VIII.+Assessment+Principle


 * //__8. ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLE__//**


 * //8.1//** **//Candidates understand the multiple purposes of assessment and are familiar with a variety of assessment and evaluation strategies, their purposes and potential uses.//**

In the Fall 2009 I participated in STANYS ( Science Teachers Association of New York State) with two other colleagues to present on authentic assessments. Our poster included insights into what authentic assessment is, why authentic assessment is important, the basis for authentic assessment, different opportunities for authentic assessment, examples of authentic assessment, and finally a comparison to standard assessments (8.1a). Authentic assessments are not useful unless they are paired with meaningful learning environments. In science education we want these learning experiences to include hands-on and minds-on opportunities, critical thinking, engagement in real-world tasks, and integration of what they learn into their daily lives. We took this experience and knowledge back to our cohort and the three of us educated our colleagues about authentic assessments. From this class we developed a list of assessments and identified their purpose in a four square chart that included formative and summative assessments as one dimension, and formal and informal assessments on the other dimension (8.1b). Formative assessments are like the play button on a DVD player, looking forward at future achievement. In this sense, they inform future instruction and planning to enhance achievement in the best ways possible. Summative assessments are like the rewind button on a DVD player, looking back at all past achievements. The use of these assessments can be formal or informal. Formal assessments are where a student knows they are being assessed, or that there is a grade being placed on the assignment. Informal assessments are where a student does not know they are being assessed, or that there is no grade.


 * //8.2//** **//Candidates are able to use a variety of assessment and evaluation strategies, including some that are embedded in authentic learning activities and have real audiences and purposes, to monitor, assess and provide guidance to student learning over time.//**

I have used several assessment and evaluation strategies in my student teaching placements as well as in S.T.A.R.S. and the GetReal! Science Camp. Formative assessments that I have done include such things as a 3,2,1 to assess student understandings of momentum at the completion of that lesson (8.2a); model building; debates; predict, observe, explain (POE’s) for the topics of projectile motion, reflection, inertia, and electrostatic force (8.2b); concept mapping for electrostatics; daily bell-work that addressed a topic previously taught or introduced a topic to be taught; and household electric circuit boxes. Summative assessments include multiple choice and short answer problem tests, performance-based tests, a habitable planet project, and S.T.A.R.S. and GetReal! Science camp presentations and video interviews (8.2c). In addition, laboratory reports concluded open inquiry activities in my placements at Wilson Commencement and at Edison. One open inquiry activity at Edison consisted of Regents physics students exploring circuit boxes that model household circuitry (8.2d). This activity allowed the students to connect electrical wires to light bulbs and switches in order to build a circuit that would light when switches were turned on. Classroom discussions always followed student investigations and manipulation of materials. These discussions were often facilitated with a powerpoint slideshow and discussion questions that involved the entire class. At Edison, a final formative assessment for each lesson was provided, which included multiple choice questions that reflected Regents style questions. These worksheets were built using the Wizard test maker. Students were able to see from these assessments their understanding of the content and what areas they need more focus and interaction with.


 * //8.3//** **//Candidates are able to use assessment to inform instruction by making links between their teaching and student performance and by adjusting their practice as a result of analysis of and reflection on student assessment data.//**

During my student teaching placement at Edison I had to develop an innovative unit. This unit covered the topic of electric circuits. Prior to implementing the unit I had to design my goals and objectives, assessments, and pedagogy ideas. My unit plan provides a section on my implementation that provides a narrative explaining how I used continuous formative assessments in each lesson to inform my instruction and reflect on student development and my teaching practice (8.3a, Sections 7, 7b, & 8). My analysis of student work found that students understood all topics except conservation of charge and resistance. My implementation of conservation of charge was minimal in proportion to all the other topics in the unit, covering only one lesson, plus an additional reinforcement lesson. My implementation of resistance was advanced, as I incorporated aspects of wire resistivity that required students to understand several aspects of a wire and use an equation that included four variables. Students could have been confusing the terms resistance and resistivity, creating frustration and poor performance in relation to their learning.

Likewise, my S.T.A.R.S. innovative unit shows evidence that I used assessments of student learning to adjust my practice instructing and planning for these students. In particular, the girls learned the concept of pH by adjustment of instruction to emphasis understanding. Upon introducing the concept of pH the girls showed misconceptions regarding the pH scale and which side was acidic versus basic, and whether both sides could be harmful to the environment or not (8.3b). Over the next few lessons we had the girls use probes to measure the pH of their chemical dilutions, create a pH scale and identify known solutions on this scale, and investigate the pH of candy for Halloween (8.3b). At the conclusion of STARS, the girls were able to apply their knowledge of pH and acidic and basic to their chemical solutions and chart how these chemical solutions each affected plant growth by making a graph of plant growth height versus pH (8.3b).


 * //8.4//** **//Candidates are able to have a positive effect on their students’ learning.//**

I established a positive effect on students’ learning in several ways. Evidence of this includes a students’ contribution of a news article on extrasolar planet detection for class discussion (8.4a), student evaluations of their learning and my teaching (8.4b), and photographic evidence of engagement and interest in learning (8.4c). Also, my observations from my supervisors show comments about how my relationship with students is very strong and positive, which enhanced student motivation and respect for the lesson (8.4d). Likewise, my final evaluations show that I have met this principle in my student teaching placements (8.4e). My S.T.A.R.S. girls and my GetReal! Science Camp students provided video testimonials that their learning experience was positive and that there scientific investigations made them appreciate and enjoy science more (8.4f). Student evaluations of my teaching and student learning also show that students believed they gained a great deal of knowledge from my lessons and viewed my classroom positively (8.4b).

