Stoichiometry Applications

Here's the link to my finalized presentation of my action research plan:

http://prezi.com/bwmm86a0qr0f/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy


It's hard to believe we have finished our third class already! I hope everyone has a great break and just want you all to know I love working with you and I am learning so much from each of you. 

Personal Assessment Philosophy

Authentic assessment can be defined as a “performance assessment in which the student’s tasks resemble real-life tasks” (Popham, 2014). In other words it is an assessment that the student can apply to real world situations. The opposite being traditional assessments which consist of the standard multiple choice or true-false tests. The purpose of authentic assessments is to require students to use their knowledge and apply it rather than just memorizing and recalling answers to typically one answer questions. It also allows students to show their true selves. Many times students are answering questions on exams or assignments in a manner that they think their teacher will approve. While it is important to do the assignment correctly it is equally if not more important that the student is allowed to demonstrate their understanding and thoughts on the lesson through their own words.

This type of assessment is beneficial because it makes students think about how the subject they are learning about will affect them in the “adult world”. Too often students focus on what they need to remember in order to do well on a test. This is not how teaching or learning should work. Students should be learning about how they will use their newly acquired knowledge in their day to day practices. Authentic teaching answers the student’s ultimate question “will I ever use this?”. Bringing real world examples into the classroom allows students to see that there is a purpose to Algebra or Physics. These assessments allow teachers to see that if the student grasped the concepts of the lesson rather than just memorizing definitions or formulas. The importance is to be able to apply the knowledge outside of the classroom. If that cannot be achieved then there really was no purpose to the lesson. The day students cannot bring anything out of a lesson is the day that teaching has ultimately failed. This may seem overzealous but I think that’s what is missing in schools. Passionate teachers make for passionate students. If teachers are able to come up with assessments that allow students to see the lesson through other outlets the students will be able to apply it to learned concepts. Authentic assessments allow students to explore their thoughts and opinions while still learning the concepts.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is based around the idea of applications being completed with critical thinking. With everyone following the same standards it allows teachers to ensure that progress is being accomplished. The CCSS is built upon the principle to prepare students for college, career, and life. In a way authentic assessment and the CCSS go hand in hand. Authentic assessment allows a student’s knowledge to be measured in a real life setting. Being able to do this allows both the teacher and the student to see how the lesson is going to affect them in the long run. Teachers want to be able to make a difference in their student’s education and leave a lasting mark on them. If a teacher is able to make things relatable to a student and have them understand the importance of a topic they will take it out of the classroom and keep it with them which is the result of authentic assessments. I do not have any experience with teaching with the CCSS but I am eager to get started. I think it is vital for students to know how they get an answer and not just say it because they know its right from memory. I want my students to take something home from class everyday no matter how small it may be.

I want to add just a few more insights to my personal philosophy since I have finally begun my field experience as a tutor in Towson High School’s ACCESS program. ACCESS is an optional after school program offered to students that received a failing grade in a major class in their first quarter. I am helping students with their chemistry and math. Today (December 9) was our first official day with the students. To start we had the students fill out a self-assessment about their learning styles and goals for the afternoon session. They were asked about their academic strengths and areas that can use improving. The final thing the students had to do was name the goals they will have reached by next report card (February 7, 2015). We gave the students about ten minutes to complete these assessments.

The teachers and I began to mingle with the students to find out what they had brought with them to the session to work on. At first I had a hard time finding any students that needed help with science or math so I sat with two students that were working on English and American Government. I was so eager to help I was willing to do anything. I even offered to help one student with his Spanish. Unfortunately he did not have his homework with him. This seemed to be a trend with most of the students in this program. They are very disorganized. I noticed that their notes and homework sheets are all over the place rather than separated by subject. Luckily another teacher noticed this and quickly came to the rescue with a bunch of folders and markers for the kids to sort their things out. One of my goals is to help the students keep their papers/notes together by subject.

I did eventually find a student that needed help with chemistry. We worked on her homework together and I could see that she was trying. She even admitted that sometimes she would overthink the problems. The sessions are only an hour but I am happy to report we got half of her homework finished. Before leaving the session her chemistry teacher, who is helping in the program as well, asked me how she did because he says he sees her falling behind in class but it is hard to help everyone because that class has over 30 students. I do believe that sometimes students just need a little one-on-one time to help them understand a concept. I am looking forward to helping her and other students as the program continues.

