Section 3 of Talk About Assessment discusses assessment to promote learning. In chapter 5, Cooper explains that it is necessary to perform an initial diagnostic assessment to determine the level at which each student is. This diagnosis should then be used for differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction means teaching each student with respect to their individual abilities and potential. Students are still expected to display the same skills, however it may be at a lower or higher level than other students. For example, students are expected to be able to read for meaning, understand form and style and read with fluency, but maybe they display this with slightly more or less difficult reading material. This is very similar to the level system we use for instructing skating classes. I often have kids working at different levels within the class. I assess the first weeks to determine how to differentiate my instruction. After that, all students are working on the same skills, but at an appropriate difficulty. For example, if we're all working on our jumping, I may have one student working on a two-foot jump while another is working on a one-foot jump. This is necessary because if I asked the student who still can't jump on two feet to try jumping on one, it would be overwhelming and not level-appropriate. I will definitely continue to use this strategy in the classroom.
Chapter 6 distinguishes assessment of learning from assessment for learning. Assessment for learning is assessment to promote learning rather than to evaluate performance. It involves peer- and self-evaluation and helps students to take responsibility for their own learning and to understand the standards that they should be aiming for. With peer- and self- evaluation I really like the idea of draft revisions being done by the teacher, peers, and the student them self. In my honours seminar in third year of my undergraduate degree we had to write 4 empirical research papers. We were always encouraged to send the prof drafts (even one section at a time, or first- second- and third-drafts) for his input. We the students all supported each other also by revising each other's papers. All the feedback I was able to get on the 4 papers really helped me improve my scientific writing. by the time I was writing my honours thesis last year I was very comfortable with scientific writing and confident with my writing style.
Chapter 6 distinguishes assessment of learning from assessment for learning. Assessment for learning is assessment to promote learning rather than to evaluate performance. It involves peer- and self-evaluation and helps students to take responsibility for their own learning and to understand the standards that they should be aiming for. With peer- and self- evaluation I really like the idea of draft revisions being done by the teacher, peers, and the student them self. In my honours seminar in third year of my undergraduate degree we had to write 4 empirical research papers. We were always encouraged to send the prof drafts (even one section at a time, or first- second- and third-drafts) for his input. We the students all supported each other also by revising each other's papers. All the feedback I was able to get on the 4 papers really helped me improve my scientific writing. by the time I was writing my honours thesis last year I was very comfortable with scientific writing and confident with my writing style.