Assessment and Evaluation
It is crucial for teachers to get to know their students and the type of learners that make up their classroom environment. It is, equally, important for students to get to know themselves as learners, as well.
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Ongoing regular assessment allows the teacher to get to know each student’s varying abilities in order to appropriately modify and adapt the content and material to best fit each of their individual needs.
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Regular assessment allows students to receive constructive feedback, which allows them to reflect on what they need to change or what they need to work on in order to continue to succeed.
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A teacher should have their students participate in regular personal reflection as it will allow each of them to think critically about what they have learned, what they do not understand and what they need to work on. Ongoing reflection provides students with the basic skills to monitor their own learning in the present and for the future.
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A teacher should provide students with evaluation criteria or rubrics, beforehand, so that they are aware of the final goals and objectives and, thus, know what to work towards.
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A teacher should use a variety of assessment and evaluation techniques (quizzes/tests, observation, self-assessment, peer-assessment, rubrics, reflection, teacher-student discussions, games, etc.) as each learner is different and may strive in environments that vary from one another. Additionally, Each technique serves a different purpose, therefore, one must be clear as to what they are measuring.
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The Backward design is a good techniques to use, as it allows the teacher to reflect on the major concepts and objectives they would like their students to learn and accomplish and it leads them to build an assessment strategy before individual lessons are created.
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Self-assessment allows students to take ownership of their learning. Students partake in self-monitoring and self-reflection processes, which allow them to better identify their strengths and weaknesses and set ongoing goals for themselves.
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Portfolios are a good self-assessment technique to use in the classroom, as they help children understand themselves as learners and provides them with the opportunity to set personal goals.