Module 4 - PowerPoints

Assessment: Formative & Summative PowerPoint

I loved the comic strip that this PowerPoint opened up with because I feel like students should get partial credit if they attempt a problem just like we should get “credit” for facing the world today. I didn’t realize that “assess” was Latin for the verb “assidere” which means “to sit with”. I do not believe that during assessments, we should sit with the learner especially if we want to see the students’ progress and overall growth on a specific topic. I agree more with Harlen, Gipps, Broadfoot, and Nuttal that an assessment is the “process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupil’s response to an educational task” (slide 5). I also agree that formative assessments have the greatest impact because it is something teachers can see right then and there. I believe that I formatively assess my students without even thinking about it because I am constantly looking at their work while they are working individually during all subject areas. We, the teachers, can then fix the misconception or confusion quickly or extend the students as needed. I laughed out loud when I saw the comic on slide 11 because I sometimes feel rushed while teaching because there is so much material to cover before we have our summative assessments. I enjoyed reading the “Garden Analogy” about summative versus formative assessments because this created a great visual in my mind about the two assessments and how they differ. I tell my students that they all learn at different levels and speeds because it is more interesting to have different friends and learn from each other. This allows me to put a strong emphasis on the individual student instead of getting caught up in comparing my students which can easily happen. Through formative and summative assessments I am confident that every student will progress at their own individual pace and can improve to become a stronger learner.

Identifying Reading Disabilities PowerPoint

This PowerPoint helped explain and identify reading disabilities. I did not realize that discrepancy actually meant that “students had a learning disability if there was a significant difference between their measured ability and their achievement” (slide 2). However, I was shocked that this approach did not identify students until third grade or later. My school uses the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach which helps students who struggle with various strategies and probes. I am a visual learner and I think the pyramid that was presented to me when I first started teaching is very helpful in understanding the RTI tiers. I have never heard of functional definitions but it is interesting because it provides additional instruction for those students who have the lowest achieving reading scores. I also like that it judges whether or not students’ reading difficulties interfere with life circumstances. I was shocked at the high percentage of fourth graders who are unable to function on a basic level according to NAEP. However, I do notice several fourth graders who do not possess the basic concepts of comprehension, inferring, drawing conclusions, and retelling when entering fourth grade. I was happy to see the scores decrease as the students become older but was dismayed that the percentage did not change between eighth and twelfth grades. I agree that students differ in reading difficulties because they have different schema. I gained knowledge about some basic principles for programs for readers who are low-achieving. I agree that prevention is better than correction and I will continue to build on what the student knows and foster independence. I believe that all students grow when they have personalized instructions that engage them in learning a new topic and continually assess and monitor their progress.