The Exercises Were Explicitly Chosen To Show The Student’s Capacity: Education Assignment, DU, Australia

The exercises were explicitly chosen to show the student’s capacity through the SOLO Taxonomy scientific categorization. The assessment activity is to assess and collect students’ data of Reading Comprehension. For example, students explore the demographics of a Community this permits students to experience a range of information in the community. This information allows me follow-up learning in terms of student’s strengths and weaknesses assessment for learning. According to Clarke and Pittaway (2014), this activity can be a diagnostic assessment, which is used to check students’ present levels. Meanwhile, it can also be an informal (only involves participants in this activity) and criterion-referenced (base on criteria) type of assessment.

These activities are based on “Assessment for Learning” in that it involves assessing each students understanding and providing a baseline of data demonstrating what each student knows (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016) and from this baseline, an accurate and explicit lesson plan can be developed to meet the needs of each student. These activities allow for differentiation of levels of this topic to get authentic, fair, and reliable assessment data to be able to track each child in their knowledge understanding.

Using questioning and observation is a low-cost and efficient method for documenting students’ skills. (Montagne & Wheeler, 1998). To collect information, I adopted a variety of tools in class such as student’s works, self-checklist, questioning, problem-solving, observation, and matching. Then after the class, I will write both overview feedback on common issues and individual feedback for each student by sorting out, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing the data I collect. They need to be timely, fair, confidential, and clear and supported by reliable data (Clarke and Pittaway, 2014). They can be written and/or be assisted by some websites, software.

The goal of these activities is not to assess the end result but to determine the strategies the students use in these activities and to determine “how much and how well certain content has been assimilated.” (Biggs & Collis, 1982) While in the context of this assessment we are not asking students to apply explicitly taught information, understanding how well and to what extent students have already assimilated any prior knowledge will allow for accurate and specific data to develop a well-differentiated lesson plan targeting areas for explicit teaching.

To ensure quality in assessment, the assessment must be reliable (rigorous), valid, fair, equitable for all students, and transparent (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016) This assessment draws explicitly on a variety of tasks to ensure equity for all types of students and learners to demonstrate their understanding. Using play-based activities that draw on real-life experience sees the assessment task also become the learning experience as they can continue to learn through the assessment process as active participants.

(Brady & Kennedy, 2012) These activities are based on “Assessment for Learning” in that it involves assessing each students understanding and providing a  baseline of data demonstrating what each student knows (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016) and from this baseline, an accurate and explicit lesson plan can be developed to meet the needs of each student.

Furthermore, communicating with each child their learning intentions and completing SMART goals, goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound, allows for further transparency and sets high expectations for the students learning, motivation and engagement. It is essential to develop activities that “are interesting and viewed as important and relevant” (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016) but also that an evidence-based approach to promote engagement is when “teacher expectations are visible and transparent and can be self-fulfilling for students. High and positive expectations for all students are essential” (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016) This visibility and transparency is seen with the introduction of the unit with learning intentions outlined and also during the establishment of SMART goals for the students.

As a teacher, you must continue to meet the needs of your students. To be an effective teacher, ongoing reflection is critical. Reflection of assessment design, teaching approaches used, lesson plans, which points were students most engaged? Which students did the process suit? Which students were not suited to which part of the assessment design? (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014) It is crucial as a preservice teacher to continually monitor progress (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014) and to dig deep to get to the core of the actions taken. Reflection can also be done during the assessment process as another observation as Duchesne & McMaugh (2016) state that “reflection should occur in the planning stage, in action and in evaluation.”

It is vital as a teacher to establish and build resilience, primarily when reflecting on things that have not gone as planned. When being given constructive feedback from mentors and peers, you must have the tools to act resiliently so you can reflect on feedback and apply it to allow your continued improvement as a teacher. Teachers who can develop resilience are more likely to persist in challenging situations and environments. (Mansfield, Beltman, Price, & McConney, 2012) Being able to develop and build resilience is essential for teachers’ wellbeing, and to continue to grow as a professional in the face of setbacks. Furthermore, it also serves as a good role model for students who will face many challenges in their learning which will require them to build their own resilience.

Resilience is also sometimes drawn upon in certain situations when communicating with parents; it is important not to take criticism personally but to reflect as reflection is a tool that can also be used when communicating with parents. Active listening, remaining focused and reflecting on their feelings is essential when communicating with parents. (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014) It is also important to keep parents well informed of their child’s learning as parents need to know they are welcomed and a part of the school community, are welcome to the classroom and are equal partners in the education of their children. (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014) The best outcomes happen when good relationships are built with parents allowing the teacher to stay informed of any changes to their students and enable them to work with their family to support each student to achieve the absolute best outcome for their education.