Carol Castanedas Assessment Plan

As a prospective teacher, I envision myself working in a title 1 school with a large

population of English language learners (ELLs) and students of color. Here, I can use my

experiences as a first generation, low-income, Latina to both teach and mentor students and

facilitate their journey towards higher education. I see myself teaching math and Spanish,

specifically Spanish for heritage speakers because I want to help students explore their roots and

histories. Further, I envision myself working not just with students but with their families as

well; I want to help bridge the gap between home and school.

The biggest issue of assessments is that most are not an accurate measures of learning.

These assessments are the multiple choice, T/F tests, or any other assessments in which there is

only one right answer. This limits students in that they dont use critical thinking, they just

regurgitate information or at most, make educated guesses. To change this, I plan to make

assessments in which students demonstrate their thinking through various forms, such as writing

and visuals. Giving students the opportunity to think critically and demonstrate learning through

various forms is important because it gives students variety and it prepares them for life beyond

high school. Further, I plan to take into account students backgrounds and interests and

incorporate those into the curriculum. This, combined with critical thinking, will make learning

meaningful and hopefully, enjoyable. And, to address ELL needs, I will adapt assessments to

their needs by giving them options on how to show their learning or providing supports.

Potentially, this change in assessments will positively affect learning outcomes for

students. By making assessments in which students find the curriculum relevant and use critical

thinking, I hope to see improvements in participation, motivation, and attentiveness. Also, in

making curriculum relevant to students and providing supports for ELL students, I hope to make

my classroom more inclusive.

Through technology, I have access to countless amounts of resources to make my

Assessment Plan happen. In using technology, students will get the opportunity to explore

through the many resources and materials available and find topics/concepts they like. They will

also have another way to show their learning, whether that be through a blog or through visual

editing. Further, students have access to visuals that will help them understand math concepts,

such as the x-y-z plane. The possibilities are endless.

As Ive learned through my time at the University, assessments are important though not

always made or implemented in a way that benefits teachers and students; it actually harms both

parties. In order for assessments to be useful, they need to be relevant, inclusive, and promote

critical thinking. If an assessment does these things, I believe student learning will be accurately

measured and there will be improvement. More importantly, students will find learning

enjoyable and meaningful.