Last Reflection

OK, this is the end of this course, same as last year project ... we had to make a group consisted of 4 members to observe in a school. My group is Ariza, Putri, Citra, and me.We obsered a school in Nanggulan Salatiga named Kutowinangun 07 Salatiga, especially in fifth grade. In there, we made an assessment tools using written test for fifth grader (science).

After it was being tested, we corrected them, and making a data analysis using SPSS. Wow ... in the first time we tried to analyzed it, many problems came ^^ but finally we can do that, yeee ...

After that we had to presented that material in front of the class. 

Oh, I really sorry I can not join our class today, ummm because I also had class in the same time

I know that we had to present our observation result today, I'm sorry friend :(
Umm ...
OK this is just a brief reflection for my final project.
Thank you for Mr. Steve that had been being a good facilitator in this course. Thank you for the 2010 class that had accepted me well in your class.
Hope this is my last teaching assessment course, I do not want to repeat this course again, twice is enough :D
Bye ... nice to know you all, friends ^^

Reflection April 30, 2012

Hmm ...
This is the most important class in this course, yes ! we practiced directly with SPSS by using our data that we had got in our observation in the last few weeks.
Oh, that's really confusing when SPSS program in my laptop did not work --"
But finally I joined with my friends, it reminds me with a lessons in one year ago, it was easy I think, than statistic course that I have got in this sixth semester.
Umm ... but it really inspiring me, so that I can more sophisticated in using this program. I hope :D

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Wow...this is the first teaching assessment course was held in library of Satya Wacana Christian University on the fourth floor. We were discussing about assessing question using excel.

I have got this material before, but I think I became more understand after I have joined this course in this day. I think it was very difficult (like last year), but actually it really easy, we just fill in the table and take some operation in excel in them.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY !!!
I did not criticize my task, I have done it until finished, but it was the wrong data!!
So I have to repeat it again in limited time, just 3 minutes I think, and I can not finished it, because Mr. Steve had to collect our tasks, huks...
I was so sad at that time ...
Please forgive me and give me the second chance to finish it >.<

Friday, February 24th, 2012

In this teaching assessment course on February 24th, 2012 ... we have to discuss with own group to creating the test item which will be tested in a school. 

In that time, we have determined the school that will be chosen to be observed, it is the Kutowinangun 07 Elementary School in Nanggulan, Salatiga.

We got the natural science material in fifth grader. That's my favorite lesson ^^/

My group consisted of four members, they are Ariza, Citra, Putri, and me. 

In that time, we have got the syllabus of material, so we make the "kisi-kisi" and in the following day, we will make the test items. 

Good luck for us.

^^/

Creating Test Items

I was very sorry because I could not attend the assessment class in February 17^th . I do not know, what material which was discussed in that time. But, in syllabus I read that we had to created a test items in a group.

Emm … I thought that maybe it would be the same as my assessment class last year. Last year, I also got the same class like this, in that class we had to make a test items which appropriated with the competence standard and basic competence. The test items consisted of multiple choices, filling the blanks, and essay. We also had to created the assessment rubric to grading the test. It was not as easier as our imagination. It is the most difficult class in this teaching assessment class.

Portfolio as Assessment Tool and Other Alternative Test Instrument

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes. (Wikipedia).

A portfolio, in its most general definition, is a collection of materials that demonstrate a group's or an individual's work over a period of time. Portfolios are generally accepted as an effective means of assessing student progress inside the classroom. Recently, however, portfolios have begun to appear outside the classroom as an alternative tool for assessing the work of educational leaders. Teaching portfolios are common across the country, but using portfolios to assess and develop effective administrators is less common. Analogous to the portfolios being used in many classrooms, professional portfolios serve as both a marker of development and a tool for reflection. Used reflectively, portfolios can give tangible form to themes and issues that are otherwise elusive. 

Positive Impact of Portfolio :

• The teacher designed a unit around sequenced learning objectives that offered all students a balance of procedural and conceptual learning opportunities in responding to art both verbally and in writing. Lesson activities were based on concrete and high order thinking that included learning art through historical, criticism, and aesthetic and studio inquiry. 
• The teacher developed lessons in which the creating process included opportunities for students to be involved in making choices, planning and refining their work. The teacher planned and designed instruction that acknowledged and met the learning needs and interests of students. 
• The teacher selected and used throughout instruction art, artifacts and resources that were varied and in alignment with the lessons' objectives. Resources were used throughout instruction and engaged students in considering multiple perspectives about the historical/cultural information presented. 
• The teacher used students' prior knowledge either from the past or within the unit to develop well-organized lessons. The teacher clearly connected students' prior knowledge when planning and delivering instruction. 
• The teacher promoted artistic development and individuality within students by planning instruction that promoted their exploration of media and provided them with artistic options. Class discussions were based on critical analysis, interpretation, evaluation, aesthetics, concepts and studio media techniques, and allowed for students to make choices regarding their work. 

