10 Questions

1. How do you assess your students with special needs?

-One-on-one assistance
-Modified assignments
-Daily anecdotal observations
-IEP Goals rubrics and checklists

4. As a teacher in training, what do I need to know about assessment?

There are many ways to assess student learning. It should not just be about giving the unit tests and final exams or national and district assessments. It is mainly up to you as a teacher what you feel is best for you and what you know is best for measuring your students’ learning. The best way to go is through authentic evaluation such as portfolios and learning or journal logs. However, you do want to give periodic quizzes just to monitor student progress and mastery of concepts and skills. I honestly try to have a balance of all but once I discover that something is not working, it’s time to try something different that will tailor to your needs and your students’ needs.

6. What are several ways you assess your students?

-Portfolios
-Periodic Quizzes
-Unit Tests
-STAR Reading and Math (computer based)
-Anecdotal Observations
-Journals / Learning Logs
-Bell Work

7. What is the purpose of assessing students?

The purpose of assessing students is to monitor students’ progression, regression, and mastery of concepts and skills. Results on assessments could also inform you of what you as a teacher would have to do to improve instruction.

8. What is the difference between Common Core and CNMI Standards and Benchmarks?

Common Core or otherwise known as Common Core State Standards are national based. Some states have shifted towards using CCSS and therefore there will be an alignment of skills and concepts that students will have to learn across the nation. The CNMI Standards and Benchmarks is the CNMI PSS district curriculum mapping and is composed of skills and concepts similar to that of CCSS and is compiled by teachers and curriculum program coordinators from PSS. However, CNMI S&B is not consistently aligned to that of what is stated in CCSS.

9. What do you do with the results of your assessments?

-Results of assessments help me to see whether or not students are making progress or obtaining mastery of concepts being taught. We also share such results with parents to inform them of their child’s growth. Students also get to see their results as they are given the opportunity to grade their own work (each student grades their own work). From this experience they are able to see how well they have done and realize what they must do next time around as far as the effort their put into doing their daily assignments

17. How do we assess without stressing out?

-For one, don’t give too much work. Allow many opportunities for practice but give students the opportunity to assess themselves during these practices (each student grades their own work). Provide a format or procedure (perhaps a rubric for different activities) for students to grade their daily practice work. Not everything has to be graded for a grade but rather to evaluate

19. Does PSS have a certain guideline for assessing?

Beginning last school year we have shifted towards grading students based on a rubric performance scale instead of using percentage based scores or in other words A, B, C, D, and F. The rubric performance scale is as follows: 4-Advanced, 3-Proficient, 2-Developing and 1-Beginning. This is for both grading all types of assignments and grade for each standard and benchmark as stated in the quarterly mid progress report and report card.

27. Do you assess students authentically or on the pencil and paper method?

-I try to use a balance of both. Authentic assessments like learning logs, journals, and portfolios provide the opportunity for giving students immediate feedback and for monitoring student’s understanding and mastery and also for students to monitor their effort put into learning and doing work and to catch areas that may need improvement.

30. What are the diagnostic assessments that your school has/use? Summative?

-Our school uses the STAR Early Literacy for K-1, STAR Reading and Math for 1-6, a diagnostic, formative and summative Reading First Assessment (RFA)  and Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) for K-6, CNMI Standards Based Assessment –SBA (3-6) and SAT 10 (3rd, 5th, and 6th). Teachers also have their own types of assessments used in their classroom.

Chapter 3 Teachback Reflection

Self-Assessment: Chapter 3 Teachback                             Presented on September 17, 2012

http://www.slideshare.net/lchadwicknmc

What did you want the class to learn from your teachback presentation?

The chapter in which I taught, Chapter 3 was a very difficult chapter for me to understand. But, the author of the textbook even assures us educators that the most important thing with this chapter, was basic understanding. So, I wanted to at least know that my classmates would leave class with enough information to hopefully spark their interest to learn more, or to know how to respond in the future when they are approached by parents/students/fellow educators about assessment scores and so on.

How did you asses what they learned?

the hardest thing for me in this presentation, was knowing their true knowledge acquired. I tried being very verbal, in asking as I went along questions to see if they were following me.

I am proudest of these components of my teachback presentation: (explain why)

Honestly, I am proud that I got through it without fainting! But seriously, again, this chapter was full of numbers, equations, definitions, and yet at the same time the author is saying it is just good to know more for yourself. I am proud though that I was able to (I believe) take the given information and reconstruct it into more straight forward knowledge.

 I can improve my teaching in the following ways: (explain why you felt these are areas that needed to be improved)

Even though I spent years in front of a large audience, I always get nervous getting up in front of the  class. This is something that I am slowly trying to learn how to relax more and just stay positive that what I am teaching is getting stored into my student’s minds, (or rather, my fellow classmates). I think for this chapter in general, I could have broken the lesson down into more sections, but time was limited this go around.

