After reading Grant Wiggin’s interview responses, I agree with many of his statements. He identifies some misconceptions about assessments and the vocabulary surrounding “testing.” He also simultaneously gives teachers strategies for creating effective assessments.
I resonate with his first response regarding distinguishing between testing and assessment. He makes it clear that teaching is a constant balance. Although collaborative and project-based learning is growing and effective for modern learners, I believe that check-ins, or “tests” are necessary for teachers and students to see growth through data collection. In my experience kids love collecting and analyzing their own data! Secondly, the third interview response also resonates with me, especially when considering mentoring. The idea of “backward design,” which aligns perfectly with the habit “begin with the end in mind” is so important for teachers to think about as they consider their objectives and activities. Without some sort of assessment, how will we know that students are learning what we want them to learn?
I would share my strategy for assessing newcomer ENL students’ vocabulary with a new ENL teacher because this assessment is unique to my role as an ENL teacher and is separate from the school-wide Northstar assessments. In order to know if students are gaining new content vocabulary both receptively and expressively, I do daily check-ins before students exit my classroom. For example, I show each student 2-3 pictures each day and ask them to name the vocabulary word. I then identify which words they have retained and which they have not. Students then see their own data at the end of the week. I could more effectively use technology by using my iPad to collect this data on a Google sheet.
I resonate with his first response regarding distinguishing between testing and assessment. He makes it clear that teaching is a constant balance. Although collaborative and project-based learning is growing and effective for modern learners, I believe that check-ins, or “tests” are necessary for teachers and students to see growth through data collection. In my experience kids love collecting and analyzing their own data! Secondly, the third interview response also resonates with me, especially when considering mentoring. The idea of “backward design,” which aligns perfectly with the habit “begin with the end in mind” is so important for teachers to think about as they consider their objectives and activities. Without some sort of assessment, how will we know that students are learning what we want them to learn?
I would share my strategy for assessing newcomer ENL students’ vocabulary with a new ENL teacher because this assessment is unique to my role as an ENL teacher and is separate from the school-wide Northstar assessments. In order to know if students are gaining new content vocabulary both receptively and expressively, I do daily check-ins before students exit my classroom. For example, I show each student 2-3 pictures each day and ask them to name the vocabulary word. I then identify which words they have retained and which they have not. Students then see their own data at the end of the week. I could more effectively use technology by using my iPad to collect this data on a Google sheet.