and glue those strips to another sheet of paper. During this exercise, the students are providing feedback on fine motor skills, attention span, early math skills, problem-solving skills, and creativity, which are five of the ten skills a child should develop while in
preschool ( The 10 Most Important Skills for a Preschooler’s Development , 2020)” (Snow, 2023, page 1). Another assessment that I have found to be useful is called the 3-2-1 Countdown. This tool helps me to create guided questions which my students then answer, either in a large or a small group format, before I write their answers on a large chart. These question prompts are: “Name three things you didn't know before, name two things that surprised you about the topic, and name one (thing) you want to start doing with what you’ve learned” (University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education, 2022, bullet #5). These questions are great for the end of a topic and help me to see if my students retained the main points from our lessons. If I feel as though there is a part, or parts, which were difficult then I know to go back and reteach that certain information. I work hard in my planning to ensure that my students can receive the information in my class in an equitable manner. In her titled Equity for English-Language Learners (2016), Rusul Alrubail lists possible equitable accommodations, which were meant for ELL students but do apply to a wider range of classroom challenges, including IEP and disability students. These accommodations include allowing students to use a dictionary for easier translations, utilizing audio and/or video teaching tools, and allowing for extra time and flexible deadlines with tests. I do my best to ensure that I am reaching all my students where they are in their learning journey. Utilizing these accommodations helps with my goal. References Alrubail, R. (2016).  Equity for English-Language Learners . Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-for-english-language-learners-rusul-alrubail Ninomiya, S. (2016). The Possibilities and Limitations of Assessment for Learning: Exploring the Theory of Formative Assessment and the Notion of “Closing the Learning Gap.”  Educational Studies in Japan ,  10 (0), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.7571/esjkyoiku.10.79 Snow, J. (2023, June). Week 2 Writing Assignment . (Unpublished Weekly Writing Assignment EDUC 5440). University of the People. University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education. (2022, March 21).  14 Examples of Formative Assessment [+FAQs] . University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education. https://pce.sandiego.edu/14-examples-of-formative-assessment-faqs/
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