Focus 5.1: Assess student learning (AITSL, n.d.): As a teacher you will be constantly assessing students, whether it be via observations, formative assessment or summative assessment. Observations can be done while students are working independently by walking around the class and seeing what the students are doing and assisting them if they require it, or while they are working in groups. The observations you observe are things like, how the students work together, are they working cooperatively, are they sharing ideas and all having a go. Another way to assess students is through prior knowledge or diagnostic testing, this can be done through a question and answer session, a simple quiz, or multiple choice test and the results will show the students understanding and any misconceptions they may have, which will aid in planning the lesson more effectively (NIU, n.d.). Formative assessment involves feedback during the learning process. This can be achieved through exit slips, KWL charts -know, want to know and learned (what I have learned in the lesson), and worksheets (artifact 1). The data collected from this formative assessment will enable me as a teacher to see whether or not my lesson was successful or not and whether or not I have to change it up, it also shows me where the students understanding is at and what still needs to be understood. Summative assessment is an assessment which is given at the end of a learning cycle, it covers all the material which the students have learnt and will show what they have understood. (artifact 2) This data is also what is used for the report card and is used as a guide to see how they are progressing throughout the year. A summative test can consist of a written exam, a performance, a presentation or even a group presentation. Differentiation of the summative test is also advisable for those students who require it, this may mean instead of standing up in front of the class and doing a presentation they may want to use a power point presentation to show their skills or they may want to only present to the teacher and one friend, these adjustments will aid in them being able to succeed and feel comfortable in their learning.
Focus 5.2: Provide feedback to students on their learning (AITSL, n.d.). Feedback needs to be constructive both in aiding for improvement, but also for praise of a job well done. The best feedback comes in two parts; part one is what the student has done well and part two; is where the student requires further instruction, if one of these is not demonstrated then feedback is not required, further teaching is. Feedback needs to be done as soon as possible, it needs to be constructive, descriptive, with the use of open ended questions to elicit deeper thinking and encourage peer feedback (NSW Government, n.d.). By creating a learning intention and success criteria which is explicit and keeping the feedback related to this criteria will aid the students. By using only two or three specific recommendations linked to the criteria students wont get overwhelmed and give up. In the example I have used (artifact 3), I marked, signed and gave the student a smiley face, I also discussed the results with the student, at the time of marking.
Reference
AITSL. (n.d.). Domains of teaching.
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards/understand-the-teacher-standards/domains-of-teaching
NSW Government. (n.d.). Feedback practices and strategies.
NIU. (n.d.). Formative and Summative assessment. Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
Artifacts
Artifact 1: worksheets / formative assessment
Artifact 2: summative test, (one page)
Artifact 3: the feedback I gave was verbal, and I used ticks, a signature and a smiley face.
