Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Summary

Improving Your Teaching and Reflection Skills

Effective teacher knows how to coordinate a diverse array of instructional elements and adapt them to differences in student needs, materials, and purposes.

Students are in a better position to evaluate teachers than anyone. So a more comprehensive and systematic approach is to distribute a questionnaire or evaluation form and ask students to record their reactions anonymously.

For teachers who adopt a constructivist approach and value student’s perceptions of how well constructivist learning principles are implemented in the classroom. (Example: Constructivist Learning Environment Survey CLES)

Students can not always tell you about technical flaws in your instructional techniques. So you may have a colleague complete an analysis of your teaching approach.

One of the easiest to create and use is a checklist Figure 16.2 page 553 example

Other ways is to videotape or audiotape your lessons.

Another idea is to use Reflective Lesson Plans
Divide a sheet of paper in half. Label the left-hand side “Lesson Plan”. Label the right-hand side “Reflective Notes”
On the lesson plan side, note relevant information, the objectives of the lesson, the tasks that are to be carried out in chronological order, the materials and equipment that are to be used, and how much time has been allotted for this lesson
On the reflective notes side, as soon as possible after the lesson, write your thoughts about the worth of the objective that underlies the lesson, the adequacy of the materials, and how well you performed the basic mechanics of teaching
Make changes to the lesson plans based on your analysis of the reflective notes.

Guided Reflection Protocol- a technique that is somewhat less structured than the reflective lesson plan. After choosing one or more teaching episodes answer the following questions honestly as possible:
What happened? Describe the incident as fully as possible
Why did it happen? The events that produced the incident
What might it mean? There may be several possible interpretations of the meaning
What are the implications for my practice? What might you do differently in a similar situation

Teachers may want to develop a reflection journal to: serve as a repository of instructional ideas and techniques that you have either created from your own experiences or gleaned from other sources; and to give yourself a format for recording your observations and reflections on teaching.
Search your memory for techniques that your past teachers used; describe
Ask others if they can remember any successful ways that their teachers made understanding easier
Examine the examples given in the text section
Add ideas that you pick up in methods classes or during your student-teaching experiences

Use a portfolio with your journal:
Title page
Table of contents
Statement of your educational philosophy
Resume
Statement of your teaching goals
Examples of lesson plans
Examples of learning activities
Samples of student work
Photographs and videotapes
Letters of recommendations
Teaching evaluations
Samples of college work
An autobiography
Reflections about how teaching has contributed to your growth as a person and a teacher
Official documents

Conford believes that for reflection to be effective, teachers need to possess two qualities: broad and in-depth knowledge of the classroom as a teaching-learning environment and strong critical thinking skills.

Using Technology for Reflection

Discussion Forums and Chatrooms:
The connect page of ALPS, Harvard’s Teacher Lab (http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/bigideas/q5.cfm )
The New Teachers Online page of Teachers Network (www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol )
The Interactive Forums page of the International Education and Resource Network (www.iearn.org/index.html )
The Teachers2Teachers page of Teachnet.com (www.teachnet.com/t2t)
The Teachers Helping Teachers Guestbook page of Teachers Helping Teachers (www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/guestbook.html)
The teachers.net “chat center” can direct you to “chatboards” arranged by grade levels, subjects, region, and so forth (http://teachers.net)
Multimedia Case-Based Instruction: using multimedia and hypermedia programs that feature case-based learning formats that encourage new models of teaching, learning, and assessment among both preservice and practicing teachers
· Houghton Mifflin Video Cases


What I Have Learned

I have learned so much from this class. I have never had a class that I came out with so much new knowledge before. We have completed worthwhile projects, learned new technology tools to use, and been given so many great resources that we can use in our classrooms. We have also discussed our ideas and thoughts with others and learned how to reflect on what we are learning using technology. There is so much that I could say but I will tie it all up into one statement, “What a Great Class This Has Been”.


Question of the Week:

I really don’t have a question, I just have a thought “thanks for everything Ms. Graff, you are great”.

Oh, where do you find all your great ideas and resources?

Understanding and Using Standardized Tests

Chapter 15: Summary

Standardized Tests:
Standardized tests- items presentes and scored in standard fashion; results reported with reference to standards

Basic purpose of standardized tests is to obtain accurate representative sample of some aspect of a person.

Standardized test scores are used to identify strengthes and weaknesses, plan instruction, select students for programs.

Reliability- similiarity between two rankings of test scores obtained from the same individual

1. Split-half reliability: a single test is administered to a group of students, they create two scores by dividing the test in half, and measure the extent to which the rankings change from one half to the other. It gauges the internal consistency of a test.
2. Test-retest reliability: they administer the same test to the same people on two occasions and measure the extent to which the rankings change over time.
3. Alternate-form reliability: they administer two equivalent forms of a test to the same group of students at the same time and compare the results.

Validity- how accurately a test measures what users want it to measure.

1. Content Validity: how well test items cover a body of knowledge and skill
2. Predictive Validity: how well a test score predicts later performance
3. Construct Validity: how accurately a test measures a theoretical attribute

Norm group- a sample of individuals carefully chosen so as to reflect the larger population of students for whom the test is intended.

Meaningfulness of standardized test scores depends on representativeness of norm group.

Formal testing of young children is inappropriate because of rapid developmental changes.

Types of Standardized Tests:

1. Achievement tests: (1) single-subject achievement test (2) diagnostic test (3) achievement batteries (4) competency test (5) special-purpose achievement test
2. Aptitude tests: they measure predisposition to develop additional capabilities in specific areas
3. Norm-referenced tests: compare one student with others
4. Criterion-referenced tests: indicate degree of mastery of objectives

Achievement tests measure how much of a subject or skill has been learned.

