Assessments

I will use a variety of assessments for my students to ensure that I accurately determine the level of learning and improvement being presented by each student.

Formative assessments will include daily Exit Tickets, Homework Tickets, and Student-to-Student Assessments.  I will also attempt for a more collaborative learning environment which should allow for increased class discussions and group activities which will be a great way for me to hear what the student thought process is while working on a problem/concept.

I will use summative assessments such as a comprehensive exam at the end of a unit along with peer-evaluations after learning specific concepts and mastering specific big ideas.  Sometimes students are simply not good test takers, and thus I will also be looking into asking my students to work on projects and create presentations for the class in an attempt to help them make connections with the real world.

I will also ensure that I allow for alternative assessments for my students such as ELL students.  I can give ELL students verbal instructions and extra space on the test to show their work.  I can also offer the students a copy of the exam in their native language but require them to respond in English.

I came across a video on Highlighting Mistakes: A Grading Strategy which I would like to incorporate into my lessons.  This grading strategy indicates that I should focus on sharing the most common mistakes with my students when going over homework and/or tests.  Instead of writing the percentage or letter grade on the test, I simply highlight the mistakes and give it back to the student. This will get the students away from thinking that grades are the most important thing, it will help them lean towards learning and more accurately continued learning. Because after giving the test back to the students, as a class, we continue the learning process by going over those mistakes and how to correct them.  This is a great strategy to continue learning and have great engagement from the students.