Journal # 1: February 3rd, 2017

Criteria for success is an effective tool for every grade level and an essential way to

provide helpful feedback. In the video, Marion Ivey has created and delivered the criteria for

success for her kindergarten students. She notes that at the beginning of the year many of the

students were not reading, so she added visual elements to the criteria to help them understand

what is expected of them. In doing this she has made the criteria for learning more accessible to

all her students. Another way in which the criteria for learning was made accessible to all

students was that she went through it with her students beforehand. It was displayed on the Smart

Board where all the students were given access to read and understand as a group. This allows

for questions to be raised, or for the teacher to elaborate if needed.

I believe that this is extremely valuable for students and teachers because this allows for all the

expectations to become visible and understood. It is similar to the first stage of the Backward

Design Process, Identify Desired Results, where the teacher starts with what should students

know, understand and be able to do? (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p.17). This then allows for the

students to give more informed feedback because they now know what the teacher expects of

them and their classmates. Chappuis and Stiggins (2017) state valid, reliable and fair

assessments arise from and accurately reflect clear and appropriate achievement targets." (p.41).

I agree with this, because without clear achievement goals, then how is assessment fair and

honest? Marion Ivey has a system in place for students to help their peers and provide them with

honest and helpful feedback that reminds me of the Austins Butterfly video we watched in class.

It is an ongoing, organic process that grows with the students. I truly believe that this is very

effective to the students.

In my field placement I have been able to observe some different methods in which the students

are given their criteria for success. I am in a grade 1 class and over the last two visits I have seen

a trend in the way my mentor teacher delivers what is expected. Assessment is usually in the

form of a worksheet, as a group they will go over the worksheet and my mentor teacher will ask

the students to tell her what they think they need to do. There is a group discussion and I think

this is done so that the students feel involved. My mentor teacher will then write down step by

step instructions on what the students are expected to do on the board. They will then as a class

read each step out before they are given time to complete their work. From my observations this

method works for this group of students, the expectations are visually accessible and to those

who do not read successfully they are also verbally conveyed. Going forward I am interested to

see how this delivery of criteria for success is successful in summative assessments.
 References

Austins Butterfly (2015). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOSiU42P8Gc

Chappuis, J. & Stiggins R. J. (2017). An introduction to student involved assessment for learning

(7th ed.). New York, United States: Pearson Education.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. (ch.1). Alexandria, VA.
Journal #2: March 26th

Over the course of my field placement this semester I have been able to observe a variety

of assessment techniques that are useful in a grade 1 classroom. My mentor teacher provided

many opportunities for her students in which she could formatively assess. Chappuis and

Stiggins (2007) state we define formative assessment as a collection of formal and informal

processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of informing on next steps

in learning. Formative assessment is an example of supportive learning in which my mentor

teacher takes what she learned from her assessment and allows this to guide her in her future

lessons. An example of this was when she gave a word problem and asked the students to solve it

by writing the number sentence and answering it. She discreetly made notes of which students

struggled with this task and she told me that she would take these students aside next math class

and work with them in a smaller environment to help them understand. Another element of

assessment that I have observed is regarding the statement from Chappuis and Stiggins (2007),

Valid, reliable and fair assessments arise from and accurately reflect clear and appropriate

achievement targets. In preparation of teaching and assessing we must ask, What do I expect my

students to learn?. My mentor teacher clearly outlines the learning targets to her students

before any activity done in the classroom. She also involves the students in creating the

expectations. This allows the students a hands on approach to their learning and gives them a

sense of control over what they are learning while still understanding what it is that is expected

of them. This allows for an accurate assessment from my observations and of the five categories

of learning targets I have observed three, knowledge, reasoning and performance skill. For

knowledge and reasoning learning targets she takes the time to assess through personal

communication. This is the assessment practice I have observed the most, individual interviews
is how she gets the most valuable information related to the students capabilities. During my

second lesson she encouraged me to conduct interviews and assess in this fashion and it was very

interesting just how much I learned of the students learning from my activity. For performance

skills my teacher observes and makes notes, or does performance assessment as a form of

assessment. The example previously mentioned of her making notes during the math activity

would be an example of this assessment practice. Areas of strengths that I have noticed are that

conducting formative assessments should become second nature to you. No matter what you

have your class do you should always have a strategy to help support their learning. Whether it is

by note taking, or interviews this should become habit to you and I will definitely use strategies I

have observed this semester. Weaknesses that I have noticed are that summative assessment is

harder to conduct in the lower grades. I was never actually able to observe a summative

assessment in my placement, but my mentor teacher showed me rubrics from previous

assessments. Incorporating elements in the classroom that provide a grade or judgement is

necessary however. All in all I was able to see a variety of successful assessment methods

throughout the semester that I will implement in the future.

 References

Chappuis, J. & Stiggins R. J. (2017). An introduction to student involved assessment for learning

(7th ed.). New York, United States: Pearson Education.