Chapter 8 - Getting the Most Bang for your Assessment Buck - Involving Students
Why is it critical for students to play a key role in the assessment process? Review Popham’s (2008b) hierarchy of assessment implementation. How does this align with your classroom and/or school?
Wow, Empowering kids!!! It seems so simple and I feel like I haven't yet given my students enough power. This all seems a lot like stating expectations again, but hopefully in a way that is more engaging. I love the "I can" and "I will" statements. I have been teaching at level 1 of Popham's hierarchy and I want to move up.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2 students taking responsibility and adjusting their learning strategies. Students should have lots of strategies in their tool box and if they don't it is our jobs to give them more tools.
Level 3 shifting from a focus on grades to a focus on learning is fundamental for a population of students who for the most part aren't motivated by grades.
I want my students to own their learning.
"Why is it critical for students to play a key role in the assessment process? Review Popham’s (2008b) hierarchy of assessment implementation. How does this align with your classroom and/or school?"
ReplyDeleteI think we always want students to take ownership of their learning. They know it is the teacher's job to instruct, but sometimes they forget that it is their responsibility to learn. If students are invested in the process, right through to assessment, they will feel a greater sense of control-with control comes responsibility!
I believe my classroom routinely functions at level 2. Students do examine their goals and assessment performance. They then adjust their goals and strategies they intend to implement to reach those goals. Now, not all students buy in to working toward a personal goal nor do they all follow through with their promise to act on their strategies. I need to be more focused and consistent in helping them see the benefits of planning and taking action.
When my students set and act on whole class learning goals, I do think they near level 3. Someday I do hope to see them as devoted on the individual level.
I agree completely. They do forget that it's their responsibility to learn and getting them invested is the key.
DeleteHelping students understand the strategies is so important. This year I will have my students create STAAR tests that I will give to the 8th grade reading teachers to use. Just think of all the elements involved in that! Hopefully having a deeper understanding of the test format and the vocabulary used will give them a better sense of confidence.
I agree. Sometimes students forget that it is their responsibility to learn. I have students write personal goals at the beginning of the year and every six weeks they review them and most make adjustments. Feedback on tests and assignments is an important part of the learning process.
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteStudents are important users of assessment information, including students in the assessment process, especially the strands and assessment results will ultimately shift the learning from the teacher to the student and results have proven that students learn at a higher rate.
Question 2:
Honestly, from my point of view, I’ve observed all three levels in some amazing pretty amazing places; places you wouldn’t believe it could happen.
It is important for students to play a key role because, as the key point states, it shifts the responsibility from the teacher to the students. And when involved they learn at higher rates.
ReplyDeleteIn other words the teacher can become more of a facilitator and the students are becoming life long learners. The whole "teach a man to fish" proves true, yet again. This is the ultimate goal of education.
This is why I love teaching Reading. I am not teaching content as much as I am teaching a process. I often tell students in the Reading Improvement classes that while the initial goal is to pass the Reading STAAR the ultimate goal is to become efficient readers. They may never have to read a novel after they graduate, but for the rest of their life they will need to read for information. Not only read but be able to comprehend and evaluate the information they gain from reading. This is empowering!
Learning tends to be greater when students are involved and take ownership in the assessment process. Teachers must ensure that clear expectation are given of what is to be learned. My classroom falls between levels 2 and 3.
ReplyDeleteIt is critical for students to play a key role in the assessment process because it gives them a sense of autonomy when teachers encourage them to create a sense of internal responsibility for their achievement. It leads to greater motivation and academic achievement. However, we are instrumental in making students autonomous if we create reliable assessments to make them enhanced learners and empower them to be actively involved in the assessment of their own achievement so they can actively communicate and be engaged in their learning.
ReplyDeleteStudents need to take greater responsibility for their own learning when they regularly assess themselves. They can do this once we apply the principles of "assessments for learning." They can achieve through engagement, motivation, and positive feedback.
Easier said than done right? In coming together and working together in our PLC's, I am confident we can reach a lot of students. RTE!
The more you make the students a part of the learning improvement process the more they will gain from it. It's imperative for students to take ownership and responsibility in their learning.
ReplyDeleteI believe our campus has classrooms that fall into each of the three levels. Mine would probably be more on level 2.
