EDSN 640_ Disccusion Board #8
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School
Touro College *
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Course
640
Subject
Communications
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by xannedeng
Discussion #8:
1.
How and when is it appropriate to use personal communication strategies, conferences, and
interviews? What issues should you consider (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020; Cohen &
Spenciner, 2015)?
Personal communication strategies, conferences, and interviews are great tools for
assessing students' understanding, reasoning, and overall performance in the classroom. These
methods can be very effective when they align with clear learning targets (Chappuis & Stiggins,
2020). As a 3K teacher, I've found personal communication strategies to be especially useful in
understanding my students' cognitive and social-emotional development, as well as identifying
any areas that need support. For instance, conducting informal interviews with young learners
allows me to gain insight into their thoughts and behaviors, helping me tailor my instruction to
meet their needs effectively. Conferences also provide an opportunity for teachers to
communicate with students or work with others to discuss student performance and improvement
strategies (Cohen & Spenciner, 2015). They are useful especially in Individualized Education
Program (IEP) meetings where a student’s special needs are addressed.
When using these strategies, it is important to consider several issues. One of the main
issues is cultural awareness and sensitivity (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020). For example, it is
possible that a student may hesitate to respond to a teacher as they are accustomed to respecting
elders and answering when they are told to do so. However, their hesitancy may be
misinterpreted as a lack of understanding of the material, leading to a biased assessment. As an
educator, it is important that we understand how cultural backgrounds may affect our students'
learning personality. Another big issue is confidentiality. Ensuring confidentiality during
interviews, especially when discussing sensitive topics, is imperative to maintain trust between
students and educators (Cohen & Spenciner, 2015). Lastly, there are also chances that you may
run into potential disagreements with colleagues or parents. It is important that we also plan
strategies to address different viewpoints to work coherently as a team.
2.
How can observation be used as an effective method of formative and summative
assessment? (NCTE, 2013) What are some options for assessing students with special needs
and concerns about reliability, validity, and fairness? (Cohen & Spenciner, 2015). What are
some things you should keep in mind while observing? (White, 2016)?
Observation serves as a powerful tool for both formative and summative assessment in
the classroom. Through observations, teachers are able to gain insight on students' strengths,
challenges, and learning progress throughout the instructional process (NCTE, 2013). By
actively observing students, teachers are able to identify areas of improvement, tailor their
teaching strategies, and provide effective feedback to enhance student learning. It is also useful
in assessing students’ comprehension and application of learning objectives. Personally, I have
oftenly used observations to understand my students’ development , individual learning styles,
and areas requiring additional support. It is very useful and helped me gain a holistic view of my
students.
When assessing students with special needs it is important that we make sure our
assessments are reliable, valid, and fair (Cohen and Spenciner, 2015). Reliability in assessments
is crucial for maintaining consistency and stability in observations. Concerns regarding reliability
often stem from potential errors such as omissions, commissions, and transmission errors, which
can compromise the accuracy of data collected during observations (Cohen and Spenciner,
2015). Concerns of validity in assessments can rise from the need to make sure that the
observational measures accurately reflect what it is supposed to assess. The use of informal
norms are helpful in the situation. Informal norms provide a comparative framework against
which the behavior of a target student can be assessed (Cohen and Spenciner, 2015). This helps
observers determine whether a student’s behavior is typical or atypical.
While conducting observations, we need to be mindful of several factors. White
emphasizes such factors as, having a clear understanding of learning targets, being attentive to
both the teacher's and students' needs, and providing a supportive learning environment (White,
2016). In my teaching practice, I ensure to keep learning targets in mind during observations,
actively observing students without disrupting their activities, and intervening only when
necessary to support their engagement and learning process. I've found observation to be
invaluable for understanding my students' learning and tailoring my instructional approach
accordingly. During center time, I like taking pictures of their work and discreetly monitoring
their progress. This allows me to gather data without disrupting their workflow or causing undue
stress. By integrating observation into my daily teaching routine, I can effectively assess student
progress, address individual needs, and foster a positive and inclusive learning environment for
them.
