Blog 2

1. Traditional versus Authentic 
          Tradition assessments do not really vary- because they are traditional. So, this would consist of tests, quizzes, etc. By grading the test or quiz you would know how much the student knows. An authentic project/ assessment that I think would be fun, would be to teach young students how to balance/ use a check book. This would be a great way to assess if students are able to add/ subtract decimals. As well as, teach them how to use addition/ subtraction with decimals in the real world. And it is also fun.

2.Standardized tests versus Teacher- developed assessment
          Standardized test are pretty obvious, some examples are TCAP, ACT, SAT, etc. A teacher- developed assessment could technically include any of the 4 other assessment categories. A typical test would be the easiest form of assessment (true/ false, multiple choice, essay, etc.) A different type of teacher developed assessment could include a debate, skit, presentations, etc. It could include anything that the teacher is able to grade and assess the students level of understanding. 

3.Criterion referenced assessment versus Norm- referenced assessment  
           For a spelling lesson you could use criterion referenced or norm- referenced assessment- just in different ways. For criterion referenced the teacher could just give a normal spelling test over the vocabulary for the week. This would assess what words the student learned and which words they did not. For norm- referenced assessment you could have a class, or include all the classes in the grade and have a spelling bee. This would compare the students to one another to see which student is the best speller.  

4. Paper- pencil assessment versus Performance assessment
           For a paper- pencil assessment I would give homework, a test, etc. in order to assess how well the student is grasping the lesson. I think a fun performance assessment would be to allow the students to write their own play or production. One of my Spanish teachers in high school had the class break up into groups and for 2-3 weeks we worked on a skit/ short play. We had to video tape our skit and when the project was over the class watched all the skits. It was a lot of fun, and it was a good way for him to test us on vocabulary, sentence structure, etc. 

5. Informal assessment versus Formal assessment 
         For an informal assessment I would ideally use it at the beginning of a new theme or lesson. I would begin the lesson by starting a discussion about the new topic in order to find out what the students already know about the topic and what they are interested in learning about. I would then use the information I gain from this form of assessment to adjust my lesson plans to fit the needs and desires of the class. After the theme or lesson has been taught I would give a test so that I can assess what my students have learned, as well as, assess how well I did teaching the topic or theme.

Blog 1

Since I did not get to be there for the whole first class period I did not get to participate in the discussions and activities. But, I did enjoy getting to learn about everyone in the class and how they will contribute to the class. Everyone's different ideas and thought processes will help build on class discussions. I am excited that everyone in the class have different majors and goals that they want to get out of the class because it will help add to the class. For the past few semester the majority of my classes have had the same people in every class, so I am excited for some variety. I am most interested in learning about the teacher/ parent relationship. I think it WILL be difficult to talk to parents about problems over the course of my career. I think learning about the relationship between teachers and parents will benefit me greatly.

This semester I am looking forward to learning different teaching strategies. I worked at a daycare this summer and ran into some struggles with children, just normal in and out power struggles. So I think being able to add knowledge and then be able to apply it when working in a class room will be extremely helpful. I am, also, looking forward to the presentations. I love getting up in front of groups of people. But, I am really shy so I sort of draw back from talking in class.