There are many great points she makes in this chapter about assessment. Assessment is supposed to be ongoing and embedded into our instruction. I know that this is something I already do subconsciously during the day but, I would like to make a more conscience effort to record data from my assessments. Students also need immediate and specific feedback so that they can learn from their successes and mistakes. A great way to assess she talked about was to ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions to your students. Having a conversation with the student to find out their perception and understanding of something can be very beneficial. When we give our students written assessments such as, multiple-choice or true-false all of the time, we are taking away their ability to tell us what they know. I also think it is important when you are assessing your students to assess yourself as a teacher; if the majority of the class does not understand something, it is probably because it was not taught effectively.
She also discussed ways to group students in reading groups. I found this to be very difficult and still do. I really do not understand how to form reading groups without doing it by ability, especially as a new teacher. I hope to learn more about this in class.
This chapter explains very well the importance of "Embeded Assessment in All Teaching" and the importance of seeing assessment as a "vital, interactive part of responsive, effective teaching." I strive to teach in one fluid, uninterrupted motion, but it doesn't always happen for sure!She discusses teaching responsively by using guided questions and conversations to find out a student's true understanding and knowledge of the topic/question at hand. Often times, I get the "surface" of a child's thought process but don't delve quite enough into the higher order thinking skills to further investigate the true depth of understanding and learning taking place. I would like to learn more as well about the grouping structure in reading.
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