Signature Assessment #1
Assumptions
CONCEPT 1: OUR ASSUMPTIONS ARE NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE. IT IS IMPORTANT WE DON'T BASE OUR ACTIONS/EMOTIONS ON OUR ASSUMPTIONS UNTIL WE'VE GAINED ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE ON THE MATTER.
Incorporating into Teaching:
The teacher should be aware of his or her feelings/assumptions when it comes to their classroom, learning style, students, their backgrounds, and other teachers. The teacher should be cautious with their assumptions and not let them dictate the decisions when it comes to teaching. The teacher should have a good relationship with their students, their parents and the community.
https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/teaching/learning/critical-thinking/ct_attitude/challenging-assumptions
http://humaneeducation.org/blog/2012/09/17/scrubbing-our-assumptions-about-our-students/
Diversity:
Knowing your students' strengths and struggles from the beginning of the year and set goals in order to improve.
Create an inclusive learning environment by valuing individual differences and getting to know each student.
http://www.teachingkb.cidde.pitt.edu/uncategorized/avoiding-assumptions-in-the-classroom-diversity-in-everyday-teaching/
Technology used:
Have the students play/create an online assessment game in order to watch their growth.
Students create bio pages to get to know one another.
http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom
Student Benefits:
You limit students' abilities when you have preconceived opinions/assumptions about them.
Understanding your students and their backgrounds allow you to make better decisions to further their educations.
Signature Assessment #2
Assessments
CONCEPT 1: Reflection
Assessments are a way for teachers to evaluate what their students have learned, a way for teachers to evaluate their teaching, and a way for students to reflect on how they performed. In order for our assessments to be effective we need to reflect on them and make improvements for next time. Teachers will look at the data and analyze the results to see how well the students grasped the concepts.
Sources: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/reflection-assessment-empowerment-self-awareness-james-kobialka
Action: If we give an assessment and look at the students’ performance and the scores or data are spread out, we can look at those students that didn’t do as well and see the areas that they are struggling with. Once we know where they are struggling, we can provide new instruction to help reinforce those concepts in a new. Assessment helps to guide the instruction in this way.
Sources: http://www.assessmentforlearning.edu.au/professional_learning/success_criteria_and_rubrics/success_reflection_evaluation.html
Diversity: We would include learner difference by giving the students multiple ways to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concept being learned. In addition to this, we could include all students into the assessment process by getting their feedback from the assessment, whether this is individual meetings or a class conversation.
Technology: The teacher could create a discussion forum or a questionnaire for the students to answer and express their feedback on the assessment regarding both their performance and how well they think the assessment covered the concepts their teacher taught.
Student Benefits: It will teach the students the importance of reflecting on their work and it will also show how well they are doing and areas that they could improve.
Concept 2: Valid and Reliable Assessments
The assessments that we give should be both valid and reliable to produce the results that the teacher will need to evaluate the students’ performance.
Sources: http://fcit.usf.edu/assessment/basic/basicc.html
Action: Teachers should create an assessment that covers only the material that has been taught in that unit. All assessments or test should contain the same questions. All students should be held to the same learning goal or expectation and provided accommodations if needed.
Sources: http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G362.htm
Diversity: A teacher will consider individual differences by providing accommodations or modifications for students that need extra help or assistance.
Technology: The teacher could post all of the materials or resources that they used during the unit to help students review. We could create a game or some kind of simulation that helps students prepare for an assessment.
Student Benefits: If the assessment is valid and reliable then the students will always know what to expect and everything is provided for them.
Signature Assessment #3
Learning Environments
Concept 1: Physical Environment
The classroom environment should consider temperature, lighting, organization, and seating for the students in order for students to do their best work.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/classroom-organization-physical-environment
Action: The teacher should make sure that the room has a comfortable temperature and lighting in order for students to stay focused. The seating should also be comfortable so the students can enjoy being in their classroom. The organization should be set up in a way that is easy for the students to figure out and have access to materials.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-physical-environment-of-classrooms-mark-phillips
Diversity: The teacher will consider the different students and the needs that they have. There will be alternative styles of seating and the students will have places in the room that have various amounts of light. The classroom setup will be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.
Technology: The teacher could create a poll online to ask the students how they feel about the current temperature and lighting in the classroom. The teacher could look at these results and see if any changes need to be made.
Student Benefits: When the students are comfortable in their environment, they will be able to stay more focused and complete their best work. As the students are comfortable in their classroom, their performance can also benefit.
Concept 2: The Arts
The teacher should incorporate arts into the current classroom curriculum to show the importance of keeping arts in the classroom.
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/01/13/how-integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive/
Action: The teacher can incorporate art aspects into the lessons that are in the main subjects to show how these parts of education are all interrelated. The teacher can also promote art by displaying the art projects done by students throughout the classroom.
http://www.teachhub.com/12-ways-bring-arts-your-classroom
Diversity: When students are completing art projects, they are able to have the freedom to express themselves creatively. The classroom will be a welcoming place where the students are respectful of each other and their individual differences. They will celebrate each other's work.
Technology: At the beginning of the year, the students can create a movie or similar project to introduce themselves to the class. This will be a good way for the students to get to know each other and welcome one and another into the class. The project will incorporate art pieces that they feel describe themselves.
Student Benefits: Incorporating arts into the classroom shows students the importance of arts. It helps to encourage healthy self-expression and creativity while exposing students to multicultural awareness. Students also have improved academic performance and develop good problem solving skills.
Signature Assessment #4
Motivation
Concept 1: Intrinsic Motivation
Students that are intrinsically motivated will be more engaged in their learning and will want to continue their learning for a longer time. They will not need the external motivators that the teacher can give to them. Their motivation is something inside of them that encourages them to always do their best work.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/motivating-unmotivated-chelsea-dale
Action: The teacher should discover the things that motivate the students and then find ways that the students can motivate themselves. By allowing the students to have choices in the classroom, they will be able to find the things that they enjoy which will help to motivate them in future activities.
http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/12/10/how-to-motivate-your-students-what-every-teacher-should-know-but-doesnt/
Diversity: The teacher will understand that each student has different motivators and those will need to be considered when planning lessons and the assessments that are used in the classroom.
Technology: Students will be able to use a variety of multimedia presentations to complete their assignments. Students will get the choice on how to complete their assignment, which will also help to motivate them.
Student Benefits: When students are intrinsically motivated, they will stay engaged in their learning and will hold expectations of themselves that they will want exceed. Students will learn about the things that motivate them so they can learn how to motivate themselves in all situations.
Concept 2: Rewards
Rewards can be used for students as a way to help motivate them to do their best in the classroom. These rewards can be in the form of physical rewards for the students or in the form of praise and recognition for the students.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy041.shtml
Action: Sometimes teachers can use forms of rewards to help motivate the students to do their best work. Sometimes all this has to be is the reward of praise.
http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1292&context=theses
Diversity: A teacher will understand that just like students are motivated in different ways, they will be motivated by different rewards. The teacher can motivate the students using different types of rewards that will best reach the students.
Technology: The teacher could use different apps to display the students' performance. There is an app called Class Dojo that allows the teacher to reward the students on their performance for each day. This can be displayed to the class and help the students see how they are doing each day. This should be used in certain situations and it is important to remember that this will not be effective for all students.
Student Benefits:
When students are motivated in the classroom and they receive rewards for their work, it can help to increase their academic performance and allow them to see that when they do their best work, they can receive rewards for this.