After reading this chapter it truly enforced my thought of the importance of students in their learning. If we don’t allow the students to be part of the learning process tests simply become just a way to give students a grade rather than the much more it can be. If we allow students to be part of the process they are better able to see what their strengths and weaknesses are in learning. If the students know they are weak in one standard they may be more apt to want to pay attention the next time I am reviewing the concept. I believe the description in the book that said it is a “partnership” is a great way to describe it. I think our kids need to know we see it that way.
ReplyDeleteI think I am a level two according to Popham’s hierarchy. I do data folders in my room I believe that helps the students not only see what questions they missed but what standards they missed. I do not think that I am to a level three yet because I have not been able to get all students to want to learn.
Students taking control of their own learning is the most powerful tool. When learning becomes what I control, versus what is done "to" me, the only limit is self-imposed.
ReplyDeleteAutonomy is also a developmental task, which many 6th graders have not yet achieved. I've seen evidence of all three levels in my classroom.
Learning will definitely be increased when the students realize that it is their responsibility to actively participate in their learning, not just sitting in the classroom. I have seen all levels of Popham's hierarchy taking place in my classroom, depending on the motivation of the student.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it critical for students to play a key role in the assessment process? Review Popham’s (2008b) hierarchy of assessment implementation. How does this align with your classroom and/or school?
ReplyDeleteIt is critical because if students are included in the learning process, they know where they stand on the things they are supposed to know and can change the course of their learning.
I use the "I can or I will be able to" stems for learning targets in my classroom. I use rubrics and ask my students for feedback on activities, assessments and assignments. I specifically ask my kids why they missed specific questions on assessments to determine if the question was bad, or if they truly don't understand the concept. Getting feedback from your students is an important part of the process and can't be overlooked.
I think it could increase learning as it will help students take more ownership and help them monitor their progress. Through this process, students will be provided feedback on the topics/TEKS we are currently studying and show them where they are and where they need to be.
ReplyDeleteWhen students feel that they have ownership of their own learning, they achieve at higher levels and at greater retention. In my classroom I have seen evidence at all three levels but I feel that I need to increase the frequency of level 2 and level 3 examples.
ReplyDeleteMore involvement = more learning. More and more level 2 activity school wide (standards posted, data folders, project rubrics)
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ReplyDeleteAs stated by the authors, it’s critical for students to play a key role in their assessments because it gives them ownership of their own learning, and they begin to see their education as a partnership with the teacher to learn at higher levels.
ReplyDeleteI have used this concept in a very unsophisticated way in my classroom in an attempt to motivate some of my more oppositional students- making certain they have a clear understanding that they are actually in control of what and how much they learn, and to help them see the teacher as someone who wants them to be successful. Replacing the idea of doing work for the teacher to earn a grade, with the idea of working with the teacher to get a high-quality education is definitely on my year-long agenda.
We all regularly hear about the importance and methods of getting students involved in their own learning process, and I think that most agree that this is imperative to their taking ownership of their education. However, I think we usually apply this concept to behavior plans and to the learning of content more than assessments. I never thought about it before but it seems obvious now that it should apply it to the whole sha-bang!
ReplyDeleteI definitely started off in level 1 of Potham's hierarchy, but I hope to be fully in level 2 by the end of this (my second) school year!
Some of you will be able to take advantage of the middle school assessments put into Aware last year. If a TEKS is covered in their previous grade level, you will be able to see that and share that as a starting point with your student(s).
ReplyDeleteIt is very important that we make our assessments, middle school assessments because the results follow the students.
Why is it critical for students to play a key role in the assessment process? Review Popham’s (2008b) hierarchy of assessment implementation. How does this align with your classroom and/or school?
ReplyDeleteStudents need to know what they will learn and why they need to know it; otherwise, it is not meaningful to them, and they are less likely to buy into it. Getting students involved by having them evaluate examples and using rubrics to assess "quality" work helps them to have a better understanding of what is expected of them. Getting students familiar with rubrics and how they will be graded has been an ongoing process in my classroom. I would like to take it to the next level, as in Popham's Level 2 of the hierarchy of assessment, which encourages "students to use results to adjust their learning strategies." This would be much more beneficial and gives them ownership and more power over their own success in learning.