(A quick ‘taste’ or overview) ASSESSMENT (A quick ‘taste’ or overview)

SO WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ASSESSMENT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE e-asTTle FITS WITHIN IT?

THE NEW ZEALAND CURRICULUM http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum

Effective Pedagogy (pg. 34) Teacher actions promoting student learning While there is no formula that will guarantee learning for every student in every context, there is extensive, well-documented evidence about the kinds of teaching approaches that consistently have a positive impact on student learning. This evidence tells us that students learn best when teachers: create a supportive learning environment encourage reflective thought and action enhance the relevance of new learning facilitate shared learning make connections to prior learning and experience provide sufficient opportunities to learn inquire into the teaching–learning relationship

Teaching as Inquiry pg. 35 NZC What do I need to do to teach what they need to learn? What do they need to know? How do I know my teaching has been effective? The diagram can be summed up like this: What is most important for my students, how should I teach it, and how do my students respond? What do they know?

Assessment (Page 39) The primary purpose of assessment is to improve students’ learning and teachers’ teaching as both student and teacher respond to the information that it provides. With this in mind, schools need to consider how they will gather, analyse, and use assessment information so that it is effective in meeting this purpose.

Characteristics of effective assessment – pg 40 NZC Assessment is integral to the teaching inquiry process (pg 35 NZC) because it is the basis for both the focusing inquiry and the learning inquiry. E-asTTle – WHEN USED PROPERLY within a school sits within all the characteristics.

KA HIKITIA Managing for Success – Maori Education Strategy Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008 - 2012 is the Ministry of Education's approach to improve the performance of the education system for and with Māori. It is a key aspect of having a quality education system where students are succeeding and achieving. More focus on... Realising potential, Tailoring education to the learner, Instead of Instructing and informing - Collaborating and co-constructing http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/PolicyAndStrategy/KaHikitia.aspx The key is AKO – I’m a learner, you’re a learner – let’s learn together.

Apryll Parata at a recent ‘First Time Principals Meeting’ stated “In a western paradigm – learning follows this pattern – What are we going to learn, why we are learning it, how we are learning it and then only at this stage do we think about who the learners are

The Maori paradigm of learning. Who comes first then Why we are learning something How might we best learn What we will learn Apryll Parata at a recent First time Principals Meeting” In a western paradigm – learning follows this pattern – What are we going to learn, why we are learning it how we are learning it and then only at this stage do we think about who the learners are. For Maori kids – who comes first (who we and they are) Then why we are learning something Then – how we might best learn it (co-construction of learning, working it out together) Only then – exactly what we will learn.”

Pasifika Education Plan 2009 - 2012 Our vision is that the education system must work for Pasifika so they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to do well for themselves, their communities, Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pacific region and the world. Key priority – lifting literacy and numeracy achievement. http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/PasifikaEducation/PasifikaEducationPlan.aspx

FORMATIVE OR INFORMAL ASSESSMENT What does it mean for your practice? It may mean that you have to critically examine what ‘effective assessment’ means to you. It may mean a shift away from focusing just on ‘summative assessment’. It may mean starting to teach in a very different way. It may mean re-defining the purpose of assessment for yourself.

Just remember

Good formative assessment is like shining a torch in a dark room Good formative assessment is like shining a torch in a dark room. It helps everyone – the teachers, the student, even the parent – to see more clearly where they are going.

It is interesting that if one looks at the origins of ‘assessment’ the word comes from the Latin ‘assidere’, meaning “to sit beside or with” (Wiggins 1993). This conjures an image of a teacher – or peer or parent – sitting and talking with students about their learning in an attempt to really understand about what is happening as they are learning. It is something that good teachers have always done, but it is not often seen as assessment. It informs teacher’s professional judgment about their students.

The purpose of formative assessment – is to promote student learning The purpose of formative assessment – is to promote student learning. Formative Assessment is sometimes referred to as assessment for learning. Any task performed by a learner, has the potential to be formative if the information gained is used to inform what happens next in the classroom.

View Assessment as guiding student learning effectively View Assessment as guiding student learning effectively. Terry Crooks – Otago Uni. 2007 Establish where learners are in their learning Establish where they are going Establish how to get there

Keeping the learning to the forefront Learning intentions and success criteria need to be readily available to students. Think about ways this could be done in your classroom: For the class For individual students

Assessment Learning is impossible without ongoing assessment. Learning is about attempting to reduce the gap. between what you know and what you want to know. Assessment is the process of gaining information about the gap. Clarity in the Classroom – Michael Absolum pg 98

Self-Assessment and Peer-Assessment Strategies. Why use these strategies? Research has shown that the greatest learning comes from the active involvement of students in their own learning. Every part of the process supports and encourages deeper learning and understanding on the part of the student.