UbDDI+Chapter+5


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[|Abstract and Reflection--Geoff C.]
Chapter five of //Integrating Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction// discusses ways of collecting evidence of student understanding and mastery. In other words, this chapter discusses assessment. Tomlinson and McTighe offer three guiding principles for effective assessment. The first tells us that we should consider multiple types and sources of assessment for student understanding; it is unfair and wrong for us to pin everything on one end-of-the-unit test or project (pages 60-61). The second tells us that we need to make sure the measures of assessment fit with our educational goals (page 64). Tomlinson and McTighe distinguish between three different types of knowledge (declarative, procedural, and dispositional) and points out that each type of knowledge has its own set of assessments conducive to the knowledge being measured. The third deals with three types of assessments: summative, formative, and diagnostic or pre-assessment, all of which are pretty self-explanatory and all of which we have discussed in class (page 71). The chapter introduces the six facets of understanding, something we’ve come to know very well as part of our backward design model, as well as the G.R.A.S.P.S. framework, which we’ve also become accustomed to (pages 67, 70). Finally, this chapter discusses the beneficial uses of responsive assessment, where the teachers offer pre-assessment and frequent formative assessment and use the data to make adjustments in our lessons (pages 72-79). As with instruction, we are also urged to differentiate assessment, and that we should encourage self-assessment and reflection in our students as important components of development and maturity in students.
 * Abstract**

My general impression from the responses to this chapter is that it got them thinking about assessment in ways they hadn’t thought about before, myself included. As an entire group, I think this shows how far we have come in our transition from thinking like students to thinking like teachers. As students in elementary, middle and high school, I think we became so used to end-of-the-unit, high-stakes, fill-in-the-bubble tests, that at some point it became embedded in our brains, and we all went along with it. Now that we have been working on thinking more like teachers, we can take a different look at assessment in the classroom, and quickly we begin to realize how bad that old system of assessment really is, and we begin to see the disservice we are doing as teachers to our students. Therefore, we need to include many ways of assessing student understanding, including [|before we even start the unit], along with providing many and varying opportunities for demonstrating their knowledge through [|formative assessment]. I think we have all realized in this chapter that one assessment for all the marbles is simply not enough; we need to provide multiple opportunities to gain experience and demonstrate understanding for students, with plenty of feedback along the way.//
 * Reflection**

When you click on this link, click the tab that says “Browse.” Then, in the search bar, type in “Wondering about Web 2.0.”

Jen T.
This chapter explains the different techniques and views that can positively assess students and their knowledge. After being in the classroom for three weeks, I can definitely say that assessment is important and shouldn’t be handled lightly or in the wrong context. The assessment type needs to match the assumed knowledge and there is never only one way to test students. Simple conversation can provide enough assessment for some kinds of curriculum such as movie analysis. In my classroom, I’ll try to limit my formal assessment such as tests and quizzes, and bank more on informal assessment such as in-class activities and homework.

Megan
This chapter was helpful because my biggest concern has been how will I know that my students learned what I taught them? The chapter got me thinking about using multiple sources of evidence. I loved the album vs. snapshot analogy. It really helped put things in perspective. I liked the idea of looking at a student’s progress over time. That seems to me to be a more effective way of making sure kids are learning and getting something out of the class as opposed to just taking a test. It’s so simple that it’s a wonder we didn’t do it before. It also got me thinking about how much teachers don’t take responsibility for students’ successes or failures. It frustrates me when teachers give up because they think they can’t do anything to help students. When students don’t succeed teachers need to take action. We need to find a different approach and work with our students not give up on them. Asking them for feedback and giving them choices regarding their work are just a few ways we can help them learn better.

Rachel B.
There was a lot to this chapter that I hadn’t thought about in great elaboration before. It made me think significantly about effective assessment and what that means in terms of processes and actions for both the teacher and the students. The six facets of understanding, explain, interpret, apply, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge I found very informative because they lend hand to teachers and their ability to check for students understanding. The chart regarding inauthentic versus authentic work was a clear illustration, which is easy to follow and I predict will be a good tool as a teacher.

Rachel F.
Chapter five really made me think about the ways that teachers assess their students. My favorite part of this chapter was Assessment Principle 1. When you use the photo album analogy, you can clearly see why using only one test is a horrible way to assess any student. In order to get a clear assessment, you must use many varieties of assessments. This way you can paint a better picture of the students’ knowledge. The purposes of assessment jumped out at me because diagnostic and formative tests were proven to be more effective for assessment than the traditional summative. Typical tests, quizzes, stupid homework assignments are inhibiting the students’ ability to grow. Out of all of the awesome information in this chapter, these two factors impacted me the most because I believe they are the most important. My classroom will greatly benefit from such information because I will be able to properly assess my students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Geoff
Chapter five of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// is loading with information on assessment of learning in a differentiated classroom. Tomlinson and McTighe offer three main principles of effective assessment. The first, “consider photo albums versus snapshots,” offers a metaphor for using multiple forms of classroom assessments, including everything from multiple-choice tests to use of visuals like Powerpoints and others, with the idea that more than one assessment is necessary in order to measure student progress and success, as well as that differentiated assessment increases the opportunity for more students to succeed. Assessment principle 2 is especially helpful for me, as it 1) distinguishes between three types of knowledge: declarative and procedural knowledge, and dispositions; and 2) gives examples of types of assessments that would work well with measuring each of these educational goals. They discuss the six facets of understanding, which we have covered in class, and which I think is important, because without an exploration or definition of what understanding is, to say that we are to “assess student understanding” is really not saying much of anything at all. I strongly agree with the authors’ advice to assess before teaching as a way to see where the students stand and to revise or build the unit in an appropriate way. In addition, I will also work to integrate frequent and timely feedback and provide multiple opportunities for self-reflection—suggestions advocated by Tomlinson and McTighe.

