{"id":2073,"date":"2019-04-02T17:48:24","date_gmt":"2019-04-02T21:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=2073"},"modified":"2019-04-02T17:48:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-02T21:48:24","slug":"lets-assess-the-situation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2019\/04\/lets-assess-the-situation\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Assess the Situation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Assessing students’ learning is sometimes one of the hardest things to do as a teacher, and most often it is one of the things that students dread the most. Students who have test anxiety, or simply can’t think under pressure, often have to deal with poor test grades and the image that gives them in the eye of the school district.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0The Science Teacher<\/em>, a journal published by the NSTA, an article called “A Beginning, Present, and Future Connected by the Need for Science Education” mentioned that the goal of the NSTA was to, “promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.” One of the most fundamental ways to transform science teaching is to transform science assessing. Here are a few ways that we as teachers can assess our students in ways that are fair and equitable!<\/p>\n

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Tests<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Old fashioned and over used. There is a lot of information that a test just simply cannot measure. Sure, you can get a rough idea of whether or not a student can regurgitate information back to you in the form of bubbling in an answer, but there is very little higher-order thinking with this one. Even essay questions often ask students to describe a memorized process or explain a phenomenon in their own words.<\/p>\n

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Trifold\/Science Fairs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now this is fun! Having students research a topic and present it to the rest of the class, especially if they make something that goes along with it (I’m looking at you, 4th grade volcano projects) allows for the students to get engaged with what they’re learning. Applicable assessment is good assessment!<\/p>\n

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Board Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Unconventional, I’ll admit, but having students create a board game that revolves around a topic is a great way to assess how well a student understands the content. If they’re able to create a game that follows along with a concept, then they more than likely understand the concept on a deeper level! Plus, kids love board games!<\/p>\n

Here is a link to a video about using games as formative assessment!<\/a><\/p>\n

Rubrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rubrics are the backbone for any good assessment, and making one can sometimes be difficult. Here is one for a brochure that could be applicable to any concept or topic:<\/p>\n

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Accommodations for ELL students<\/strong><\/h3>\n

ELL students can have a hard time with language-based assessment, depending on what level they are. For those that are in the lower levels and aren’t as proficient in English, I would make sure that guidelines are written clearly and concisely, and show them examples of what I am looking for with each category of the rubric. The goal here is to gauge how much they know about a concept, not how much English they understand!<\/p>\n

Accommodations for students with Hearing Impairments<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since a lot of the rubric is written, I would provide students who are HOH\/Deaf with a transcript of any extra points that I would be making during the introduction of the assessment. I would also expect presentations to be done clearly, so that all students are able to hear as much as possible.<\/p>\n

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Assessment shouldn't cause your students to riot! There's more to assessments than tests and quizzes, and finding ways to assess your students' learning in creative ways makes everyone's jobs that much easier! @AnnMacKenzie<\/a> #EDT432<\/a> #scienceteaching<\/a><\/p>\n

— Mr. Thomas (@BryceSBThomas) April 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n