Day 2 of INTEL

In order to plan ongoing student-centered assessments, I have to engage the students more directly in the learning process. In other words, I talk little, and they talk much. I need to incorporate learning logs, graphic organizers, oral presentations, KWL charts, and so on.


Today I did a lot. I filled in much more of my course outline, I finished my pamphlet, I prepared a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the lesson to the students. I also learned about framing essential questions, unit questions, and content questions; and how to distinguish between them.

The important thing I have learned today is the need to be more creative in both teaching a unit and assessing student learning. There are a lot of learning styles; and multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank tests are not always the best way to determine depth of learning. Also students benefit from ongoing assessments because they focus on key points as developed by the teacher in these assessments. Another benefit is that the course grade is not based on only one or two evaluations. With ongoing assessments, there is a better chance for a more objective appreciation of student learning.

My main concern is that since my school already uses computer-based curricula, it will be difficult to fully implement what I am learning. What I can do is be more creative in special projects, and incorporate more ways to assess student learning.