Ideas to contemplate?

Do not assume that any child will produce a certain grade, just because of past assessments. A student may get different grades depending on underlying issues which we may not know about. This is why checking reliability of our assessments is important so that if a teacher comes asking about how we tested the student, we can show them first the reliability of the test.

Why was it important to study this chapter?

Again, this chapter holds knowledge that all educators should know, though may not always preform. It is important to understand (at least) what reliability means in education. Assessment and evaluation is how we determine if a student is learning what we are giving them or not. And we need to know how to check ourselves or even others in the assessment reliability.

Getting Smart with SMARTBoard

Technology has really opened the door to learning and teaching. We are able to use the internet for a limitless amount of information, to communicate with people all over the world. Computers, laptops, netbooks, tablets and even phones are made where you ca do assignments on the and save to an invisible Cloud which can be accessed from any device. And now, we are able to turn even the classroom into an interactive fun space for children of any age! From Headstart to College, the SMARTBoard is bringing life to learning just a little bit more.

I only first used a SmartBoard a year ago in my Physical Science class. I grew up with the black chalk boards and was amazed when they began using the dry-erase boards. I had no idea that there were boards like this! Even though it is a lot to learn for teachers and students, I am a full supporter in using these boards in a classroom. There are so many uses for them, it is amazing. To name a few:

• Digital storytelling
• Brainstorm
• Reinforce skills by using on-line interactive web sites
• Teach editing skills using editing marks
• Use highlighter tool to highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.
• Illustrate and write a book as a class. Use the record feature to narrate the text.
• Teach steps to a math problem.

The list goes on! But, can these boards be used for Assessment? Of COURSE they can! Everything you can use as a teaching strategy, you can turn into an assessment.

Because this board is interactive, you are able to make not only teaching fun but also make assessment fun. You can have the children go up to that board and do math problems, or underline the verb in a sentence, take turns finding a star shape, or circle. Through certain programs which can be used with the Smartboard, children are able to have fun, even when you are secretly assessing their knowledge on the subject. Here are a few website to visit which have the programs available.

http://www.bristolvaschools.org/mwarren/SBActivities.htm
http://mhess1.pbworks.com/f/Smart%20Boards%2032699193.pdf

A Teacher's Professional Portfolio

When I first think of a Professional Portfolio, I honestly only think of a few major things: Resume, Experience, and Recognition. But, once I began researching it more, I realised that there are a lot more things which need to be included, and it all makes perfect sense to me.

It is important for us to begin starting our own Professional Portfolios. Begin one now, and keep adding to it, so when it is time for us to go in for an interview we will be ready. Also, your portfolio will serve a purpose to help you in your teaching. Including information from any workshops you attend should be included so you can easily look back and access it if needed.

Since this was pretty straight to the point information, I got this list from the Scholastic web page at : http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/professional-portfolio

What to Include
A professional teaching portfolio is more than a hodge-podge of lesson plans and lists of professional activities. It is a careful record of specific accomplishments attained over an extended period of time. 

I. Background Information

• resume
• background information on teacher and teaching context
• educational philosophy and teaching goals

II. Teaching Artifacts and Reflections Documenting an Extended Teaching Activity

• overview of unit goals and instructional plan
• list of resources used in unit
• two consecutive lesson plans
• videotape of teaching
• student work examples
• evaluation of student work
• reflective commentary by the teacher
• additional units/lessons/student work as appropriate

III. Professional Information

• list of professional activities
• letters of recommendation
• formal evaluations

ENFJ All the Way

Full description is found here: http://typelogic.com/enfj.html

Extravert (56%) iNtuitive (62%) iNtuitive Feeling (62%) Judging (44%)

That's me. It pretty much had everything correct on how I usually put others first, and am quick to go with my heart over my head. I am creative in many areas, and love being around other people. I have many dreams which I plan on making happen before the day I leave this life, whenever that may be. I am usually the friend and sometimes stranger that people trust their whole life story with. I may not believe in church, the bible,but I am spiritual in my own way. Though Judging is strangely one of my words listed up there, I do not judge those around me. I know that every person has a story and who am I to judge them for the way they act, dress, or express themselves. I was very amused when I saw the word chameleon on this picture, being that I used to own one and that they are my favorite reptiles! And yet, the do represent a side to me. Though I may come off as confident, I am actually very sensitive in my own skin at sometimes would love to be like a chameleon and just blend in with my background. But, because that is only the part of who I am which is not really WHO I am, it is something that is slowly dissolving into the love I am giving myself, which, as you may read, is not so easy for an ENFJ like me.