I have used multiple assessments throughout my student teaching placements to inform my instruction and meet the needs of each of my students in their understanding of the content. I have used several predict, observe, explain (POE) activities that were associated with demonstrations to introduce topics and begin to deconstruct student misconceptions (8.a_a). I used a 3,2,1 assessment at the end of my momentum lesson to assess student understandings of their open inquiry investigation and class discussions (8.a_b). I employed a plan for my lessons that followed a pattern beginning with student engagement in hands-on inquiry activity followed by class or group discussion and then returning back to lab activity that would deepen understanding and conceptualize the objectives for the students. Class discussions often included an accompanying powerpoint to aid the informal assessment of discussion (8.a_c).
 * NSTA – Assessment Principle **
 * 8.a Candidates use multiple assessment tools and strategies to achieve important goals for instruction that are aligned with methods of instruction and the needs of students. **


 * 8.b Candidates use the results of multiple assessments to guide and modify instruction, the classroom environment, or the assessment process. **

All lessons began with a demonstration or open inquiry activity that allowed students to work hands-on and minds-on with scientific materials and problem-solving. During these demonstrations and labs students were assessed through teacher discussions and questioning, lab reports, predict, observe, explain (POE’s), and lab questions (8.b_a). The results students found in these contexts were discussed afterwards in large group or class discussions. Class discussions were often accompanied by a powerpoint presentation. This presentation had a purpose of providing content information and guiding questions for student discussion and critical thinking (8.b_b). Student responses to these prompts helped to inform my instruction and let me know what areas needed modification. Students were then given a summative assessment for the topic that would help to deepen understanding and provide evidence of student learning for analysis. Examples of summative assessments include a habitable zone extrasolar planet project, a household circuit box construction, and other inquiry based labs (8.b_c).


 * 8.c Candidates use the results of assessment as vehicles for students to analyze their own learning, engaging students in reflective self-analysis of their own work. **

In my placement at Edison I provided students the opportunity to give me feedback on their learning and what I should include in my lessons to best help them learn. Students suggested including more reinforcement, especially in fun ways such as games. I included several reinforcement lessons throughout my innovative unit, which included jeopardy review games. Each category was designed to address a lesson or unit objective. This allowed students to identify what categories they needed more preparation and instruction in, and allowed me as a teacher to see what objectives I have met and what ones are not yet met (8.c_a).

**//__EVIDENCE__//**

[|2009.12_-_321_Momentum_2_-_Turkett.JPG] || 3,2,1 Assessments || || POE Assessments || //[|DSC07652.JPG] // || STARS Celebration and Presentations and Get Real! Science Camp Exit Interviews || [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_1_-_Turkett.JPG] [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_4_-_Turkett.JPG] || Household Circuit Boxes - Edison || [|Picture_1.png] [|DSC07633.JPG] [|DSC07626.JPG] || STARS appendix || || Student evaluations || [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_4_-_Turkett.JPG] [|2010.03.22_-_Play-doh_Resistivity_1_-_Turkett.JPG] [|IMG_0934.JPG] [|IMG_0916.JPG] [|IMG_0869.JPG] || Pictures of student engagement and learning || || Final Student Teaching Placement Evaluations || //[|STARS Blue Team Video] // || STARS and Get Real! Science Camp Exit Interview Videos || POE Assessments || || Powerpoints || || Edison - Reinforcement Lesson Plans ||
 * EVIDENCE # || EMBEDDED OR LINKED OBJECT || DESCRIPTION ||
 * 8.1a || [|2009.10_-_STANYS_Presentation_on_Assessment_-_Turkett.JPG] || STANYS Authentic Assessment Presentation ||
 * 8.1b || [[file:Authentic assessment EDU 434.pdf]] || Authentic Assessment Presentation in EDU 434 ||
 * 8.2a || [|2009.12_-_321_Momentum_-_Turkett.JPG]
 * 8.2b || [[file:20091116_POE-Inertia(Newton)_Turkett.doc]]
 * 8.2c || //2009 Camp Exit Interviews //
 * 8.2d || [[file:2010.03.31 - Household Circuit Boxes (Regents) - Turkett.doc]]
 * 8.3a || [[file:2010.04.07 - Innovative Unit Final - Turkett.doc]] || EDU 434 Innovative Unit (Edison) - Sections 7 & 8 ||
 * 8.3b || [|Picture_19.png]
 * 8.4a || [|2010.01_-_Student_Newspaper_Article_VK_-_Turkett.JPG] || News Article - Extrasolar Planet Detection ||
 * 8.4b || [[file:2010.04 - Edison Student Eval 2 - Turkett.pdf]]
 * 8.4c || [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_9_-_Turkett.JPG]
 * 8.4d || [[file:Brian Turkett Edison #1.doc]] || Jim Davidson Observation ||
 * 8.4e || [[file:Occhino First Student Teaching Evaluation.pdf]]
 * 8.4f || //2009 Camp Exit Interviews //
 * 8.a_a || Refer to evidence 8.2b || POE Assessments ||
 * 8.a_b || Refer to evidence 8.2a || 3,2,1 Assessment ||
 * 8.a_c || Professional Statement || Professional Statement ||
 * 8.b_a || Refer to evidence 8.2b || Pictures of Inquiry Labs and
 * 8.b_b || [[file:20091122-PowerpointPresentation2-Turkett.ppt]]
 * 8.b_c || Refer to evidence 8.2d || Habitable Zone Extrasolar Planet Project and Household Circuit Boxes Activity ||
 * 8.c_a || [[file:2010.03.15 - Reinforcement - Current and Conservation of Charge LP - Turkett.doc]]

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