Giulia Lato: My Teaching Portfolio
Education in Everything
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment makes up a huge part of teaching because it is not only about putting a grade in a report at the end of the term. Assessment must be an on-going practice that is consistently present in the classroom, if students are to have the best chance at succeeding. In using assessment, there are several aspects that teachers must keep in mind: the type of assessment (diagnostic, formative and summative), the assessment tool (checklist, anecdotal notes, rubric, self-evaluation, mini test, journal, conferences, etc.) as well as what exactly should be assessed. When students are invited to participate in the assessment process, they become active participants in their education and can track the progress of their own learning.
I've chosen to represent assessment and evaluation with the metaphor of a bridge over water, connecting two pieces of land. The bridge symbolizes the journey that the process of assessment takes students on throughout their schooling because assessment brings students to a place of not understanding to a place of (hopefully) complete understanding. One one side of the bridge is where students are when they start the school year. They have not developed all of the competencies yet nor do they know all of the essential knowledges. When students reach the other side of the bridge at the end of the year, they have developed competencies and gained undestandning, as well as knowledge.
The Tools
The Process
"BRIDGING" THE GAPS IN LEARNING WITH ASSESSMENT
BRINGING STUDENTS FROM NOT KNOWING TO KNOWING
Step by Step
Next, the teacher uses formative assessment as they teach the material:
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Assess how students are understanding
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Teacher is informed of whether or not students need extra support or if they need more challenges.
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Different students have different needs throughout the year, which formative assessment informs the teacher of.
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Tools include checklists, self-assessments, mini tests, and journals.
Finally, after teaching an instructional segment, teachers use summative assessments:
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Verify whether or not sufficient learning has taken place
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Tools include rubrics, portfolios, test, and situational problems.
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These tasks should be meaningul and should not be kept secret from the students, as they need to know what is expected of them.
At the beginning of any teaching segment, the teacher uses diagnostic assessments:
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Verify students' prior knowledge, skills, learning styles, and interests,
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Tools include conferences, journals, observations, and KWL charts.
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Once the teacher knows what his/her students know, they can plan their approach based on this information.
Teachers should have a variety of assessment tools in their reportoire because different tools serve different purposes, depending on the teaching goals and type of activity. In addition, these tools should represent best practice, which means that they are proven to improve learning, are authentic, and move students forward in their education. Evaluation tools are authentic when children are completeing meaningful work and when they have the chance to transfer knowledge to new situations. Teachers must decide which assessment tools can best evaluate the targeted competencies, since the assessment process should not be seperate from the curriculum. Below are the tools I have used to assess my students.
Overview of Possibe Tools
Diagnostic Assessments
The diagnostic assessments that I have conducted throughout my training have included a lot of observation because I think is a very powerful tool. During the Parent Teacher Interviews of my third field experience, I realized just how much my Cooperating Teacher knew about every single student simply by having observed them. She collected a lot of information during the first term by paying attention and by taking notes.
To the left is the layout of the my third field experience classroom. The arrow gives an idea of how I would circulate throughout the classroom while the children were working in order to observe and take notes on their behavior and understanding.
Circulating
Anecdotal Notes
While I circulate around the class, I sometimes walk around with a clipboard in my hand that holds my post-it notes. I have a post-it note for each student, which I use to jot down any anecodtal notes and observations I make that I want to remember. As I am in French Immersion, I have two different groups of students, which means that it's hard to remember who did what or who didn't understand what. I look back to my post-its when I am planning lessons or doing report cards. It's also a great way of getting to know my students, which is extremely important.
The resource teacher can also help educators to get to know their students because they are the ones whoe evaluate students on their abilities. Click here to view an example of a GB+ evaluation that helped me understand how one of my students was struggling with reading comprehension. They also create student IEPs, which determine the child's strenghts, weaknesses, and strategies for improvement. Click here to read about one of my meetings with the resource teacher about IEPs. I learned from my CT that it's also a good idea to read students' past IEPs from the previous year when starting a new school year. To the right are notes my CT and I jotted down about one of my student's past IEPs.
