Ongoing Thoughts About Assessment, Evaluation & Documentation

One of the most important things to remember as an educator is that assessment is ongoing, and it is something that needs to occur throughout the school day. A significant portion of assessment during the school day is diagnostic (Assessment FOR) and formative (Assessment AS). This is where we provide students with feedback and guidance that will allow them to perfect their skills before their summative assessment (Assessment OF). As teachers, it will be beneficial to use our assessments to guide our lesson plans and fill in the gaps when required (Ministry of Ontario, Growing Success 2010).

The Ministry of Ontario document, Growing Success, is the guiding document that will guide teachers in their assessment of students.

Here are four key takeaways for teachers to be effective assessors:

1. Identify and clarify learning goals

2. Create effective classroom discussion

3. Provide feedback to help learners move forward.

4. Direct students to learn from each other.

It is up to teachers to decide how they will document student learning. Class checklists, grids with student names and online tools are among among the many tools teachers can use to conduct diagnostic assessment.

Here are some effective online tools for teacher diagnostic and formative evaluation.

As teachers assess students, it is important to always consider the various needs of the learners in the classroom and any required accommodations and/or modifications detailed in IEP documents.

Teachers need to remember that their assessment is differentiated and they are not using the same methods all the time (i.e. only in writing). It is important to observe students during class, pose questions for explicit thinking and encourage students to articulate their thinking in small group discussion. (Ministry of Ontario, Growing Success 2010).

As outlined in the Growing Success document, here are some final thoughts for when conducting our final evaluations (Assessment FOR), options for assessment include:

1. tests

2. exams

3. essays

4. projects (marked individually)

5. rich performance task

Final evaluations cannot include:

1. homework

2. collective group mark

3. peer assessment mark

References

Bell, K. (2019, March 13). 4 ways to use Google keep for feedback and assessment. Shake Up Learning. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/4-ways-to-use-google-keep-for-feedback-and-assessment/

Bell, K. (2021, July 6). 27 formative assessment tools for your classroom. Shake Up Learning. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/20-formative-assessment-tools-for-your-classroom/?epik=dj0yJnU9WjVuY1FXOWNsMi10dGtwczJCZXhjR0FJUGtHU1lMb3QmcD0wJm49SWFGV1pFOFpqUWtpS0gyTDFrQU5SZyZ0PUFBQUFBR09NQklv

Ministry of Education | ontario.ca. (2010). Growing Success. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf

Understanding Identities in the Classroom

Our students come to us from many different backgrounds, cultures and lived experiences that make up their cultural identities. As educators it is very important for us to recognize the diverse identities of our students, but with early learners, it can also be very challenging for them to express who they are and where they come from. For this reason, it is important to incorporate identity affirming activities into our lessons with our students.

Our identities include things like race, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and these things intersect with our lives and the world around us. In order to be effective teachers, we must examine our own identities in light of the identities of our students. It is important for us to reflect on our own identity and the identities of the students in our classrooms.

Stories and picture books are great way to teach students about their identities and the cultures and identities of others.

There are many activities that can be done with students where you are able to integrate the components of the Social Studies Ontario Curriculum and identity affirming activities. For early learners, understanding and even talking about their identities can be challenging for these children because they lack this type of self awareness. Here are some examples of activities.

A classroom needs to be a safe space where children feel valued, celebrated and cared for. It is a pillar that is imperative for any positive learning environment. As teachers we can learn about students and create an inclusive classroom environment that is a reflection of the students in the classroom. The beauty of each individual students will reflect the beautiful classroom environment.

References

Booklists. Social Justice Books. (2022, November 8). Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/

Happytoddlerplaytime. (2021, September 5). 30 anti-racism activities for Kids. Happy Toddler Playtime. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://happytoddlerplaytime.com/20-anti-racism-activities-for-kids/

The Different Ways Children Can Learn

This summer, my 5-year-old and 8-year-old children were able to attend an outdoor summer camp run by the YMCA. Each week the summer camp focus on a specific activity (visual arts, science, outdoor adventure, dance, among many others!). The entire camp took place primarily outdoors and bussed in children from all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Each day, my kids would leave camp still buzzing with excitement. They would talk about all the activities they participated in, and the new friends made, the songs they sang and how much fun it was to be outdoors. They looked forward to the next day!

It was a different attitude than when they came from school, and it made me think about the question, 'how do young children learn?'.

Observing my children's experience in summer camp made me realize that fantastic learning can happen when we incorporate children's natural energy and excitement into learning. However, as I reflected on how I could include the type of learning that takes place at summer camp in my classroom one day, I felt that there would be some natural barriers in traditional school environments. For example, teachers are limited to working inside the classroom and even taking trips outdoors or outside the physical classroom needs approval from the school's administration.

Private schools like the Waldorf school are great examples of how they can incorporate a hands-on approach to meaningful learning and how it can be incredibly beneficial to students. That said, the ever-increasing cost of private education (especially in the GTA!) has created a divide in which private-school settings often lack socio-economic diversity.

In public school settings, it is very much possible for teachers to create and foster classroom environments that promote creativity and curiosity. However, it is at the discretion of each teacher to decide.

For example, teachers can use materials like play-dough for learning, unlocking creativity & fun!

One way to incorporate play dough into early learning is by using it to teach children about Procedural Writing. Young children need to be taught how to write about a series of precise, sequenced steps or directions. Here students can use play dough at the beginning of a lesson. Teachers can ask students to make something like a hotdog, pizza or taco. Then, ask students to think about the steps they are taking to build their food and what they are including. Once completed, students can use a worksheet to detail the steps they used to make food.

Here is an example of the different types of food students can create using play dough.

This is a link with detailed steps on how play dough can be incorporated into the lesson.

Students can also use play dough in early learning to teach children about science and how different ingredients can come together to create a new material. Once the class has made the play dough, they can use this material for future lessons or play-based centres.

References

Harris, C. (2020, June 11). Teaching the writing process using playdough! A hands on experience! Ciera Harris Teaching. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://cieraharristeaching.com/2020/06/the-writing-process-with-play-dough.html/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=1124045474_54138092_118106

Kao, J. (2021, October 1). Is private school the Right Financial Decision for your family? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/featured-reports/article-is-private-school-the-right-financial-decision-for-your-family/

Kim. (2022, April 11). The best playdough recipe. The Best Ideas for Kids. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe/

Sprouts. (2016). Waldorf School Education. YouTube. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://youtu.be/BkrgkslnD9g.