3.
How can we ask questions that will cause students to use higher-order thinking skills in order
to answer? What are the advantages of using logs and journal as assessment tools (Chappuis
& Stiggins)?
As a teacher, one of the fundamental strategies I use to foster higher-order thinking skills
in my students is questioning. Chappuis and Stiggins emphasize the importance of asking
open-ended questions that prompt students to think critically and creatively (Chappuis &
Stiggins, 2020). By framing questions that require students to think, I aim to deepen their
understanding and encourage thoughtful responses. For example, during a nature walk, instead of
asking “What color flowers do you see?” I might ask, "What do you think the flowers are
different colors?" This not only challenges students to engage in deeper analysis but also
promotes meaningful dialogue and reflection in the classroom.Incorporating wait time into
questioning practices can also give students the opportunity to form a more thoughtful response.
By giving students time to process information and consider their answers, I am able to create an
environment where all students feel valued and encouraged to participate actively in discussions
(Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020).
Logs and journals provide teachers with many advantages when assessing their students.
These tools enable students to articulate their thoughts, explore concepts, and deepen their
understanding through written expression (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020). They help facilitate
students' reflection on their learning processes, allowing them to evaluate, compare, contrast, and
analyze various aspects of texts or their own understanding. By engaging in reflective writing,
students can also deepen their understanding and develop higher-order thinking skills such as
critical thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, as a teacher, reviewing student journals
provides valuable insights into individual progress, allowing me to tailor instruction to meet
students' specific needs effectively.
4.
In what ways can we structure conferences, interviews, and oral examinations to obtain
accurate information about student achievement? (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020, Cohen &
Spenciner, 2015).
Structuring conferences, interviews, and oral examinations effectively is crucial for
obtaining accurate information about student achievement. Cohen and Spenciner suggest
developing a timeline outlining activities and interventions to be implemented, clarifying the
responsibilities of each participant, and scheduling follow-up meetings to track progress (Cohen
& Spenciner, 2015). Cohen and Spenciner also emphasize the importance of creating a
supportive environment during interviews, particularly when addressing special needs or
challenging situations (Cohen & Spenciner, 2015). This includes finding suitable meeting times,
pronouncing names correctly, and initiating discussions positively to establish rapport with
parents, guardians, or others involved. By fostering open communication and collaboration,
educators can gain valuable insights into a student's academic performance and overall behavior
patterns, allowing them to tailor instruction and support accordingly.
On the other hand, Chappuis and Stiggins suggests developing questions to focus on the
pre-established learning targets, allowing educators to assess students' understanding and identify
areas requiring further support or enrichment (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020). Utilizing oral
examinations along with structured rubrics can also help educators obtain information about a
student’s achievement. By carefully listening to students' responses during oral examinations and
utilizing scoring guides, teachers can assess the quality of answers, providing valuable insights
for further learning. It ensures that educators can effectively evaluate student responses and infer
levels of achievement, thus contributing to a comprehensive understanding of student progress
and learning needs (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020).
Some questions I had while reading are:
●
How have you incorporated personal communication strategies into teaching practices?
Did they work?
●
What strategies have you implemented in your classroom for bot formative and
summative assessments?
References
Chappuis, J. & Stiggins, R (2020).
Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right -
doing it well,
(3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
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Cohen, L. G. & Spenciner, L. J. (2015).
Assessment of children with special needs.
(5th ed.)
Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.
National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) (2013, October 21). Formative assessment that
truly informs instruction.
NCTE Position Statement
.
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Positions/formative-assessment_single.pdf
White, K. (2016, September 9). Observation and assessment: if I saw it, does it count?.
ALLTHINGSASSESSMENT
.
http://allthingsassessment.info/2016/09/09/observation-and-assessment-if-i-saw-it-does-it-count/