Reading Inventories and IEPs
Notes on a child's past IEP
Conferences
Holding conferences with students can also allow educators to find out a lot about them, espcially if they're struggling and need guidance. Here's an example of a mini conference I had with one of my students, Tessa, when I noticed early on that she was having difficulty following in class.
Me: Alright, so how are things going today?
Tessa: It's good.
Me: Ok, so is there anything that you thought we did too fast today? Maybe something that you didn't have time to write down?
Tessa:Yeah, I didn't understand the rule you gave about the negation.
Me: *I re-expain the grammar rule we covered and make sure she knows the practice homework. Is it clear now?
Tessa: Yeah now it is.
Me: Okay, now what about some of the other stuff we do in class. Is there anything you have a hard time following?
Tessa: Um, I don't like it when stuff goes too fast, and people in my group talk sometimes so I get distracted.
Me: Okay, so maybe I'll move some seats around to fix that. What do you like doing in class?
Tessa: I like when we do group work because then other people can help me, and I like when you make us draw.
Me: Oh, thats great, I'll try and do that more. How do you feel about the test tomorrow? What kinds of questions do you like answering?
Tessa: I like questions where I can write sentences and describe stuff because it helps me.
Me: Ohhh, okay, that makes sense.
Formative Assessments
This type of assessment can take many forms, but the important part is that it occurs alongside teaching and constantly informs the teacher of student understanding. I see it at the stepping stone between diagnostic and summative assessment, since it serves as a sort of check in with students and their progress.
Mini Tests
After teaching a concept, notion, or lesson, I sometimes like to follow it up with a mini test (that the students are fully aware of). I think pop quizzes can cause a lot of anxiety for students, so they are given the chance to study. To the left are two mini tests I gave on each of the homophones that I taught. These tests informed me that students were grasping the concepts and were able to put them into practice. Click on the images to enlargen them.
Mini Tests
I give mini tests for other subjects as well, not just grammar. For example, I taught a science lesson on the structure of the Earth, which I followed up with by giving students a short test on what I had covered. Below is an image of a student's test as well as some of the material I taught on the board.
Checklists
Checklists can be used by teachers and students alike quite often because they are quick, easy, and organized. Students can use them for self-assessment, which is shown further down, while teachers can use them to track how their students are understanding. I enjoy creating and using this assessment tool because it gives me a quick overview of which elements or notions students have understood compared to those that they have not understood. Here are some checklists I have created and used in my teaching.
Journals
I enjoy reading students' journals because it gives me a peek into their mind, especially if it's a personal entry. They also serve as a great indicator of how children are interpreting something, such as a story, a novel, a math problem, a current event, etc. Here's an example of an entry that a student wrote on a story he was reading.
Journal writing should be a weekly assignment, as this allows the teacher to track progress or lack thereof. The topics of journal entries should vary, as should the type of journals that teachers use. Students can have reading journals, math journals, personal journals, science journals for experiments, and even a creative writing journal. Students should know that their entries will not be evaluated, but the teacher will read them.
Journal Entry
Rubrics
Rubrics are a little more complete and provide more information than checklists do because they are more detailed. Rubrics can be used with formative assessments even if the mark is not going in the grade book because it can inform students of their strong points as well as areas in which they need to improve. Good rubrics will allow teachers to pinpoint exactly where a student's work stands and how to help that student move forward.
Here's a general example of a journal rubric, which can be adapted based on the type of journal and its subject:
I used another rubric haflway through a unit on girl's education, which evaluated how students answered some comprehension questions about the model we were studying, Malala Yousafzai, as well as girls education. I gave this assignment as I was teaching the unit because I wanted to know what students were taking away from my lessons and if my teaching was effectively helping me reach my goals for my students. To the left are the questions I asked with a few of the answers. Click below to view the rubric I developed to assess student answers.
Feedback
This aspect of formative assessment is very important because it is what helps move students forward, as they informed of how they can improve. Feedback should be given during all stages of assessment, but it is especially important while students are in the process of learning the material because they still have time to make adjustments, change strategies and essentially improve. I also believe feedback can consist of encouragements, either to reward students for hard work or to push them to do even better.
