Standard 3: Assesses student learning
This standard involves the following:
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We all know that each student is different, but the challenge is knowing how to assess the individual separate from the class. As a teacher, I have been exploring different ways of assessing both the individual and the whole by setting checkmarks, working with individual students, modifying assignments when necessary, and using technology to help gauge success.
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Vocabulary Student Work Analysis
Each quarter I used a different vocabulary strategy to help improve my students' understanding of their weekly words. Second quarter I used the graphic organizer "Own the Word" which incorporates synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and pictures. I have always loved this strategy, but after a couple of weeks, I realized that the lessons were very inefficient. Through the Vocabulary Student Work Analysis, I worked to improve my lessons in order to help my students better understand the material. The homework assignments were achievable, but the quiz results were not where I wanted them to be. In order to improve the quiz scores, I changed the way we checked vocab until I could be sure that students had a better understanding of the vocabulary. The light bulbs went on, and students were able to make the connections.
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Soundtrack Project
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I like assigning projects one step at a time: it keeps students organized and on task, but it also allows the teacher to assess students as they go. A problem or misunderstanding can be fixed if it's caught early. Once a test is taken or a project is due, it is often too late to catch those mistakes. The Glory Road Soundtrack project consisted of checkpoints, which helped me gauge where the students were at with their projects. When it came time for the final assessment, I adhered to the rubric, yet it was flexible enough to allow me to take into account the capability of each student. Student work is not equal since each student comes to the classroom with different strengths and struggles.
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Newsela
Lastly, Newsela.com is an educational website connected to the Common Core Standards. Teachers can assign articles and assess both student comprehension and analysis skills through quizzes and writing prompts. I used Newsela to introduce argumentative essays to my 7th graders. They received the article and given the prompt, but I also gave them two outlines to complete. They had three days to work on this during class, as the class was structured as individual work time. As they completed their task, they moved on to the next. My high achievers were able to help those who struggled, and I was able to go around assessing how each student was doing based on where they were in the outlines. The outlines I gave did not work for everyone, so depending on the student, I told them to throw out the original outline and showed them a new one. It clicked and then they got it. These outlines were the keys to success for the paper, and if I did not assess as they were working, many students would have done poorly. I would have liked for the essays to be completed by the end of the week, but since the students needed more time, I adjusted the due date so they could further develop their writing.
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