Pedagogy Inquiry Question: How does a teacher value classroom projects, assignments, and assessments?

Transcription

1 Name: Joe Teacher Address: School: High School, San Diego County Grade: 10 Subject Matter: Mathematics Pedagogy Inquiry Question: How does a teacher value classroom projects, assignments, and assessments? Teaching Context: XXX High School is a project-based school of approximately 520 students in Sample City, CA. Most of our students come from middle class families in surrounding areas of Sample County. My classes consisted of approximately 25 students each, with 5 10 students with IEPs or 504s, and 1-2 English Language Learners. Data/Evidence Sources: The data I collected was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. I informally asked students for their perspectives on a constant basis. This was especially important when I introduced something new to the classroom: students grading their own formative assessments. In trying this, my goal was to have students provide themselves with more valuable feedback in understanding how their actions prior to an assessment directly affects their performance. Students verbally reflected their appreciation of grading their own formative assessments, reasoning that they did not just see a score and think good or bad but instead they worked through their challenges and accomplishments as each problem was discussed. They felt more involved in the instructional process. I also collected written reflections from the students, in addition to the work done on the formative assessment, in order to better inform the structure of the class preceding the summative assessment. The quiz scores (quantitative evidence) showed which students needed more guidance, and which felt most comfortable in their understanding of the content.

2 The graphic displays that 2 of the 15 students earned 100% on their quiz with minimal preparation methods. 3 more students earned 100% with moderate to significant preparation methods. 3 others of the 15 students earned a score of 80% and above, all with multiple to significant preparation methods. The remaining 7 students earned a score of 70% or below, and all of those students utilized only 1 to 5 preparation methods. While the above quantitative data reflects the correlation between performance and preparation, their reflections (qualitative evidence) explained which area they felt a need for greater focus in achieving a proficient understanding, which previous activities/work they valued the most, and how the classroom environment affected their learning. Summary of Findings: From analyzing the data/evidence I received, it was apparent that the students who scored lower on the formative assessment had a clear understanding that their performance was linked to their effort. With so many support structures in place (office hours, instructional videos, academic coaching, etc.) the students reflected on utilizing more of what was available, for a longer period of time (instead of the day before the assessment), in order to increase their understanding. I was very impressed by the fact that the students did not blame others for their own performance, and in many ways, their understanding and reflection of personal responsibility is of greater importance than

3 their quantitative performance on this assessment. In the great majority of student reflections, regardless of whether the students' performance was above or below average, there was sincere evidence of developmental education taking place, regarding the students' work ethic and determination. It is my hope that this is ultimately what the students will truly value and utilize in their adult lives. Impact on Teaching: I learned the importance of integrating speaking, listening, and writing skills in a mathematics classroom. The student discussions were engaging and diverse, while the student reflections added a sense of introspection in one's work. Allowing students to choose their own problems for homework, problems they believed would help them be successful on the assessments, also reinforced the idea that students want responsibility, and that as teachers we must guide them through the process of managing it. Impact on Students: I learned my special needs students found true value in resources they could use at their own pace. After one afternoon, in realizing that some of my students were struggling with finding the area of sectors of circles, I filmed a brief video and posted it to Youtube that night to help guide them through the process. It wasn't only the special needs students that expressed gratitude for this additional support, but everyone. My EL student in the class needed personal clarification after several of the lessons for many of the new vocabulary words. I understood that he did not want to ask these questions in front of the other students, so I spent additional time with him. However, I also reiterated definitions constantly in class, as I assumed that there were more students who didn't fully understand some of the new vocabulary. Connections to future teaching and learning: This inquiry question is important to teaching and learning because as teachers, we need to decide what to do with limited class time. We must choose whichever projects, activities, and assessments have the greatest value, as they will be the best use of our students' time. As one constantly refines their curriculum, this question is one that must constantly be revisited. As the experience above suggests, this is also a question that should not be limited to students' understanding of pure content, but should include the intangibles that are key to the critical thinking and reflection necessary in becoming a responsible adult.

4 PLAN PLAN/TEACH IIP # Date: 5/10/13 Individual Induction Plan (C-1) Participating Teacher XXXXXX Support Provider XXXXXX District High School District School High School Teaching Assignment Math II Content Area 1. Based on findings from self-assessments, determine area(s) of focus. Connecting learning goals with classroom projects, assignments, and assessments Mathematics Credential Area of Emphasis Single Subject - Mathematics FOCUS OF THE INQUIRY: Determining what I need to know and be able to do 2. Develop a focus question for this inquiry. How does a teacher value classroom projects, assignments, and assessments? 3. Which CSTP element(s) will be addressed? Engaging and supporting all students in learning; understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning; planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students; assessing student learning; developing as a professional educator 4. What are the anticipated, measurable outcomes for student learning? Majority of students will understand complexities relating to circle measures and characteristics. They will use new vocabulary to make their own constructions and model accurate procedures to their peers. The majority will pass (above 70% accuracy) the formative assessment (Quiz 1). Through reflection regarding study methods and conceptual understanding, all students will pass summative assessment. Students will be able to create their own problems invovling circles, connecting the importance of specific traits (i.e. area of sectors) to real world understanding through classroom discussion and peer-to-peer presentations. The goal of this connection, prior to the summative assessment, is to enhance the value of student learning and scaffold the experience to provide more content depth. ACTION PLAN: Examining research related to my focus question and applying new learning in my instructional setting 5. Date of research 04/09/ Research: Describe resources used (e.g. talked to colleague, research on-line, other) Discussed potential challenges and outcomes of unit structure with Matt Leader (mentor). 7. Application: Implementation of new knowledge Developed a more defined unit structure and calendar of activities leading up to assessments. Increased focus on student reflection and feedback to enhance student experience in an environment with an interest in bridging the gap between social and academic status levels, with the attempt to build broader intrinsic value in the unit. 8. Measurable Results: Impact on teaching/student achievement Organization of unit structure was enhanced. Assumptions on time needed to accomplish tasks was more accurate (stayed on schedule throughout the unit). Students verbally reflected on feelings of increased engagement and understanding. Copyright Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the California Department of Education Formative Assessment for California Teachers (FACT) 2011 Inquiry into Teaching and Learning: Individual Induction Plan Page 4 of 6

