Think of a lesson plan
from your licensure area. Knowing that assessment is an integral part
of teaching, explain at least four informal and formal assessments that
you will use in your lesson plan to provide you with feedback and
involve the students in assessing their own learning.
The lesson plan I will choose to perform formal and informal assessment strategies on is over Presidents of the United States. Since my licensure will be in Elementary Education this will fit the needs of elementary school students.
Informal Assessments:
Before I start the lesson on the Presidents I will ask the students what they know about the different Presidents of the United States. The answers can literally vary as much or as little as needed. It can be anything from a fun fact about a particular president to knowing the exact order of the presidents. I am just trying to get a general grasp and feel of how much my class knows as a whole. Also I can have them write down on sticky notes something they want to learn and are curious about while learning this particular lesson. On the sticky note I will make sure each student puts his or her name so I can get a better understanding of what that particular student's learning desires are.
Formal Assessments:
The first formal assessment I will conduct will be a sheet that has at the top, "What I know, What I learned, and What I still want to learn." The students will write down everything they already know about presidents before the lesson. Then after the lesson they will write down what they learned and still want to learn. Another formal assessment would be at the end of teaching the students about presidents. I would give each student a choice between a test, writing a short essay, making a book, or doing an oral presentation. This way every student could pick the way that they express what they learned in the most efficient manner so I can get a better picture of how much that student actually learned.
One website I found had two really cute assessment strategy ideas. Both of these would be fun and ideal for elementary age students. http://www.rundesroom.com/2012/08/quick-and-easy-assessment-strategies.html
The other website I found is packed full of all kinds of different assessment ideas. Alot of the ideas even go up to 6th grade and will fit basically any assessment need. http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/ideas/subj_assessment.htm
I loved both your informal and formal assessment ideas. I especially loved that you would present your children with the choice of how they would like to show what they learned. Many children's performance on assessment tools is affected by anxiety and stress so allowing a child to choose immediately reduces some of that pressure by giving them a sense of control and ownership in their learning. I also think that some children do better by talking rather than completing a written, timed test. Other students may prefer writing or journaling about what they have learned, so that also is an awesome option! I hope that wherever I teach, I have the opportunity to present options rather than following a standard test that all classroom's are required to complete.
ReplyDeleteI love the sticky note idea!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a KWL chart used as a formal assessment - I always used it as a way to check what we learned from what we wanted to know, so I think it's interesting that you're using it as such. I like the flexibility of formative assessments as well.