Spurlock Master’s Portfolio

Assessment Guided Student Learning

One cannot always predict what children will learn based on what is taught. This is why

to be an effective teacher; one must understand what learning has taken place during the

learning process and assess where to go from this point. A successful teacher can create

developmentally appropriate lessons based on accurate and appropriate assessments. To meet

the distinctive needs of my students, I created and modified this detailed multi-lesson math

unit and assessment plan, my Teacher Work Sample,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UdjlxWjgONLsvnWKmWew1jgmNBjJ6-E6/view?usp=sharing.

Summative pre and post skill checks can be important markers in assessing student

understanding, but assessment exists in many forms. I use formative, ongoing assessments to

enlighten my day to day work with children in the classroom to facilitate a classroom

responsive to students needs and interest with a focus on thinking and understanding (Miller,

2008). Formative assessment can be used to inform both teacher and student about the

progress with the skill being assessed (Alber, 2011). When I incorporate formative assessment

into my classroom more explicit and conscious teaching occurs deepening the learning cycle.

I believe focusing on the learning goals promotes student agency, allowing them the

pleasure taking control of their learning. Focusing on the performance goals inhibits the

argument, stemming from Vygotsky (1978), that teaching needs to be directed towards the

learner and what they might be able to do next within the Zone of Proximal Development with

support. Formative, ongoing assessment allows for the teacher to direct learning with

intention, knowing student interest and understanding as well as allowing for students to make

connections to what they are learning. “Pacing the amount of help children are given on the
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basis of their moment-to-moment understanding allows for the teacher to step back and give

the child more room for the initiative of learning” (Wood, 1988, p.80). In 2 nd grade, formative

assessments focused on learning goals might look like a reading response graphic organizer

where the student draws a picture or writes the beginning, middle and end story parts. It could

look like a simple self-reflection assessment on their writing or a pair share white board

explanation of a math problem.

Assessment that is learning-orientated encourages pupils, teachers and other

adults to recognize the partiality and contested nature of evidence of
achievement. Crucially, learners help themselves to learn by having
opportunities to reflect on what and how they have learned in various domains
and on what counts as evidence of success in various domains. They need
multiple and varied exemplars together with constructive feedback on their own
performances to help them internalize the characteristics of quality and monitor
and assess their own and others’ work. (Hall and Burk, 2004, p.157)

Looking at my Teacher Work Sample, using a pre-assessment gave me an

understanding of a jumping off point for the measurement unit. The pre-assessment

informed me that most students had basic knowledge of measurement to jump into

measuring objects independently after reviewing general measurement guidelines like,

beginning at one end of the object. I did find that I would need to proceed guided

instruction with explicit use of verbal and written measurement vocabulary. This use of

pre-assessing students gave me, as teacher, a base for jumping into learning activities

with the unit, but also was useful to compare individual growth at the end of the unit.

As the unit progressed, I relied on formative assessments to evaluate student

understanding. As students performed measurement tasks, I quickly saw what students

needed support with more explanation or modeling to meet the learning goal.
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Evaluating student formative assessments set the pace for teaching individual needs.

An “aha” moment happened when students worked as partners to measure each

other’s heads. I witnessed students skill checking each other informally. If their partner

didn’t start at the beginning of the paper strip to measure, they helped adjust the

measurement by modeling the correct way to start. Students taught each other and

brought their skill level and confidence up within their Zone of Proximal Development.

Assessment helps drive my teaching for the whole class as well as plans for individual

students. “Culture is a result of people’s histories, experiences and efforts, and it also shapes

those histories, experiences and efforts. This is a crucial idea, for its major implication is that

learning and thinking are always situated, always in a context and always dependent on the use

of person-made tools or resources” (Hall & Burke, 2004, p.7). Knowing my student’s

backgrounds and creating positive relationships between myself and students set a better

ground for me to know students’ strengths and needs. I can use my “knowledge of cultural

diversity to give students the type of choices most likely to engage in the assigned work and to

remove inadvertent barriers” (Taylor & Nolan, 2008, p.23). Checking for understanding

happens daily and allows for me to vary task checks to keep students engaged, incorporate

student interest, and differentiate to accommodate specific needs of students into lessons and

assessments.

Understanding what learning has taken place during the learning process and assess

where to go from this point is and crucial skill I am always working on. Summative assessments

inform me of student learning as a whole and formative assessments inform the progress of

students understanding. They are both important to informing my teaching practices. It is my

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duty and joy as a teacher to get to know my students and their back grounds to successfully

encourage agency with their learning. Focusing on authentic learning activities and learning

goals with aligned assessments drives my teaching practice.

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References

Alber, R. (2011, February 15). Why formative assessments matter. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/formative-assessments-importance-of-rebecca-alber

Miller, D. (2009). Teaching with intension: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking action.

Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers.

Taylor, C. & Nolen, S. (2008). Classroom assessment: Supporting teaching and learning in real

classrooms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.

London: Harvard University Press.

Hall, K. & Burke, W. M. (2004). Making formative assessment work: Effective practice in the

primary classroom. McGraw-Hill Education.

Wood, D. (1988). How children think and learn. Oxford: Blackwell.