#1 January 17th: To start the class this week we began with our learning circles. We were to read chapters 1 & 2 of our text Making Classroom Assessment Work by Anne Davis, Ph. D. My learning circle group mainly focused on Chapter 1 about Assessment and Evaluation. We agreed that assessment and evaluation are very important in school because it allows teachers to check how much students know and how well they are doing. My group also thinks that in the younger grades, like elementary, students are usually more honest when it comes to self-assessment. But as students get older and go to high school, things can change. We believe that high school students might not always tell the truth about how they are doing in school on their self-assessments. Overall, we all agree that it is important to understand assessment and evaluation and how important it is to create a nice and supportive environment. This helps students feel ok about being honest in their assessments. Using different ways to check what students know also helps to get a good picture of how well they are doing.
#2 January 24th: Today we were to read chapters 3 and 4 in our textbook. My group talked a lot about samples and how important they are. We all agreed that we appreciate the teachers who give us examples of what they want us to do. It is great to see what is all expected from us and how it should look at the end. Therefore, we believe that giving students examples can be very beneficial because they are shown what is expected from them. Also, we said it would be helpful if the parents also got to see the examples so they understand how their kids are doing, why they are doing it in a certain way, and they know how to help them if needed. Therefore, we all strongly agree that teachers should communicate clearly and ensure everyone understands what to do and how to do it. In my future classroom, I will be giving my students examples of work because I know they will appreciate it like I did.
In chapter four, we emphasized using positive language when talking to students and giving feedback on their work. None of us want to bring down a kid due to their work. Instead, we want to give positive and encouraging vibes to the kids so they can accept change and learn to improve every day. Therefore, my group agrees that we dislike “fail” because no student should fail. My group understands that every kid learns differently. Therefore we understand that students begin, grow, and end at different points, so teacher needs to take assessments serious and modify each assignment so all students can be successful.
#3 January 31st: Today we read chapters 5 & 6 and my group started the discussion about observing students and how the focus is not on giving grades during observation but rather on assessing their class participation. Therefore, in certain classes, observation becomes the primary method of evaluation, which can be challenging. We also highlighted that not observing the class might lead to inaccurate judgment.
We also talked about making goals in class. I like the idea of having one-on-one talks with my students about their goals and helping them stick to their learning plans. This might be tough if there are lots of students, but I think it would be good. It connects to making more personal tests, so they can understand better when we take tests together as a class.
#4 February 7th: During our Learning Circle we discussed chapters 7 and 8 from the Making Classroom Assessment Workbook. We mainly shared our personal stories and then in the end we talked about “rewriting tests.” Many of us find math hard, so we discussed how rewriting tests can help us learn better. It is a way to change tests to make them better for everyone. When we have to do retest, it is usually in a smaller group where we feel safer to ask for help
#5 February 14th: During our learning circle today, we completed the full 20 minutes and had an engaging discussion. Everyone had a chance to share their thoughts on parents’ involvement, which sparked interesting conversations. Personally, I am interested in getting parents involved, but I am also cautious because some may push their kids too hard. Also, we talked about the appropriate communication with colleagues.