Math and reading are most emphasized in classroom so I am going to think about a math lesson plan. Fractions seemed to be the most stressful from the time spent in observing and from my own experience.
I have watched the teacher at Spring Hill Elementary teach two fraction lesson plans now. She assesses them the whole time so most of my assessments are inspired by her classroom. Most of the assessing she does is informal. The teacher should pose questions at the beginning of the lesson to see if the student has any prior knowledge or to recap from what was taught yesterday. This gets their brains thinking and sees what they can remember. After some review is done, the teacher can teach the lesson such as adding or subtracting fractions. After the lesson or instruction is completed, a student could come to the board for practice and to "teach" the class. I have found that students can learn from each other easier than the teacher on some occasions. The student writing on the board and explaining their steps shows the teacher what they have learned. Another assessment can be a worksheet. The 4th grade teacher lets the students start on the worksheet individually then get with a partner or work as a group. As groups they can help each other and the teacher can walk around and see if there are any problems and she needs to reteach anything. A last assessment can be a formal one in the shape of a test. A test or a quiz can give feedback to the teacher one what the kids understood in the lesson.
There are many ways to assess students and math is an easy subject to assess. I have watched the teacher figure out what the students know without them feeling pressured to be perfect. She gives them hints so they don't get down on themselves. I have learned tons just from observing her classroom. I also found a website with 7 pages of assessment tools that I will use at a later date. The website says it is for a math classroom but they could be altered for multiple subjects. A to Z assessment list
I think your examples are great. I think it is good for students to work in groups together to help each other, especially if they are struggling. I love how your teacher involves the students. Your website looks like a great resource! Those are really great ideas, and I will have to save that resource.
ReplyDeleteYour example of students learning from each other is a perfect example of social cognitive theory (we'll be learning about it in Chapter 10). I agree that students often do better learning from a peer's example, and I'm glad that you pointed out this example, since it's great for informally assessing what the students know as well as developing peer relationships and self-efficacy.
ReplyDelete