UbDDI+B1+Chapter+5

toc

Kristen Tripp
 * Abstract:** The ability to apply the information being taught is very important. If this can be demonstrated within the [|assessments] provided, the student and teacher achieve success. It is best to assess the students’ knowledge in several different ways, including before, after and during the lesson. This is important so the student can best prove his or her growth in understanding of the subject. The GRASPS frame helps teachers to organize the lesson to provide a clear direction for the assessments students must take or produce.
 * Synthesis:** We all understand the need for[| multiple types of assessment] so that we will able to see the whole picture of what the students know and understand. The GRASPS frame came across very strongly for us because it would help bring development and direction to the assessment process. Many of us acknowledged the importance of diagnostic, summative and formative assessments so that we can see what our students know before, during and after the lesson.

Amanda
UbD/DI-Chapter 5: Chapter 5 focuses on how teachers can have evidence of student learning. The evidence is found through assessments. There are three principles for an effective assessment. The first is to “consider photo albums versus snapshots” (p. 60). Teachers should have multiple sources of evidence (photo albums) rather than one assessment (snapshot). More evidence provides more data to observe when relating to a lesson and provides an outlook on various learners in the classroom. The second principle is “match the measures with the goals” (p. 64). Assessments should be focused on the desired results the teacher hopes to achieve in a lesson or unit. The final principle is “form follows function” (p. 70). There are three kinds of assessments: summative, diagnostic, and formative. They each have a purpose, and depending on what the teacher wants to assess, depends on what form of assessment he or she uses. In my classroom, I will definitely work on using the first principle. Having one assessment just is not enough to prove that my students have learned anything, especially since my students will be on different levels of learning.

Moe
To truly assess how far a student has come along in their learning, it is important that you have multiple sources of evidence that they are gaining knowledge. One test or project cannot fully measure what a student has learned, as there is a lot of gray area in assessment. On the flip side, which I thought was funny, you can never really measure understanding (that’s how I translated the reading) because of those gray areas. This chapter reminded us (the readers) that every student would be at a different level of difficulty only after they worked the “big ideas” or umbrella concepts.

Bridget
True assessment is evidence of leaning because it fairly assesses whether or not a student has mastered a subject and is able to apply the knowledge gained in real-world situations. Assessment that is reliable needs to see knowledge displayed in multiple ways. Giving multiple vocabulary tests in the same format is not fair assessment as it does not assess all students fairly or show mastery in multiple ways. Declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and disposition are three different goals for education; it is necessary to formulate different assessments for each type because they are all different. One cannot measure different types of knowledge with one blanket assessment. All students need to be able to prove their understanding of what is being taught, but how they do so should be up to them. In order to be a productive and effective teacher in a differentiated classroom, I must assess my students before, during, and after a unit, and I must do so in many different ways to insure that all of my students can demonstrate their knowledge in a way that works for them.

Christina
Chapter five of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// talks of effective assessment. Classroom assessments should be directly influenced by the answers to four questions: What are we assessing? Why are we assessing? For whom are the results intended? and How will the results be used? There are three key assessment principles that address these questions to create reliable assessments. They state that reliable assessments come from multiple sources and match the intended goals by using the GRASP frame. They also describe the importance of summative and formative assessments; assessing the students before, during, and after a lesson. A highlight of the chapter is that in order for students to fully utilize the assessment, they must be able to build upon it. By providing feedback that is timely, specific, understandable, and allows for adjustment, the student is able to see their mistakes and enhance their learning.

Jesika
This chapter gave me firmer footing for my already existing ideas about standardized testing. The idea that all students ought to do well on a test that is formatted in a way that does not necessarily suit all learning style is ludicrous. In order the prepare students for these kinds of tests teachers often have to narrow the focus of what they are teaching to the point that students aren’t leaning everything that they ought to This will have a very large impact on me as a teacher and on my classroom. I will have to find ways to prepare my students for the multiple standardized tests they will have to take, to fulfill the curriculum, and to make sure they have truly learned and understand what I have taught them.

Kristen
We must begin to "think like assessors" (p. 59) in that we need to understand what assessment is appropriate for the lesson being learned and how assessment helps the teacher and the student know what is known and what needs to be learned. An assessment should not be just at the end of a lesson or in the middle but should be a progressive or detailed collection of what the student knows. The teacher must be mindful of the goals that have been set because the goals determine the type of assessment that would be appropriate for the lesson and for the student. Sometimes giving the students options within the assessment to demonstrate knowledge is helpful like the "tic tac toe" (p. 74) example where they can choose three different choices from the three intelligences provided. If a student is able to take ownership, he or she is more likely to understand how to achieve set goals. After the assignment is completed it is important for the teacher to give clear and in-depth feedback about how the student did what. If these ideas are followed you will see a "change in the culture of the classroom"(p. 82).

Chelsea
One thing that I learned from this chapter was the GRASPS frame. It stands for Goal, Role, audience, situation, product and standards. The chapter also talked about that as teachers we should make the effort to use multiple assessments to best fit the needs of our students. The chapter also discusses three different types of assessment: summative, diagnostic and formative. By learning how to effectively assess students not only creates growth in students but it also allows students to be able to self-assess their own work. The book describes how “educators who provide regular opportunities for learners to self-assess and reflect often report a change in the culture of the classroom” (82). I think this is important because it allows students to not only grow but it makes the learning environment more productive.

Kevin
This chapter focuses on assessment. It begins by saying in assessing students learning it is more accurate if you have multiple ways of assessing rather than just one test at the end. The author speaks of the problem with high stakes testing that it might result in a narrowing of the curriculum in order to improve test scores. This is something that I experienced in high school because the teachers were having this new system of standards put on them without really knowing what to do. I like the idea of the assessment photo album, I never want my grade based on a single exam. I feel a really good way to test if someone truly has an understanding of something is if they can use what they knew in a new situation.