Utilizing

Assessment Effectively: 2/10/16

Trace Staff
Assessment is key! This concept is nothing new, but it was very helpful to
receive further insight on why assessment is key. Sometimes I feel as though
assessment can be overwhelming. There can be so much information, especially
with summative assessments, but learning more about aggregated and
disaggregated data has been very beneficial in understanding the many assessments
that are given. Aggregated data is whole based data on assessment. Disaggregated
data is data broken down into many parts so that teachers can analyze specific
categories such as gender, race, grade levels, and reading levels. This is a basic
foundation for how to utilize student records from programs like the teachers at
Trace presented to us.
It was such a great opportunity to hear from the math, reading and title 1
coaches along with Mrs. Stone about large assessments given to students in those
areas. The math coach gave us all a copy of a PNOA assessment and showed us what
it would look like to administer it to a student. I have seen my corresponding
teacher at Trace use a PNOA assessment for some students, so it was familiar to me.
It was very helpful to have a hard copy so that I could look more closely at specific
sections. With this kind of assessment I think that it important to remember to take
it bit by bit with students. It is too lengthy to conquer it at one time. I think it is also
important to remember to be diligent with the test because it is a record that will be
kept and used by the future teachers to check their abilities.

In reading, Mrs. Pigouski talked to us about running records, reading interest

surveys, spelling assessments, and listening comprehension assessments. Some are
whole group, some are small group or done individually, but the most formal
assessment is a running record. This is done in the fall, winter, and spring and gives
a track on the students reading level and progress.
The Title 1 teachers spoke to us about iStation, which is a program that can
be used for both reading and math. I had never heard of it but it really seems like a
great program. As they explained how they use it with their students, I continued to
see how they really center instruction based off of the data they are receiving, the
iStation program results being a great source of data. This was the theme of the
whole seminar about assessment. All of these wonderful resources and tests that
they shared with us mean nothing if we dont know how to take the data that is
received, break it down, and let it drive the way we teach and interact with students.
Lastly, Mrs. Stone shared with us details about ACT Aspire. It is a web-based
benchmark test that students take to track progress. The biggest take away I got
from Mrs. Stones presentation was that you want to look for patterns. It really
resonated with me when she said that assessment should make you ask questions.
The data that we receive from tests whether it is formative or summative should
always make us want to dig deeper in order to make sure that our instruction is
catered towards students so that they can learn at the optimal level.

Speaker Reflection: Dr. Wall

Dr. Wall came to speak to us in class today and it was very interesting to hear
a different approach to teach students inquiry skills. It is still the same basic
concepts, but when I think of inquiry I think of the 5E model. Dr. Wall gave us a
template and explained to us a 3-step process of teaching inquiry. The first step was
setting up a claim or a simple statement that you want to prove. This parallels with
what we are doing in our units with our generalization/ truth statement/ essential
question. Setting up a lesson with a concept like this is a great way to organize
content and set up how you will explain it. Evidence is the second step of the
process that Dr. Wall talked to us about. I believe that this is the most engaging part.
Students can go out and observe, collect evidence, and research the claim they are
trying to prove. This is a great way to integrate both content and process in the
students learning. In science it is much easier to be hands on, so this aspect of
inquiry in my social studies unit will be more of a challenge to incorporate. This step
of inquiry is a great spot to do a Maker project. Social Studies is so much more
content driven, but as he was talking I thought about the students making a box like
Henry Browns in my unit on the Underground Railroad. The generalization/ claim
of the unit is that people go to great lengths to secure their freedom and that is
evidence of a pretty great length that someone went to in order to secure their
freedom. Sometimes I think that problem solving and experimenting is just for
science, but I continue to see how it can be spread across the curriculum and how
important it is for teachers to know how to integrate it.

It is also vital that students be asking questions throughout this three step
process so that when they reach the last step, justification, that they can have plenty
of support. Justification is taking the evidence gathered and stating if you agree or
disagree with the initial claim based off of the evidence. In my unit, students could
justify if Henry Browns box journey was a great length. It gives students
perspective which I think is important. Dr. Wall mentioned the quote that we are all
familiar with, Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I
learn. This is so important to remember when teaching all subject areas. We have
to be prepared to give our students many different experiences so that their
learning can continue to be cultivated.
Dr. Wall said that knowledge doesnt change, but it should be added.
Whatever subject we are teaching, the best way to help students inquire is to build
on what they already know and to make those connections. By doing that they can
learn this inquiry skill and apply it to everyday life! Dr. Walls explanation of the
inquiry process was very helpful and good to be reminded of once again.

AMSTI: Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative

This presentation was probably my favorite that I have heard at Samford so far.
The speakers were engaging, they were excited and passionate about what they
were talking about, and they didnt just talk about their program but went back to
what really matters and that is the students. AMSTIs focus is to help both students
and teachers be more equipped in the classroom. I love how it encompasses the
learning of the students by providing the teachers with equipment, training, and
specialists to support their teaching in the classroom. The students learning
outcome is at the center, which is the most important thing.
The first speaker talked about math. She showed a video that I could relate to. It
is very intimidating being put on the spot to figure out a math problem when you
are unsure or lack confidence. The woman on the video most likely was taught to
memorize a formula and did not have any mental strategies to compute the
problem. She didnt even think about process of elimination for the answers. She
immediately wanted an out of solving the problem and asked for help as soon as she
could. Regis supported and guided her thinking to get her to the correct answer.
This is what teachers should do. They need to instill in their students a confidence
and help scaffold their thinking. After hearing them speak I think that teachers can
best do this by giving students opportunities to think through problems, explain
their thinking, experiment with argumentation with peers, justify their answers,
critique justifications, and reflect on their own understanding and ideas as well as
others. I believe that creating a inquiry based classroom community encouraging
cooperative learning and using multiple strategies will really help advance students

in understanding math. One of my peers stated in class today that her teacher once
told her Its not about the grade but what you learn in the process. That should be
the goal of our teaching and what students should take away from our classroom.
The science section of this presentation was so much fun. This was the first time
that I had done a real problem-based learning experiment through science and now
I understand why it is so effective. The speaker gave us a scenario and asked us to
identify the problem. She told us what she needed, the materials she would provide
us with, and then asked us if we needed to know anything before we started.
Identifying the problem and asking us to think about the expectations for the project
really gave us the opportunity to think about what goes on in this. She talked about
the Imagine stage of engineering and I think that this contributes to that. We were
then given the challenge to plan and create a model that aligned with the criteria she
asked for. Our groups project failed, but I can tell you that I learned more by
actually doing it and seeing what worked/ didnt work than I would have if someone
was telling me in front of the classroom what would or wouldnt have succeeded. It
clicked for me and that was a very cool moment. They said, It showed that when
you do something you remember it the most and I believe that is true after today.
Doing that project also made me want to make all my lesson plans with STEAM from
now on. Although they are effective, it is important for teachers to realize that it
takes more work and planning. It can be hard for teachers to let go of the control,
but when it happens, learning can truly start to occur.
My favorite part of their lecture was at the end. They showed a video of Kid
President and reminded us about being a hero. We can be the hero that our students

need and by that they can do the same. Perspective is so important and it is easy to
lose sight of it amidst all of the work. They shared a quote at the end that said, A
master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own
expectations. That is the teacher that I want to be and I believe that I can do that
through leading a classroom in ways like they taught us today.