Negative Impact of Portfolio :

• The teacher designed a unit of instruction that provided students with some opportunities to respond to and create art. These learning opportunities were not always or only loosely aligned to the unit's goals and/or lesson's objectives that focused on facts and procedural tasks. There was minimal emphasis placed on cultural or aesthetic discussion of student or artists' work, and few opportunities for students to grow beyond analyzing art. 
• The teacher provided minimal opportunities for students to be involved in the creating process as evidenced by the designing of skill-centered lessons. 
• The teacher did little when planning for instruction to acknowledge the diversity of students' learning needs and interests. Art resources and lessons did not accommodate these needs. 
• The teacher selected art resources that were loosely aligned with the lessons' objectives and limiting, introducing only some diverse historical/cultural information. These resources were primarily used during the lessons for illustrative purposes only. 
• The teacher attempted to build upon students' prior knowledge and delivered loosely sequenced instruction. Prior knowledge was not considered important by the teacher, as evidenced by the lack of linkage between one lesson and the next. 
• The teacher gave students limited opportunities to make choices regarding the use of media and techniques. The students had even fewer opportunities to respond to their art or the artwork of others. The teacher posed to students questions that focused on recall of facts and/or media procedures. 

To keep portfolios manageable, whatever the level of aggregation, samples of work can be gathered rather than collecting everything from everybody. Electronic and web-based portfolios have made storage, coding, and retrieval of selected items much easier, and there are now a number of software programs and many institutional examples from which to draw. The development of good, workable criteria and rubrics and training of readers does require a considerable ongoing investment of time and energy, but when relevant as an assessment strategy, such efforts can pay off in better learning for faculty and students alike.

Portfolios may be geared toward any number of functions including self-reflection, peer-assessment, professional development, and career advancement. Some portfolios trace a single project from conception to implementation, or may more generally represent a diverse body of work. There is no single format for professional portfolios to fit every need. One study suggests that a principal's portfolio might contain information such as a current resume, statement of educational beliefs, references, transcripts and personal reflections. However, specific contributions to portfolios must be dictated by the stated goal of the participants.

Eight Steps to Meaningful Grading

What is the difference between traditional grading and standard-based grading?

·        Traditional grading is grading based on behavior, class work, practice, attendance, neatness, etc.

·         Standard-based grading is grading based on test especially summative assessment.

The 8 steps:

1.       Teacher need to learn more about standard based grading. (a grade should communicate mastery of learning standard, homework should not be included in the grade, learning may take more than one attempt)

2.       Teacher need to have partner, educate and involve the school admin, counselor, and the other support staff.

3.       Teacher need to make a lesson plan based on the learning standard.

4.       Teacher need to follow the pattern of the lesson plan.

5.    Every student need to have a chance of practice. The practice assessment can help the teacher to know student’s ability.

6.       Teacher need to evaluate the student using some tests.

7.       Teacher need to give the student a second chance until student mastery the lessons.

8.       Teacher need to have data (record) of student score which is help the teacher to keep eye of student ability.

Conclusion:

A grade should communicate mastery of learning standard. Standard based grading result has bigger effect in student learning than traditional grading

Homework is essential but should be not include in grading.

Learning need more than one attempt. Teacher should give student opportunity to be success in learning the material.

My idea:

Grading is important for the teacher to know the student ability, but grading is not the student result. I just thinking about the human right about everyone is have education right. Both tradition and standard-based grading is important. We can’t judge someone ability only because he/she fail in one subject or passed only in one subject. Everybody is different.

Eight Steps to Meaningful Grading

Why this article discuss about meaningful grading? Meaningful grading or standards-based grading is a grading process which features the ending grade of an evaluation. In standars-based grading, there is no task which will be assessed, both homework, individual task or group task, even behaviors also not included in grading process!! It is pretty different with the traditional grading, isn't it?

Understanding the material of learning is the objective learning of this meaningful grading type. Grades which is obtained in traditional grading systems are usually based on combination of formative and summative assessments, but in standars-based grading, grades are obtained from summative test only (which is designed to measure content mastery)

Here, I will show some steps how to applied standars-based grading :

1. As a teacher we should know about the grading types and their positive aspect, especially we have to learn more about standars-based grading practices.
2. Teacher should have a partner, to educate and involve the school administrators, counselors, and the other support staff. It is possible to do everything alone, but it will be better and efficient if we have a partner.
3. Lesson plan also important thing to determine the material is appropriate or not to students. Lesson plan allows us to assess learning, communicate mastery, and reteach when necessary. Teacher plan with the end in mind to ensure that we cover all necessary standards. 
4. Most of teacher teach their students not based on lesson plan which have been made by them before. Following the lesson plan well is the most great determining factor in successful learning.
5. Homework, practices, formative test, individual and group tasks still included in this grading type, but there is no grading in there. With this step, students can develop self-awareness and maturity in their learning.
6. Eliminating extraneous items that were not standard-based also need in this type, such as : homework and group tasks, because neither of those gives an accurate measurement of individual students achievements.
7. Learning may take more than one attempt. Multiple practices without penalty would be an essential addition in this grading approach.
8. Keep records of student grading development :)

My opinion :

Every grading types have their own advantages. In traditional grading, student can get a good grade in the end if they do their task well, even they have low skills in academic or they fail in summative test, they still can get a good grade if they have good behavior and do homework or tasks well. In the other hand, standars-based grading, homework is essential (it does not matter at all if the students do not do their homework or tasks) because homework will not be included in the grade. The determining final grade is obtained from summative test, but the student have to be ready for that because they have been really prepared.

