This self study is about finding and implementing an effective formative assessment tool that can provide students and teachers with enough structure and qualitative information to monitor performance, and act responsively to improve teaching and learning outcomes. But more than that, it is about learning how to reflect on and adapt my pedagogy in response to the information gathered from formative assessment on the student’s learning, so that both the student and teacher are constantly evolving their knowledge, thinking and behaviours to enhance learning and teaching outcomes for both.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek.” Barack Obama (2009)
Study Problem
My problem was my lack of knowledge of and experience in using formative assessment tools to promote self-directed active learning.
Why I chose this problem I chose this problem because I found during Practicum 4 that while I was able to use formative assessment strategies in teacher-student interactions e.g., giving descriptive feedback, open questioning and co-constructing criteria, I felt my assessment strategies did not effectively engage the students in purposeful self-assessment that could have informed their next learning steps, and increased ownership of their learning. I found that I was the main source of descriptive feedback which meant less time was focused on engaging in learning while the students waited for my feedback. I also found I had less time with each individual student to find out what understandings they were developing so that I could use that information to inform my teaching and improve their learning outcomes.
“Change will not come if we wait for
some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
We are the change we seek.”
Barack Obama (2009)
Study Problem
My problem was my lack of knowledge of and experience in using formative assessment tools to promote self-directed active learning.
Why I chose this problem
I chose this problem because I found during Practicum 4 that while I was able to use formative assessment strategies in teacher-student interactions e.g., giving descriptive feedback, open questioning and co-constructing criteria, I felt my assessment strategies did not effectively engage the students in purposeful self-assessment that could have informed their next learning steps, and increased ownership of their learning. I found that I was the main source of descriptive feedback which meant less time was focused on engaging in learning while the students waited for my feedback. I also found I had less time with each individual student to find out what understandings they were developing so that I could use that information to inform my teaching and improve their learning outcomes.