FIAE- Chapter 3

I see that this chapter opened my eyes to different ways of assessment in the differentiated classroom. Students come into the classroom biased on how they see each subject. As a teacher I have to be able to break down these biases to promote the real truth and learning behind each subject. Teachers must understand the students’ talents, weaknesses, and be able to convince the students that the material being covered is actually worth studying. In a differentiated classroom, assessment is key, it guides practice. It is important to remember when beginning anything new to first look at what the end result will be, or the outcome. How do you want the students to feel and what do you want them to walk away with having learned? Great assessments in the classroom focus on EEK which is essential and enduring knowledge. This means that students should be able to know and understand all the things they are able to do. It is important to determine what is essential in a unit as well as assess and reassess what we are doing, as teachers. It is also important to know that some will succeed more than others.

A teacher must also determine the students’ readiness or use diagnostic pre-assessments to understand how to plan the units of study. There are three types of assessments: pre, formative, and summative. Pre-assessments are used to indicate the students readiness, formative assessments are using for routine checkpoints to see where the students are in their learning, and summative assessments are used at the end of the learning to see how much the students have understood and learned. From these results we can then take action in the classroom to improve the learning and teaching. Providing opportunities for the students is key as well as making yourself available. Authenticity is important as well the two aspects of authenticity that refer to assessment. The first type is how the students will apply their knowledge to the outside world and the second is the assessment being authentic to how the students are learning. One question that arises is if an assessment is not authentic then what good is it doing to you or to your students who are learning this material?
Using different ways to understand and assess your students can be extremely beneficial to them and to the teacher. It is important to be substantive and not fluff. This means to teach and learn with importance not just to fill time or get the job done. A teacher must also understand there are factors affecting students outside of class, their different learning experiences, and their own individual style. All factors must be assess in order to fully understand your students.