In Indonesia, the standars-based grading maybe still difficult to be applied because of unreadiness from the governent, I mean that the curriculum has been design in order to appropriate with the time allocation in whole of semester, I think if we always wait and wait, try and try practices the students to faced the summative test with the limited time, it will be so difficult. The next material will be approached, if we just stuck in a chapter. I think school precisely have to repeat the material again and again, but just twice or three time only, because if we wait until the student have really understood, it will need a lot of time. Umm ... I think homework, individual and group task are still important to be included in grading, because from them we can know the different character of students, maybe the student is lazy but when summative test, he/she get good grade or the diligent student which get a bad grade in the final, can summative test really measure the ability of the student? Not all, right?

Journal Review : Using Technology in Assessment and Evaluation

• Authors : Hanson, Gary R.
• Source : New Directions for Student Services; Summer97, Issue 78, p31, 14p
• Geographic Terms : UNITED States 
• Abstract : Examines student services by using technology in assesment and evaluation in the United States. Information on an evaluation project; Impact of technology on learning; Methodology used to conduct the study; Conclusion of the study.
• ISSN : 01647970
• Accession Number : 9708212000
• Publisher Logo:

                       

• PDF Full Text : download

Review :

Conducting a good assessment or evaluation requires doing four things well : 

• asking good questions,
• observing and listening carefully, 
• thoughtfully interpreting the information to the people who need it,
• moving others to action by sharing what we have learned in a simple.

The purpose of this research is to examine how technology may be used in student affairs to improve each of these four assessment and evaluation activities.These four trends all emphasize a movement to user-friendly ways for assessment and evaluation information to arrive in the hands of the individuals who will make the most use of it: program decision makers and student participants. Increasingly, the assessment and evaluation expert will be required to establish systems of information transformation and dissemination. The term information broker will replace the terms assessment expert or evaluation expert. To manage this change, we must become very skilled in transforming data to information and making it readily available. We must still ask good questions, observe and listen carefully, thoughtfully interpret our information, and, in a simple, understandable fashion, move others to action by presenting what we have learned. If we do not apply technology to these principles, we will have lost our opportunity to influence the consumers of assessment and evaluation information.

Future Consideration :

• Technology will increase the interactivity among learners, and simultaneously the assessment and evaluation of learning will become more internalized within the learner. Centuries ago most learning was oral, and students listened to their teachers. When students failed to understand, they could ask questions directly of their teachers. To evaluate learning, teachers could ask questions of the students. Assessment and evaluation methods were highly personalized.

• Technology will expand our ability to acquire, interpret, and communicate complex information about the nature of student life and the effectiveness of our services to multiple audiences. 
• By skillful use of technology, the acquisition, analysis, and communication of data will become increasingly transparent to the “consumer” of assessment and evaluation information.
• The “doing” of programmatic assessment and evaluation will become more individualized and internalized.

Theories :

• (Astin, 1991; Erwin, 1991; Upcraft and Schuh, 1996), Although assessment and evaluation may be defined differently, both are based on very similar processes.
• Tufte (1983, 1990), Any time the results of our assessment and evaluation efforts are reported on paper, we are limited and constricted in communicating with our consumer audience. 

Comment :

Technologies allow us to ask different kinds of questions. We can thus explore, discover, and understand more about our students and how they benefit from the educational activities in which they participate.

Technology expands our ability to gather information. Traditionally, assessment and evaluation information has been acquired in three ways—by observing people or things, by listening to people talk as individuals or as participants in a group, or by completing a paper and pencil assessment or evaluation instrument.
The next generation of assessment and evaluation experts also will observe, listen, and write, but they will not be using technology merely to acquire data more quickly and efficiently, the nature of the information acquired will change as well.
With technology in assessment as a teacher we will be more easy in assess our students. 

Introduction and Expectation

Welcome to my first post :)

This blog created to complement the project of teaching assessment course.

Before I share my expectation and suggestion about this course, let me give the description about teaching assessment itself.

Educational assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners), the institution, or the educational system as a whole. According to the Academic Exchange Quarterly: "Studies of a theoretical or empirical nature (including case studies, portfolio studies, exploratory, or experimental work) addressing the assessment of learner aptitude and preparation, motivation and learning styles, learning outcomes in achievement and satisfaction in different educational contexts are all welcome, as are studies addressing issues of measurable standards and benchmarks".(Wikipedia)

From the description above, we know that teaching assessment is a course which the goal is to give the students more techniques and understanding about assessing in the future. 

Actually, I have joined this course last year, but honestly I have not get the real chemistry about assessing students yet. I do really hope, after I have joining this course (as this is my second chance), I hope I can become more knowing and understanding to make a good assessment, and also I hope I can get better grade than before. Pray for me friends ^^b

Thanks :)