Analysis
Planning
classroom lessons requires far more than choosing a cute activity from
Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers. Effective lesson planning begins with
the end in mine.
Before even
introducing a hook, teachers must formulate learning objectives; "setting
out objectives at the beginning of a course is an essential step in providing a
framework into which individual lessons will fit" (Slavin, 2015, p.340).
Strong objectives should include three components: performance ("what
a learner is expected to do"), conditions ("conditions under which
the performance is to occur"), and criteria ("describes the criterion
of acceptable performance") (Slavin, 2015, p.340). An objective
should be as specific as the expectations. When constructing the
objective, a teacher must also consider the prerequisites needed for success.
For example, if an objective is to measure a student’s skills with constructing
a compare and contrast of a situation, and the student is expected to electronically
share the essay, the teacher must first ensure that the student is
knowledgeable of the electronic platform.
According
to backwards planning and the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model,
assessments should be made before instruction ever begins. Objectives and assessments should be closely
connected; “teaching should be closely linked to instructional objectives, and
both should clearly relate to assessment” (Slavin, 2015, p.345). In addition, a teacher must consider the
cognitive level in which standards should be assessed; Bloom’s Taxonomy can
serve as a guide. Assessments serve many
purposes in the classroom; the six main intentions include: feedback to
students, feedback to teachers, information to parents, information for
selection and certification, information for accountability, and incentives to
increase student effort (Slavin, 2015, p.348).
Regardless of the goal, formative assessments for learning drive the
direction of the classroom.
Students
need a variety of assessment methods.
Evaluations should include items that clearly assess the intention of
the objective. Multiple choice questions
are not the most appropriate item for all objectives; depending on the
cognitive level required, some standards need students to construct something,
whether that be an essay, portfolio, or performance assessment. When issuing non-traditional assessments,
teachers should present clear rubrics prior to the work so that they can serve
as a guide for students.
Reflection
I
appreciate that my county formulates teams of teachers to create a curriculum
map of content standards. The group
first labels power standards, and then they work to designate how much time to
spend on each standard. The map serves
as a wonderful guide when I am lesson planning; I can easily use the backwards
planning design. In addition, blueprint
documents are created; blueprints list the number of assessment questions
needed for each standard, the types of questions, and the depth of knowledge
(DOK). Common assessments are even made
for county level feedback.
In regards
to assessment items, I mostly use multiple-choice (‘select one’ and ‘select all
that apply’) and constructed response, both of which are used to assess
students on the summative high-stakes state test. I work to mimic how the students will need to
perform for promotion purposes. While
preparation is important, I recognize the need to produce more authentic
assessment opportunities. I continue to
work in this area.
I am
extremely grateful for an assessment itembank my county purchases; I have
access to thousands of test items of various question types and DOK
levels. The items are valid and
reliable; I simply have to select appropriate items based on learning
objectives. By having this resource, I
feel that I have been able to more easily grow in the area of assessments. Instead of focusing so much attention on
constructing questions, I am able to focus on matching objectives to items with
suitable cognitive expectations.
References
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