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TASK 2: Catering for Diversity

Introduction
Todays schools and classrooms are becoming more and more diverse
(Voltz, Sims & Nelson, 2010). Students demonstrate diversity in their
cultures, ethnicity, language, learning abilities and many other dimensions
(Cole, 2008). Teachers are required to be to provide a wide range of
teaching methods, assessment, reporting and effective feedback to
promote students learning, while catering to their diversity. The Australian
curriculum document is designed to provide teachers with guidelines on
how the curriculum can be viewed in regards to learning area, general
capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities (ACARA, 2016). Professional
training can also assist teachers to cater for diverse learners by
integrating specific teaching strategy that meets the achievement
standards (Standards, 2016). Although, some students are assessed
through the curriculum in regards to the achievement strands, others
require to be assessed against their individual learning goals (ACARA,
2016).
This paper will include three different types of assessment tasks
and how the different they cater to the diversity of students.

Artefact One: Effective Questioning

Effective questioning is used by teachers to engage students in learning
and to determine how they best construct and present their new learning
(Cole, 2008). It is an essential assessment method that provides
opportunities for student to connect their learning with personal
experiences, which will vary due to the diversity of the student (Readman
& Allen, 2015). Appropriate time should be provided to students to ensure
their thinking and engagement of the task (Readman & Allen, 2015).
The following artefact was designed to formatively assess students
learning and understanding of a text that was read. The key questions
asked in the sample artefact demonstrates what was expected for the
students to acquire before the end of the class.
The artefact contained many closed ended questions, however it is best to
use open ended questions to engage students in the learning (McMillan,
2011). During this assessment, I made sure I provided each student with a
fair assessment, so that all students are provided with an equal
opportunity to demonstrate their achievement (Cole, 2008). There was
modification made to this artefact to cater to a student with spastic
cerebral palsy needs. Afterwards, the work was collected to be marked and
feedback was given to students in order to improve on their performance
further.

Artefact Two: Self-Assessment

Self-assessment occurs when
learner/students assess their own
performance as they identify their own
work in order to improve current
performance, motivation, knowledge,
understanding, self-engagement and learning (McMillan & Hearn, N.d).
Self-assessment, when correctly implemented, can promote intrinsic
motivation, mastery goal and meaningful learning as it empowers
students to guide their own learning (Readman & Allen, 2015). Selfassessment can be in the form of check list and short answers (McMillan &
Hearn, N.d). Self-assessment helps students with the following (McMillan &
Hearn, N.d):
Success criteria
Reflect on their learning
Set new learning goals
During my second Professional Experience in a year two class, I was
required to develop a self-assessment task for students to complete after
they have participated in a group poster activity. Students had to work in
pairs, therefore they were required to communicate, listen, do activity,
share equipment and roles to complete the poster activity. The sample
artefact was used to assess individual performance.

Artefact Three: Summative oral presentation

Summative assessment is used to evaluate students learning, skills
acquired, achievement of the objectives at the end of an instructional unit
(McMillan, 2011). It employs various different methods for obtaining
information on what students have learned (McMillan, 2011). The following
artefact shows assessment strategies to assess students learning at the
end teaching unit period. At first teacher is to plan out the unit using the
backward design approach, to develop the end summative assessment
task. Goals and objectives are to be set based on the relevant curriculum
achievement strand. To support students understanding of the
assessment, a range of activities to scaffold assessment strategies are to
be identified and applied. When necessary, modification is to be made to
cater to the needs of all students.

(ReadWriteThink, 2004).

Reference
Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting authority. (2016). Foundation to
year 10 curriculum: Meeting diverse learning needs. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/studentdiversity/meeting-diverselearning-needs
Cole, R. (2008). Educating everybodys children. Alexandria: ASCD.
McMillan, J. (2011). Principles and practices for effective standards-based
instruction. Role of Assessment in Teaching: Classroom Assessment, 1(1), 1-27
McMillan, J., & Hearn, M. (N.d). Student self-assessment: the key to stronger
student motivation and higher achievement. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ815370.pdf
Readman, K. & Allen, B. (2015). Practical planning and assessment. Oxford.
ReadWriteThink. (2004). Oral presentation rubric. Retrieved from
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson416/OralRu
bric.pdf
Standards. (2016). Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.
Retreieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-forteachers/standards/list?&s=5

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Voltz, D. L., Nelson, B. & Sims, M. J. (2010). Connecting teachers in diverse,
standards-based classrooms. Alexandria: ASCD.