Diagnostic achievement tests designed to identify specific strengths and weaknesses.

Competency tests determine whether potential graduates possess basic skills.

Standardized Test Scores:

1. Grade Equivalent Scores: interprets test performance in terms of grade levels
2. Percentile ranks: percentage of scores at or below a given point
3. Standard Scores: are expressed in terms of Standard deviations (degree of deviation from the mean of a distribution); normal curve (a mathematical concept that depicts a hypothetical bellshaped distribution of scores); z score (tells how far a given raw score if from the mean in standard deviation units); T score (raw score translated to a scale of 1-100 with a mean of 50)
4. Stanine: student performance indicated with reference to a 9-point scale based on normal curve

Misconceptions:

1. A test measures what its name implies
2. All tests with the same title are the same
3. A test score accurately reflects what people know and can do
4. Two tests that claim to measure the same thing can be made interchangeable
5. Test are scored by adding up the number of items people answer correctly
6. Scores of 70% correct, 80% correct, and 90% correct are equivalent to grades of C, B, and A respectively
7. Multiple-choice questions are useful only for measuring how well students can recognize and recall factual knowledge
8. One can tell if an item is good just by looking at it

Using Standardized Tests for Accountability Purposes: High-Stakes Testing

High-stakes testing: using test results to hold students and educators accountable for achievement

NCLB requires standards, annual testing in math and reading, annual progress for all students, public reports, and accountability systems.

High-stakes tests expected to improve clarity of goals, quality control, teaching methods, and student motivation.

High-stakes tests criticized because of structural limitations, misinterpretations/misuse of results, narrow view of motivation, adverse side effects.

Research on effects of high-stakes testing limited and inconsistent

Standardized Testing and Technology

Websites of state departments of education, private companies provide services that help prepare students for state assessments.

Smarthinking (www.smarthinking.com) povides tutoring through online instructors and digital whiteboards

TestGEAR (www.testu.com) students take a diagnostic pretest and are then provided with individualized courses in various aspects of math and language arts.

Computer adaptive testing: computers determine sequence and difficulty level of test items.

Suggestions for Teaching in Your Classroom

1. Before you give a standardized test, emphasize that students should do their best
2. Before your students take a standardized test, give them specific suggestions for taking such tests
3. Examine the test booklet and answer sheet in advance so that you are familiar with the test
4. Be cautious when interpreting scores, and always give the student the benefit of the doubt
5. Do your best to control the impact of negative expectations
6. Be prepared to offer parents clear and accurate information about their children's test scores

Life Experiences:

I feel my life experiences are best explained from my post in the discussion board this week.

Wow, I can really get on my soap box with this one discussion. There is a time and a place for standardized testing; and in some instances they are good and useful. BUT not the way that they are used right now. I work with students with disabilities and it just infuriates me when I see what these tests do to these kids. We have determined through important standardized testing that they are students with disabilities and in most cases are not able to complete work from their grade level but we except them to sit down for how many days and do the exact same test as all other students. How bright does that sound???? I understand that standardized testing is used for many purposes and many of them are important but our testing setup right now just does not cut it. Even students who do well in school get very stressed out when you mention those big tests at the end of the year. I have even seen kids that were so upset that they were literally sick. They have came up with alternative assessments for the significantly cognitively impaired but what about those kids with learning disabilities that just try their best but can not do it. We need to come up with some for of alternate assessment for them. Because the way things are right now, there is no way that they are getting accurate results for a lot of the students in school today. I know that teachers need a way to assess what their students have learned and the government needs a way to assess teachers because of No Child Left Behind, but there has to be something better. Right now they are putting so much emphasis on end of the year testing and trying to make it where if a child does not perform like they should then they can not go on to the next grade, that is crazy. I have seen some kids that have made tremendous progress in a year but if you went by that rule they would not get to go on to the next grade level and who knows they probably won't the next year either even with the best teacher. Good teachers conduct informal assessments on their children throughout the year and those informal assessments give a much better idea of where a child is at and how much progress they have made over that year than any standardized test ever could or probably ever will. How these changes need to be made I'm not sure or who will help to make these changes who knows?

How this class has changed me:

I have learned so much from this class. I intend on saving my book because it is full of important information for anyone who is working with students in a school setting. Even though I will not persay be "Teaching" students, I will be an individual that will help them toward achieving an appropriate education. I try to carry over information that I am learning in this class to other education classes that I am currently taking. I hope to also use it when I begin my speech language classes this summer.

Blogs:

I was nice to see that almost everyone in the class has the same kinds of concerns with NCLB and standardized testing as I do. We all came about it through different ways but it all boils down to there needs to be changes made in the current system because their idea of all children being proficient by 2014 is a long way off right now.

Question of the Week:

http://tcmtechnologyblog.blogspot.com/
Answer the following questions about the blog. I understand this is not a P-12 blog, but the ideas within it are great for this series of "questions of the week".
Would a blog like this one help you with your teaching?
Would you be able to get ideas for teaching from this blog? How? Why? Explain.
Did you learn something new from the blogger? What and why did it strike you as memorable?
Would you want to create a site like this for others? Why or why not?

Yes, there is alot of neat things at this website. I found a song for elementary students about polygons and an interesting video about why subtraction algorithms are hard to learn. I also found another website from it called "Interactive" it was full of neat math games. The more you keep going through it the more you will find. Even if you do not use the whole idea that is given maybe you can "tweak" it a little to fit your age group. I love math, it was always one of my favorite subjects when I was in school. I still try to help tutor other kids in math now if time allows. There are so many interesting blogs out there right now and I figure that new ones are being created all the time. I would love to be able one day to create a blog with as much important information about speech language or other things that interest me as this individual did, but time is always the problem factor.