Karin
The part of this chapter that taught me the most was the section on GRASPS – goal, role, audience, situation, product, and standards. Using these six criteria, a teacher can make a very effective assessment that will reach each of his or her students. The usual “essay assessment” or “multiple choice test” or “standardized test” isn’t always good enough to test a student’s true progress. By implementing a strategy that will encourages more freedom, variety, and especially real-world application in assessment, a teacher can more effectively assess his or her students. This will have a great impact on my classroom; reading the examples that are given in the book, I realize that I can easily implement this assessment strategy in my classroom, even though I was a bit skeptical of its application in a English classroom.

Courtney
This chapter was about ways to assess kids so that the teacher is able to better the curriculum based on these assessments. The chapter begins by explaining proof of understanding is going to be different for every student, not one test is going to be able to tell a teacher all they need to know about a student. Tests, projects, and class participation will lead to a greater understanding of what a student knows and what they need to know. This chapter used a lot of analogies to provide information, which I really liked. The first one was the photo album where it compares a photo album to classroom assessment, not one photo or test can provide much information on a student, but a whole collection of photos and assessments is a different story. The second analogy dealt with the judicial system, ones needs a collection of evidence before someone can be convicted of a crime, or it terms of education, teachers need a collection of work from students to convict them of learning something. The last analogy was a coach, where students spend too much time practising and not enough doing the real thing, which is learning! These analogies really made the chapter enjoyable.

Jen P.
I learned that it is important for teachers to provide opportunities for students to learn in a way that they learn best. For example, some students just can not write an essay, but they can give a fantastic oral presentation off of the top of their head. I also learned that quality feedback is very important. In my classroom, there will be several ways to learn new material. I want to have recordings of all of my text books for my classroom. I will also give opportunities for my students to complete assignments using different forms and mediums. The feedback I give on those should be motivating, supportive, and helpful in a way that makes students want to revise and improve. The words constructive criticism come to mind. I will be encouraging, but honest.

Sara
Assessment is a difficult task. One must make sure that assessment is appropriate for each individual student as well as reflect the skills necessary to succeed. Standardized testing is not a good evaluation tool. It only shows how students test on a given day; it does not take into account individual needs or learning styles. In my classroom I will attempt to work away from cookie cutter testing and curriculum and work on differentiating the material for student’s specific needs. I will also attempt to provide timely and constructive feedback that will aid in the student’s educational growth.

Stephanie L.
The main focus of chapter 5 of UbD /DI is the principles of effective assessment. The first principle says that it is important to assess students in more than one way. As they put it in the book, "consider photo albums versus snapshots" (60). By focusing on just one form of assessment it is hard to determine if the student has trouble with the material or just that particular assessment technique. By offering a wide range of assessments over a period of time, it is easier to see personal growth and whether or not a student has actually learned the material. The second principle highlights the importance of keeping the assessments and the goals in sync with one another. For example, it wouldn't make sense to test students on a book they never read. The goals are generally broken down into three categories: (1) Declarative knowledge-"to know", (2) Procedural knowledge-"to do", and (3) Dispositions-"to think" (64). Certain assessments work better for certain goals. It's a teacher's job to figure out what works best. The third and final principle is all about the purpose of assessments. These purposes come in many different forms: (1) Summative -summarizing what you've learned, (2) Diagnostic-finding out what students already know, and (3) Formative-assess as you go to keep everyone on the same page.

Jordan
This chapter describes the many components and principles of effective assessment. I really like the idea of relating assessment to a photo album. Just like a photo album should contain numerous pictures, numerous assessments should be given throughout a unit. It is not helpful to a student to have only one assessment at the end. Giving chances for multiple assessments can give the teacher an idea of the students complete learning and progress. I think that formative assessment is something that can be very useful and helpful to my future students. This chapter also discussed the fact that, in order for assessment to be effective, a goal has to be appropriately measured. Three types of educational goals were described: 1.) declarative knowledge: what students know and understand, 2.) procedural knowledge: what students can do, and 3.) dispositions: what attitudes students display. Identifying which type of goal is being addressed can shape what form of assessment is given to the student.

John T.
I believe that in the three weeks I've spent at the middle school, I've seen every method of assessment that this chapter describes. Most of the planning for the preferred methods of assessment is done with the fact that many of the students will be going into high school the next year. The students have an adequate balance of in-class assignments, (the content of which the teacher may view after grading) and take-home assignments. Also, closer to the end of the year and to the inevitable journey to high school, large-scale projects begin to surface. The way that the assignments are set up allow the students to apply what they have learned in class in three very different scenarios. They have a chance to do the exercise within a classroom in case they need help, they can keep the subject fresh in their minds as they complete assignments at home, and long term projects teach students about time management, as well as allow them to let new ides solidify. It seems to me that DI driven assessment, having a clear goal in mind, serves a much greater purpose to both the student and the teacher, rather than relying on assessment merely for the sake of seeing where the student stands as a number in a classroom of peers.

Tracey Hollingsworth
Chapter 5 – Responsive Teaching with UbD in Academically Diverse Classrooms

This chapter helped me to understand the evidence of learning in diverse classrooms. There are three main principles that inform and guide classroom assessment which include considering photo albums versus snapshots, match the measures with the goals, and form follows function. The acronym GRASPS (goal, role, audience, situation, products, standards) is used to help the decipher a student’s knowledge and understanding. In order to promote learning in a diverse classroom, teachers need to be aware that it is vital to assess before teaching, to offer appropriate choices, provide feedback early on and often, and to encourage self-assessment and reflection. I feel that pre-assessment is very important especially in math. I need to know exactly where students are at to continue on in the curriculum.