References:

Myths vs Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/

Popham, W. (2014). Performance Assessment. In Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know (7th ed., pp. 212-213). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Lombardi, M. (2008). Making the Grade: The Role of Assessment in Authentic Learning.Educause. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3019.pdf

McAlister, B. (n.d.). The Authenticity of Authentic Assessment: What the Research Says…Or Doesn’t Say. Retrieved from http://calpro-online.org/eric/docs/custer/custer4.pdf

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The case for authentic assessment. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 2(2). Retrieved November 2, 2014 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=2&n=2

Creation of an Evaluative Rubric

Here's the link to my Google doc for my evaluative rubric

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Id6ElITIX5JUJA5YC4bhen-YJCha0sFM3JOvK_QtI8/edit?usp=sharing

Module 1 Reflective Essay

I have taken many standard tests over the years. When in elementary and middle school I took the required tests annually for math, reading, and English. I do not recall what they were called and I am sure the name of it has changed since then. They were the basic standardized tests you took when you were in those grades though. The next test I took was my high school entrance exam. I went to private high school and one of their requirements was to take that standardized test. This test determined along with your grades what classes you would be placed in. For example college prep, honors, or if you needed additional study you would be placed in lower courses. My high school also gave the option of taking science and math tests to determine if you could be placed higher, I did not take these tests. With my standardized test results I was placed in Honors English, History, and Algebra. I will be honest and say that I do not entirely agree with my testing results. I did not belong in Honors English at all. I struggled a lot with the course my freshman year and when it came time to sign up for my sophomore courses I opted to go with the college prep course. I stuck it out with history and dropped down my math course as well. It was not that I could not follow the math but I think that I took on too heavy a course load so I fell too far behind in math. More recently I have taken the SATS, PCAT, PRAXIS, and GRE. I was able to take both the old and the new SATS. I did better on the old one than the new one but not significantly. Again I do struggle with writing so when they implemented that section I was all but thrilled. I had a dream to be a pharmacist, before I worked as pharmacy technician for the past 6 years. I took the PCAT once. It is a long and enduring test. It is by far the hardest standardized test I have ever taken. I would compare the PRAXIS I and GRE side by side. They are both very similar. Both of them you get to take on a computer which I like a lot better than being crammed in a room with students at tiny desks trying to complete a 25 page booklet. Also rather than having the anxiety of waiting as you have to do with written tests the computer tests give you your scores as soon as you are done. The only part you have to wait for scoring is the written section. From all of these tests I have learned that I have a very hard time writing things on the spot or trying to formulate ideas quickly. I never score well on the writing sections and I know that it is because my ideas are scattered and not fully explained.

The common core was not put in place when I took any of these tests. I do think it might have made the tests a little more difficult had I been taught that way. I do not have a lot of experience with the common core but I feel like it can sometimes make math problems harder than what they are. It makes you think about it differently and that can take up more time. Standardized tests are timed and that can be an added stressor, spending too much time on one problem.

I think the motivation behind standardized testing is to put all students on an even playing field so they can be measured. If every student takes the same test it allows administrators to readily determine which sections the class may need to work harder in or which they are excelling, which can then help to improve curriculum. Standardized tests are also used to determine if a person is qualified to pursue a career in a specialized field. If they do not score particularly well they run the risk of not being admitted into graduate schools or perhaps not getting a promotion at work. If everyone is on an even playing field of scoring then nobody can claim that favoritism came into play with grades. It makes everything concrete and fair. Then there is the factor of people that do not test well, but that is another ball game. 

References:

Popham, W. (2008). Why do Teachers Need to Know About Assessment? In Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know (7th ed., pp. 1-19). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Meador, D. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Retrieved from http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/a/Standardized-Testing.htm

U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan Announces Winners of Competition to Improve Student Assessments. (2010, September 1). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-secretary-education-duncan-announces-winners-competition-improve-student-asse

New to this

I figured I would try this out before doing our first blog for assignment. I am very excited to be starting our third course! It is hard to believe that we are in the third one already, it is going so fast. This weekend I have been going over our readings for the first module but mostly have taken it easy. Friday after work I went to urgent care and found out I have an ear infection :(  I thought only little kids got these! My weekend wasn't a total waste though. My mom and I went to see I Love Lucy Live on Stage at the Hippodrome today. It was awesome! The actor that played Ricky Ricardo or Desi Arnaz was my favorite. His accent was so perfect, it was unreal. I grew up watching I Love Lucy on Nick at Nite. Well I am going to do more of the readings now, good luck everyone on course number 3!!