Standard 4: Middle Level Instruction and Assessment
Standard 4: Middle Level Instruction and Assessment
Standard 4. Middle Level Instruction and Assessment
Middle level teacher candidates successfully use their knowledge of instruction and assessment strategies in the subjects they teach. They employ a wide variety of effective teaching, learning, and assessment strategies. Middle level teacher candidates develop and administer formal and informal assessments that are both formative and summative to create and guide meaningful learning experiences.
Components
Component 4.a. Content Pedagogy:
Middle level teacher candidates use their knowledge of instruction and assessment strategies that are effective in the subjects they teach and understand that instruction and assessment are interrelated.
Component 4.b. Middle Level Instructional Strategies:
Middle level teacher candidates employ a wide variety of effective, developmentally and culturally responsive, equitable, and anti- racist teaching, learning, and assessment strategies. They do this in ways that encourage cognitive exploration, creativity, and relevant digital literacy and information literacy skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, evaluation of information gained).
Component 4.c. Middle Level Assessment that Advances Learning:
Middle level teacher candidates develop and administer formal and informal assessments that are both formative and summative to create and guide meaningful learning experiences. They do this by assessing prior learning, monitoring progress with the use of technology and data, implementing effective lessons, collaborating with young adolescents to reflect on their learning, and adjusting instruction based on the knowledge gained. Assessment should be fair and unbiased.
Personal Reflection:
AMLE Standard 4 underlines the crucial role of instruction and assessment and how it shapes meaningful learning experiences for middle-level students. In specific terms of growth and achievement, I have been able to demonstrate continuous improvement in my instructional and assessment practices during my academic and professional journey. Observing and researching a variety of assessment and instructional methods throughout UofSC coursework and from my assigned coaching teacher during my internship and student teaching. To continue to refine my instructional and assessment techniques, I plan to stay updated on current research and best practices in education as well as staying open to feedback in order to embrace new approaches or methods.
Alignment with each component:
(Component 4.a) Throughout my academic career, I have completed numerous courses in which assessment and instructional methods were taught. These courses allowed me to carry this knowledge with me to my internship and student teaching. In addition to this, I have been able to incorporate various formative and summative assessment strategies like exit tickets, quizzes and even peer assessments in order to assess instruction and make adjustments if needed, to better the learning experience for students.
(Component 4.b) During my coursework at the University of South Carolina, I have been able to create a wide range of lesson plans and instructional strategies that were developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and those that promoted critical thinking skills. Using the knowledge and practice during my personal academic career, I was able to translate this into my internship and student teaching. During my 12-day unit on fossils, I was especially able to create activities and differentiated instructional methods that catered to a variety of diverse learning styles.
(Component 4.c) During the Fall semester of 2023, I was enrolled in an Intro to Classroom Assessment course in which it allowed me to learn a variety of instructional methods as well as the purposes different assessment forms may provide. In this course, we practiced developing formal and informal assessments (both formative and summative) that would guide meaningful learning experiences. I was able to take my knowledge gained from this course and utilize it within the walls of my internship and student teaching. During my 12-day fossil unit specifically, I created numerous formal and informal assessments that guided meaningful learning experiences by assessing prior knowledge, use of technology and being able to adjust my learning techniques according to the needs of students.
Relevant Artifacts:
(Component 4.a) To demonstrate component 4.a of AMLE Standard 4, I have been able to incorporate various formative and summative assessment strategies like exit tickets, quizzes and even peer assessments in order to assess instruction and make adjustments if needed, to better the learning experience for students. The assessment methods correlate with the instructional methods as well as the needs of students. The example below is a Pre-Assessment that allowed me to monitor student progress and assess student prior knowledge before beginning a unit on Fossils and further plan for instructional methods.
(Component 4.b) During my 12-day unit on fossils, I was able to create activities and differentiated instructional methods that catered to a variety of diverse learning styles which showcase component 4.b of AMLE Standard 4. As an example, I modeled a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) outline with students based on a research project before assigning students their own. With the CER outline, this helped students in ways that encouraged cognitive exploration, creativity, and relevant digital literacy and information literacy skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, evaluation of information gained).
(Component 4.c) During the Fall semester of 2023, I was enrolled in an Intro to Classroom Assessment course in which it allowed me to learn a variety of instructional methods as well as the purposes different assessment forms may provide. In this course, we practiced developing formal and informal assessments (both formative and summative) that would guide meaningful learning experiences. I was able to take my knowledge gained from this course and utilize it within the walls of my internship and student teaching. During my 12-day fossil unit specifically, I created numerous formal and informal assessments that guided meaningful learning experiences by assessing prior knowledge, use of technology and being able to adjust my learning techniques according to the needs of students. To demonstrate this component of AMLE Standard 4, you will see below an unofficial copy of my final grade for the Assessment Course at UofSC (PAGE 7) as well as a copy of the Pre and Post Assessment from students during my student teaching.