Feedback on comprehension question on girls education
Feedback on a reading response
Summative Assessments
By the time teachers conduct summative assessments, students have hopefully received a good amount of feedback and guidance in how to improve. The most effective summative assessments require students to apply knowledge to new situations and take place in meaningful contexts. Even if exams are the traditional summative assessment, this might not be the most authentic and meaningul context. However, having students perform a skit, complete a situational problem, or conduct an experiment places them in authentic situations and allows for more connections to be made.
Rubrics
When evaluating summative productions by students, the rubrics used have to be detailed, organized, and must have criteria that are well graduated. All of these factors will help teachers accurately evauluate the work that students produced, which is important, as these are the grades that contribute to report cards.
During my teacher training, I have studied rubric making and how to adapt them to certain grade levels or subjects. Here is an oral presentation rubric I took from a website (Read, Write, Think) that I adapted to for my group of students (Grade 6 French Immersion), while following the QEP guidelines for assessment.
For my unit on girls education, the culminating task required students to use what we had learned and write a letter to Malala, while following letter writing guidelines. I think this assignment is meaningful and requires students to write in a real context. I also created a summative rubric for the entire LES, which can be found below.
Choice of Summative Productions
There are a number of ways in which students can showcase what they have learned for summative assessments. Teachers choose the most appropriate assignments, such as a poem, a drawing, a performance, a physical model, a Tv commercial, a comic strip, an experiment, etc. However, it's also important to give this choice to students sometimes, since they are the ones who are actually doing the work. I illustrated the importance of this, as well as different options in another area of my portfolio, which can be found by clicking here.
Portfolios
Portfolios are a great way to feature a student's best work, progress, and effort. Usually, students play an active role in their portfolio making, which should always be the case, as they should be able to decide what is included and what is not. I've used portfolios during Parent Teacher Interviews in order to show evidence that illustrates the student's grades in the report card. Parents should always have a look at the portfolio because it represents their child's hard work throughout a term or even school year. Click here to read about my experience with portfolios in the IB program during my first field experience.
Click below to view the portfolio assessments I created for students to evaluate themselves
Portfolios from my first field experience
Self-Assessments
Throughout my teaching training, I have recognized the value of self-assessment in the classroom. It should be present during every stage of assessment. When children are given the time to think about the work they have completed, they are quite honest about what they think they have accomplished. Students can often be hard on themselves, so I think that asking them to complete self-assessments throughout the year actually encourages them to work harder because they may realize where effort is lacking. If they are progressing well in school, then these self-evaluations will also be effective because students are given the space to be proud of their work.
Students can evaluate their academic work, but they can also evaluate their behavior. To the right is a self-assessment template for behaviour that I found as I was doing some substitution work. The days of week are even indicated, so this sheet is good for a whole week. Students and teachers alike can use this template, as it is simple enough.
Behaviour Self-Assessment
Examples
Here are some self-evaluation sheets that are filled out by students I have taught throughout my training. Some of them use smiley faces for students to colour in, which I think is a great visual for them to have, as it is simple. Place your clikcer over the arrows to make the slideshow move, and click on any of the images to take a closer look.
Below are some more templates that I have acquired throughout my teacher training.
Improvements
During my third field experience, I conducted a case study on of my students, which showed me how self-assessment checklists can help students stay on track and organize their work. It removes an obstacle from their learning and allows them to succeed. In order to understand how checklists make a difference, I gave her an assignment to complete without a checklist the first time, then asked her to revise her work, using the checklist I created. the assignment was to invent and draw your family's coat of arms, accompanied by a small description. The second time around, she followed the checklist, knew exactly what she had to do and didn't forget any parts of the drawing or description.
Portfolio
Portfolios are a great place for students to self-evaluate because it is a culmination of the work they have produced thus far in the year. In addition, students evaluate their work as they put their portfolio together because they choose which pieces represent their best work. To the right are two example of sheets that may be part of a portfolio. Click on them to take a closer look.
