FIELD WORK 1 - Nature and Scope of Assessment
Task:
Observe a Class or Interview a teacher. Describe how assessment is used in the classroom. Your discussion must focus on one class/subject only. You do not have to include the assessment practices of the teacher in general.
Criteria for Success:
Your discussion must show your understanding of assessment of leaning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning. You must be able to describe if these are evidently applied (or not) in the classroom. Evidence must show that you have indeed conducted the interview or observation.
Output:
- At least one photo
- A photo of you and the facade of the school
- A photo of you inside the classroom observed
- Photo taken during the interview
School: Future Center School for Special Needs
Address: Mussafa, Abu Dhabi City, U.A.E
Date of Interview: November 3, 2019
Name of the Teacher: Ms. E Saunders (Special Education Teacher)
Subject during observation: English
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| Picture 1 |
Picture 1: This is me in the front of the School right after conducting my Observation and Interview. The school is located in Musaffa Area, Abu habi City, U.A.E. The school offers Special Education and Therapy based programs to attend the unique needs of its students. The School aims to improve the lives of students with disability, enhance the quality of their lives, and help them pursue their dreams. Towards this aims, it is committed to providing relevant education, therapy programs, and quality rehabilitation services to students with special needs.
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| Picture 2 |
Picture 2: This picture is taken during my observation inside the classroom. Children is writing about their future dreams. (What i want to be when I grow up.) The set up of the classroom and chair are based on the needs of each students.
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| Picture 3 |
Picture 3: These photo is taken during my interview with Ms. E Saunders. She is a Special Education teacher from U.S.A who is currently teaching in the FCSSN for almost 2years.
HOW DID YOU START YOUR OBSERVATION?
- 1 week prior the scheduled observation, I sent a formal request to Ms. E Saunders asking for her permission if i could conduct an interview and observation to her class. She told me that as per strict regulation of the school, no picture taken is allowed, It is highly prohibited to take photos with out consent. If so i should cover the faces of the individuals in the school. We both agreed that the interview will be set after the class, during break time.
- During the class observation, I was given the chance to introduce myself and tell the student the reason why i am in the class. I position myself at the back side of the class so that my presence will not distract the students. I take my time to take notes and write all the necessary things that i need for this field work.
HOW DID THE CLASS START?
- The class is composed of 10 students. The seating arrangement is design according to individual needs of the students. The class will be divided into 2 groups which is based on the level of each students, fast learners students will be mixed with low pace learners which in this way, it can help personalizing the teaching while not sacrificing class instruction time. The class will start with Circle time which is an activity used in all the classes to help develop positive relationship between children and teachers. Class attendance will be checked and teacher will give the instruction for the "task of the day". Teacher also remind students about the rules inside and outside the classroom. Student will be reminded to behave properly if they want to get a reward at the end of the day. These reward system is very effective strategy to motivate students to finished their individual tasked with out having a bad behaviors.
HOW DID THE TEACHER CONDUCT ASSESSMENT? WHAT KINDS OF ASSESSMENT WERE EMPLOYED?
- ASSESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE or what we know as Assessment for Learning. Students comes to the classroom with a broad range of preexisting knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes, which influence how they attend, interpret, and organize in-coming information. Using of Assessment for Learning provide crucial information about what students understand and what they don't. As for Teacher E Saunders, she start her assessment by asking questions to her students which is related to her topic on that day. In this way Teacher E Saunders was able to know his students strength and weaknesses and help to better plan what to teach and how to teach.
- Assessing of students homework and the result of short quiz at the end of the day is another assessment being employed in the class of Ms. E Saunders. When teacher Saunders take the time to analyze student work, she was able to gain knowledge about: students current knowledge, attitudes and skills about the matter. Another one is strength, weaknesses, and learning styles of the students, and with this assessment she will be able to know the need for further or special assistance of each students. This approach lets teacher Saunders modify her instruction to be more effective in the future.
HOW DID THE TEACHER MAKE USE OF THE RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT IN MAKING DECISIONS?
- Teacher E Saunders use the results of the assessment to guide improvements in students learning. The result of quizzes, test, writing assignments and other assessment are also bases for her decisions to create a program suited for all learners. Teacher E Saunders trust the result from these assessment because of their direct relation to classroom instructional goals.
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