5 4/10/2013 4/12/2013 Researched challenging content-focused problems online, focusing on integrating real-world application Discussed schedule of implementing specific problem sets with math colleagues. 4/30/2013 Analyzed student work. Discovered two real-world problems combining prior knowledge with new academic content. Chose to integrate aforementioned problems throughout unit to balance critical thinking with procedural computation. Decided on scaffolding structure to maintain student interest and drive intellecutal curiosity. Chose specific traditional problem sets to help guide students to reaffirm understanding of content. Read student reflections and analyzed formative assessment scores to inform decisions on refining lessons leading up to summative assessment. IIP # Date: 5/10/13 Students showed enhanced knowledge of content through think-pair-share activity and informal classroom presentations and diverse solution proposals. Student scores on formative assessments improved from previous unit, though reflections on difficulty of content remained unchanged. Through student reflections, I grasped a better understanding of the value students placed on work throughout the unit. With multiple intelligences, I recognized the importance of continued support in a diverse manner (visual, verbal, interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc.) of guided instruction. REFLECTION/APPLICATION Copyright Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the California Department of Education Formative Assessment for California Teachers (FACT) 2011 Inquiry into Teaching and Learning: Individual Induction Plan Page 5 of 6

6 REFLECT APPLY 9. a. As a result of the inquiry process, what was the impact on instructional practices and student achievement? (list specific evidence) IIP # Date: 5/10/13 As a result of the inquiry process, my instructional practices became more clear and focused in how content was delivered throughout the unit. Instead of only receiving student feedback (through reflections) at the end of the summative assessment, the student reflections were consistent throughout the unit. This constant form of feedback regarding the value of time spent on classwork, activities, and assessments helped me understand where students saw the most value. Student achievement was also impacted by the inquiry process because the consistency in reflection helped students make clearer connections between effort and achievement. This was apparent through the qualitative growth in their reflections over time. b. Share your learning about student development, instructional practice, academic content, and/or yourself as a teacher. I was initially surprised to see how candidly honest the student reflections were. Students were very honest with themselves regarding the effort they put forth, yet some still made vague excuses about being a "bad test-taker." It was important to have conversations with these students who put themselves at an immediate disadvantage by having this negative outlook on their ability to take an exam. These conversations became solution-oriented rather than problemoriented. Although it is time consuming to have consistent student reflections throughout a unit, it is a clear guide to helping one calculate the value in different instructional methods, activities, and assessments. It also helps promote student awareness in their own work and ability levels, while providing them with more intrinsic feedback than what they would normally get. When I had students grade their own formative assessments, the feedback they provided me was incredibly valuable -- as they demonstrated a greater appreciation for walking through their mistakes on their own, instead of simply seeing a score and associating it with "good" or "bad." As a teacher, I learned that the work my students were doing in class had value regarding both their understanding of mathematical content and their understanding of their own personal learning styles. It was critcally important that students gained an understanding (sooner, rather than later) of the tools and resources that will help them accomplish their goals, whether it means doing well on a test or doing well on a job interview. Continuous feedback also provided me with insight into student-led discussion regarding content, and teacher-led discussion. I learned that it was good to have both throughout a lesson, as both provide value for students (as stated in their reflections and apparent through the progress between assessments). Typically, educators and critics discuss the dichotomy of a student-centered or teacher-centered classroom as being mutually exclusive, but after receiving the feedback (both verbal and written) from students, it was apparent that a classroom diverse in its instructional methods is truly most valuable for students. 10. Describe how you will apply new learning to future practice. I am going to continue with this process of inquiry throughout my career as a teacher, even if I come to a great understanding of the value of every unit I implement throughout a school year, the inquiry will continue to build reflective skills and confidence levels in the students. My goal as an educator is to not just teach content, but to also help students build a greater understanding of how and why they learn, and how they can use this understanding to accomplish their goals. The Induction Program Standards (Pedagogy, Universal Access: Equity for All Students, Universal Access: Teaching English Learners, and Universal Access: Teaching Special Populations) are embedded throughout the formative assessment system. Copyright Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the California Department of Education Formative Assessment for California Teachers (FACT) 2011 Inquiry into Teaching and Learning: Individual Induction Plan Page 6 of 6