I have also created two forms (a checklist and a comment page) that allow students to self-assess their learning.
Portfolio Sheet for Parents
"My Best Work" Assessment
Communication with Parents
Parents can be made aware of their child's well-being and progress in a couple of ways:
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Parent-Teacher Interviews
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Report Cards and Progress Reports (Click here to view my experiences with report cards)
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Notes in the Agenda
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Scheduled Meetings with Teachers
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Portfolio (see above)
Scheduled Meetings
During my third field experience, my cooperating teacher had two scheduled meetings with parents, which I assisted. These meetings did not take place on Parent Teacher Night, as they were more urgent. Both meetings were for children who had been struggling, one with his behavior, the other with the school work.
It was an educational experience for me because I learned how to deliver less than good news to parents about their children. It's not easy, but it's the only way to move forward. I was glad to see that the parents were very understanding and willing to work with their children at home to remedy the situation.
Note in the agenda for a parent
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Parent-teacher interviews was an eye-opening experience for me because I learned how to speak to parents about the difficulties their children are having. I also noticed how it was a very different different dynamic when the child was present in the room, since he or she is the one being talked about. I really enjoyed the experience because meeting the parents made me feel like I understood my students better, now that I knew a bit more about their home life. I was also glad to see how responsive parents were to our suggestions.
Reminder from the school website
Beliefs about Assessment
Here are some of my core beliefs about assessment and evaluation, which have been developed through my teaching experiences and McGill classes.
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Students should be involved in the evaluation process, including testing. They should come up with criteria for rubrics and checklists.
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Teachers should share expectations with students (rubrics, checklists, etc.)
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Students should be given choice in deciding how to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding
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Assessment should occur before, during, and after instruction
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Feedback in the form of actual words should be consistent and ample
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Assessment informs teaching just as much as it informs learning
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Self-assessment is key to developing reflective skills
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New evidence of learning should replace older evidence
Reflections
This field experience has pushed me to develop many skills that are related to assessment and evaluation because I had a theory class on this aspect of teaching and because I was in the position to evaluate student and create assessment tools. My ideas about assessment and evaluation have completely changed for the better. I have realized that that the goal of assessment is not to obtain numerical grades in a report card, but to improve student learning, and at the same time, improve teaching. I now view assessment as a tool that can inform my teaching as well as a tool that can bring students from a place of not knowing to a place of complete understanding. While there are many best practices to consider and to experiment with in the classroom, selecting just a few to begin with can make a big difference. That's what I've tried to do during this field experience, like with rubrics, and especially self-evaluation.
If I reflect upon what I’ve learned so far about assessment, evaluation and observation, one of the biggest changes in my outlook of it all is that assessment should be used as learning and for learning instead of solely using assessment of learning.Assessment is so much bigger and more complex than I initially thought, and it’s actually really exciting to have made these discoveries throughout this field experience. Everybody knows that one of the teacher’s main responsibilities is to assess students, but I believe that a devoted teacher will never stop assessing their own teaching if they truly wish to bring their students to a place of utmost understanding. Without on-going assessment, teachers cannot be made aware of the difficulties their students are experiencing, which consequently neglects their learning and sets them up for failure.
Tips and Tricks
- Bonus question: If most students get a question wrong on a test, put it as a bonus question on the next test. Use corrective teaching between the first and second test in order the address the misunderstanding.
- Talk Faces: Ask students to discuss a topic or concept in pairs, and walk around the classroom. Have students use a talk face, which is a smiley face that they attach clothespins to whent hey have contributed something to the conversation. Each student attaches clothespins to their side of the smiley face, which allows the teacher to assess which students are speaking and participating in the discussion.
- Clipboards: If you are using a clipboard to take anecdotal and observational notes while circulating around the class, five clipboards to students as well. They can use these to take notes during class discussions with other students, or to reflect on books, texts, images, etc. In addition, students don't feel anxious when they see the teacher with a clipboard because everyone has one.