During my 16-week practicum in a grade 4 class, I gained much experience assessing student learning using various methods and tools. I used self-assessments, peer assessments, checklists, and 4-point rubrics, which provided different perspectives on student learning and helped me better understand my student's strengths and weaknesses.

In addition, I used both formative and summative assessments to evaluate my students' progress. Formative assessments allowed me to verify where my students were at in their learning and make adjustments to my teaching strategies accordingly. These assessments were often informal and provided ongoing feedback on my student's progress throughout the term. On the other hand, summative assessments were helpful in determining the overall achievement of my students and assessing their learning at the end of a unit or term. These assessments were more formal and often used checklists or 4-point rubrics to evaluate student performance against specific criteria.

Using a combination of assessment methods gave me a more comprehensive understanding of my students' learning. It gave me the data to make informed decisions about my teaching strategies. Moreover, I learned how to input the assessment data into PowerTeacher, which helped me to access and analyze the students' performance data easily.

Through self-assessments, peer assessments, checklists, and 4-point rubrics, I encouraged my students to take ownership of their learning and develop their critical thinking and communication skills. Additionally, using different assessment methods helped me to evaluate my student's performance and determine areas where my students needed more support.

Overall, my experience with different assessment methods, including formative and summative assessments, helped me significantly grow my student assessment skills during my 16-week practicum. I became more confident in assessing student learning, using data to inform my teaching decisions, and providing feedback to support my students' progress.

Growth: 

• In EDUC 2375: Effective Assessment, I was assigned to create an assessment dossier. This assignment was crucial to the course as it allowed me to “create multiple and varied assessment tools that align with outcomes” (A3). I was able to take my knowledge of multiple assessment types and create some assessments that I would use with my future students.  

Goals:

• My goal for assessment is to take what I have learned through EDUC 2375, the assessment dossier assignment, and other courses this year and put it into practice in a classroom next year. One major aspect of this goal is to focus on formative assessment with my students as that tidbit of knowledge seemed to stand out the most to me. As an educator, it is my role to understand how my students are doing throughout the year without basing this solely on letter grades from summative assessments. To ensure that this goal is accomplished, I will ask my mentor teacher if I may use some of my formative assessment strategies with the students next year.

Growth: 

This semester my mentor teacher introduced me to the Early Years Evaluation (EYE) assessment. It was interesting to observe and assess the ways that Kindergarten students developed over the course of my field work. My mentor teacher and I spent time going over individual assessments for certain students. This showed me how teachers can create learning and growth plans  through assessments such as EYE. 

Goals:

I look forward to learning more about the importance of assessment on a child's development during their early years of school. I will know I have achieved this goal when I am able to assess a child's development without the help of a mentor. To make this goal attainable I plan to continue being engaged, making sure I ask all of my mentor teachers about their methods of assessment. This goal is relevant to my career as an educator because in order to know that you I am actually improving a child's breadth of knowledge, assessments must be used. I plan on completing this goal by the end of my B. Ed program.