Final Reflections 1

Shuntia Wallace

Final Reflections

University of West Georgia

MEDT 7476

Dr. Haynes

It was a chilly day in the spring of 1985- Ronald Regan was President, Madonna was my

favorite music artists, and I was in the fourth grade. Now remember, you must fill in the

bubble, with a number 2 pencil only! You must NOT go outside the bubble, and you MUST fill

in the bubble completely! -My teacher stated. I still remember the stillness of the room and the

panic in my stomach as I took the ITBS (a standardized test). I was not accustomed to taking

standardized tests and using bubble sheets The only test I remember taking where the

chapter summary test at the end of every chapter I read during social studies. I never had the

opportunity to create a poster or write a story, as a form of assessmentNo, when I was a

student, my assessments consisted of fill in the blank, and multiple choice tests. Later in college,

assessments became essays. Fundamentally, all of these tests methods are valid and have their

place in assessing learning. However, thanks to completing this course, I know how to gather

information about my students' learning, in a variety of ways- using technology.

During this course, I have discovered a variety of technology-based tools to assess student

learning. I have learned how to evaluate assessments, create technology-enhanced assessments,

use electronic platforms to support assessment, how to interpret data, and display data for

stakeholders. (Haynes, 2016) In this reflection, I plan to provide you with a detailed description

of what I have learned during this course, how my teaching practices have been influenced by
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what I have mastered. I also plan to describe how I will utilize my new skills and knowledge in

my classroom in August.

Review of Learning

Since I began working on assessing learners in technology enhanced instruction, I have

completed several tasks, which changed my perspective on assessments and how to use them to

evaluate student achievement. For example, in module1, I was given the opportunity to evaluate

the HiSET assessment, by ETS. I examined details of the test, such as the strengths of HiSET (it

was less expensive than the GED) and weakness of HiSET (it is not given and accepted by every

state). Also, as a result of completing this assignment, I understand how a valid assessment

directly influences student achievement. I have always known assessments had to be fair, (and

not biased), but I did not consider that test question must focus on standards and the information/

results of the assessment should be used to direct instruction, which will impact student

achievement. Now I know, anything can be assessed- but what matters is how aligned the test is

to a standard. (Greenstein, 2012) In the second module, I defined measurement, assessment, and

evaluations; also, I discovered how they all were different. Measurements refer to a number or a

result; assessment relates to gathering the data (numbers/ results), and evaluations apply to

judging and interpreting the data. (Haynes, 2016). However, it was the technology- based

assessment planning and implementation (in module 3), that forced me to put my new

knowledge into practice. To create the assessment plan, I used Rubi Star, an online rubric maker,

to assist in creating a rubric for the assessment. To complete the assignment, my students had to

create an infographic that demonstrated their understanding of key concepts about Cubism.

Once the students got going, it was hard to end the project because they were enjoying creating

the infographic. For the implementation plan, the students had to complete the assessment (the
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infographic), which is a performance task based on the rubric provided to them before starting

the project. After the students had completed the infographic and the rubric, I used their scores

from the rubric as data, (in charts) to see how each group performed and also to see, where I can

improve instruction, for the next time I teach this lesson.

Implications

The experiences I have encountered during this course has forever changed (and

improved) my teaching practices. In the fall, I plan to use more efficient assessments, more

frequently via formative evaluations, and I plan to incorporate performance assessments.

(Greenstein, 2012) Now I see how critical effective assessments are and how it relates to student

achievement. As a result of my revelations, I plan to design my unit with assessments embedded

throughout the lesson, instead of assessing the students at the end of the lesson. (Greenstein,

2012) For example, when I teach the Unit on Impressionism, I plan to embed quiz questions in

the introductory video. Not only will the quiz questions keep my students engaged while viewing

the video, but it will also provide me with a snapshot of the concepts my students have mastered.

Then, I will use the data from the assessment to determine the direction of instruction and answer

the following question: Should I review, move on, or skip a concept? Also, I plan to provide my

students with rubrics and checklist before they start working independently, on assignments. I

noticed during the technology-based assessment, my students relied on the Rubric and referred to

it often to make sure they were on the right track.

I plan to use formative assessments to drive the direction of my instruction. (Angelo &

Cross) I am also planning to use performance assessments to determine student achievement.

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For example, I will require my students to create a Prezi about Impressionism instead of giving

them a multiple choice test on Impressionism. In addition to the Prezi, I will also assess their

learning along the way by having my students summarize the concepts of Impressionism to each

other or create a concept map of the characteristics of Impressionists paintings. The students

who participated in my assessment plan enjoyed completing the infographic (which served as a

project and performance task). And they were excited to know it was a test. One student even

stated, I wish all test were like this.

Conclusion

As a result of completing the class, I learned that assessments are more than a

standardized test, fill in the blank and multiple choice questions. An assessment can be a quiz

inserted into a YouTube video, and observation and a performance or project to close a lesson. I

also learned that assessments are useful for directing instructions, providing feedback and

informing stakeholders. The days of filling in the bubble are starting to fade away to make

room for more useful and valid forms of assessments, that will accurately depict student learning.
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References:

Angelo, A. &Cross, P. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers

[PDF Document]. Retrieved from:

http://www.evergreen.edu/washingtoncenter/institute13/2013institute/nsilc2013docs/sessions1/ig

_classrm_assesst.pdf

Greenstein, L (2012). Assessing 21st Century Skills; A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and

Learning. (pp. 42-47& 195-197). Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin

Haynes, L. (Summer/2016) Assessing Learning in Technology Enhanced

Instruction Course [Syllabus]. Carrolton, GA: Media Instructional Technology,

University of West Georgia.

McTighe, J. (January 2014) Core Learning Assessing What Matters Most: Five Principles of

Effective Classroom Assessments. Retrieved from:

http://www.schoolimprovement.com/five-principles-of-effective-classroom-assessments-

2/