Fair isn't Always Equal Chapter 4 Abstract and Reflection

Abstract
This chapter is about the three different types of assessments. The first type of assessment that was mentioned was a portfolio. A portfolio is used as a form of assessment because of the ability to collect information and artifacts of understanding over a long period of time. the second form of assessment is a rubric, both analytic and holistic. An analytic rubric is the most common type of rubric that is used because it is constructed by the teacher and are very specific to let students know what is expected of them. The last assessment mentioned is the self-assessment. This assessment allows students to recognize where they are in the learning process and can help them track their own progress as the school year goes on.

Reflection
We all agree that it is important to use different types of assessment to evaluate a student's mastery of curriculum content. Each type of assessment needs to be thought of carefully to ensure that each student is represented correctly and their type of learning. Portfolios can be very effective because it represents the student's progress over a long period of time and it contains different artifacts of work that the student has completed.

Fair isn't Always Equal Chapter 1 Abstract and Reflection

Abstract-
This chapter differentiated mind-set and it's rationale. The reason for having differentiated instruction is to create an ideal learning environment for each studendt. Differentiated mind-set is important when it comes to grading and assessing each student on their progress, this also helps teachers and parents understand how their children learn and grow.

Reflection-
Differentiated instruction is very important but can become a very large task when classes have more than 15-20 students. Schools need to work on class sizes and the number of students a teacher sees in a class period in order to help with creating an atomosphere for differentiated instruction.

Abstract and Reflection chapter 6

Astract- This chapter was mainly about how to create good test questions that asses the true scope of a students knowledge. It states that tests must be created in such a way as to make them not boring for the students, as well as made not to confuse them. One strategy given is to give small tests throughout the unit and not have all of the students grade ride on one final test so as to not make them nervous about having to do really well on the final test. The chapter also discusses how to make tests so that they are easier for the teacher to grade.

Reflection- Tests are a large issue in high school classes. All of us can remember studying and stressing over a big test that made up a large percentage of our grade. We liked the fact that this chapter gave ways in which to make tests easier for students to take while not taking away from truly assesing them. No one likes needless stress and anxiety which tests that are not made well cause. one large problem with tests in a lot of high schools is that students most often put what they know a teacher wants. This is not what learning is supposed to be about. If a student puts their own opinion, can back it up, and shows that they learned the material that should be enough to get a good grade on a test. Tests should not be the measure of how much a student can memorize.

Chapter 5

This chapter is about teiring. The chapter define teiring as "ratching" up or down the challenge level of a lesson or assignmet. By adding or subtracing attributes to increase or decrease the complexity of the lesson or of an assessment. This is done to help adjust to students' specific readiness levels within the discipline. The chapter continues by giving examples of how to tier lessons and assessments including; learning contracts, learning menus, tic-tac-toe boards, cubing,a sunnarization pyramid, Frank William's Tazonomy of Creativity, RAFT(S), and on-word summaries. It suggest that when using a learning contract there is copy made for the student's parent(s) to see as well. Periodic evaluations of the status of the contract and rewording the assignments helps students stay involved in their own learning. Getting the students out of the traditional learning "box" helps them learn better and master the information. Also discussing the types of tiering with colleages helps generate more creative ideas.

Tiering can be usful and hepful to students but also harmful at the same time. Giving the students a say in how and what they learn gives them more of an independent feeling and may motivate them to do more of the work. As long as there are check-ins and periodic meetings on the students success this may be a wonderful idea. However, on the other side there is the risk of a student feeling singled out or less than other students if they are receiving modified assignments. This could make the students less motivated and move him or her more towards the idea of leaving school. This is a risk the is taken when tiering. however, many students do like having a choice in how they show their understanding. This chapter however, was helpful whether the students are more or less motivated. This is one of the more helpful chapters and if the teacher is discrete in modifying the assignments for the students no other student needs to know. This would avoid the whole slef-esteem issue.

Chapter 3

This chapter was about how to assess students in a differentiated classroom. There was an emphasis on pre-assessments to determine student knowledge and readiness to allow the teacher to help students learn effectively rather than trying to teach them things they already know. It also stresses how important it is to act on the information you have collected rather than just let it sit there. The chapter suggests giving students the final assessment at the beginning of the unit so they will know exactly what is expected of them at the end. This way they will pay attention because they will know what they need to be listening for. The chapter also discusses authentic assessment and how important it is for students to be able to connect to the material in a real way. It also talks about avoiding "fluff" assignments and sticking with the ones that have real substance and help the students learn rather than just keep them busy. The other thing the chapter discussed was to remember that there are influences outside of the classroom that factor into a student's academic achievement. A terrible home life can hamper their ability to succeed.
Starting with the end in mind will allow students to see what the important concepts are and they will understand which material essential or desirable. It is good to give students the test at the beginning of the unit, but it would need to be changed before it was given again to avoid having students simply memorize the answers. A multiple choice test would become a perfect A grade if it was given prior to the exam date. It is definitely a good idea to have several assessments over the course of a grading period so the student does not have so many anxiety problems with having one large test that is a huge portion of their grade. One test should not usually mark the difference between passing and failing. Outside factors are also incredibly important, especially when a normally high achieving student suddenly plummets. It may seem intrusive, but it is the teacher's place to try to help the student when it affects their academics or even when it doesn't . The teacher can become a safe adult for the student to talk to.

Chapter 2

This chapter focuses on mastery and how to assess whether students have attained mastery of a subject. It begins by defining mastery as the ability to analyze, evaluate, and create the subject. This includes being able to understand the concepts and apply them to new situations effectively. the chapter talks about assessing students over time or in an in-depth comprehensive test rather than in one simple quiz. Mastery cannot be judged in one day or with mere one word answer questions. This chapter also emphasizes that mastery is not the mere memorization of the material as is usually tested.
It is good how this chapter emphasizes the differences between simply knowing the material and having mastery of material. It is important that students know how to apply what is being taught in situations that they have not encountered before. Being able to do this effectively is the reason behind teaching the material. It is also important that the teachers observe this mastery happening in their own classroom. If they do not see this happening, then they should realize that they need to adjust their teaching methods and how they reach the students. It is also very important that teachers use many forms of assessment to conclude that a students has mastered the material. There are many ways to trick a teacher into thinking that the student has mastered the material. If a test is the only way that the teacher assesses the subject then a student can merely memorize and write in a way that fools the teacher into believing mastery has been achieved. This is why many forms of assessment must be used and incorporated into the cirriculum.