Module 5: Goals, Flexible Grouping, and Using the Test from Textbooks
Module 5 consists of chapters 12, 14, and 15. Chapter 12 focuses on motivation in learning and teaching. It brings up the ideas of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and the way to give your students positive motivation. It talks about students' beliefs, anxieties, and expectations in a classroom, and the teacher's role in these. Chapter 14 is called Teaching Every Student and mentions what a successful, effective classroom looks like, different kinds of instruction and how to meet objectives, and differentiated instruction and teacher expectations. Chapter 15 focuses on classroom assessment, grading, and standardized testing. It delves deeper into the kinds of assessment, and how to use them accurately in the classroom. It brings up the idea of making essays and testing well written. Chapter 15 mentions the importance of how a teacher may grade assignments, and how to communicate those grades to a parent.
Concept 1: Types of Goals and Goal Orientations
Summary: The Woolfolk text defines goal orientations as a "pattern of beliefs about goals related to achievement in school" (Woolfolk, 2009, pg 470). For students, goals have to be presented in a specific way: they must be difficult but able to reach in the near future and explained well. Students must have clear guidelines and explicit directions. The goal must also be reasonably difficult. It should not be completed easily, but also with time, students will be able to meet their goals. The text states that you should give students clear tips t walk through an activity. This could look like "You need to pick a topic. You must give three examples of this topic. Explain why you chose these topics."
Reflection: I chose this section to reflect on because I feel that it's a topic that many teachers tend to overlook. We forget that sometimes expectations need to be reminded. It's unreasonable to think that they can remember everything that's mentioned to them within the school day. When giving verbal expectations again, you remind students of what and how they should be working. It sets the standard and culture of the classroom. Giving specific expectations also helps clarify what may be in the grading rubric. If goals are explained correctly, a teacher can give the exact formula for getting an A on an assignment.
Concept 2: Flexible Grouping
Summary: Flexible grouping is the idea of grouping students by their specific learning needs. In this kind of learning, assessment is constantly being used. Students are assessed and then regrouped. This can look like many different settings, it can be a small group, partnered or a whole class. Because these groups are constantly changed, students are always being challenged, and have a better focus on achievement and classwork.
Reflection: I think flexible grouping is necessary for some classrooms. Specifically, in special education classrooms, this could be really effective. In my experience in a self-contained class, data and student ability change rapidly during the year. That can mean a student can be ahead or behind their group, so they need to find a better fit to make sure they are being adequately challenged. I feel that flexible grouping is another reason why having accurate, measurable data is so important.
Concept 3: Using the Test from Textbooks
Summary: Textbooks generally come with supplemental tests. These tests are already made, and teachers can use them for assessment at the end of a unit. The text questions if the use of these textbooks is adequate enough. Questions must be extensive enough for your learners. If not, the text recommends using these questions and modifying them to fit your classroom. This can be especially useful if you don't want to make your own test.
Reflection: I feel that most of the time, I will be editing textbook tests. I have been on the student end of having a textbook text, and sometimes they can be unaligned with what the teacher has lectured. To me, it is important to make sure that the information that is given on the test is fair to your students. It seems unrealistic to have students pick up information on a test that may have not been given during the discussions or homework.
Concept 1: Types of Goals and Goal Orientations
Summary: The Woolfolk text defines goal orientations as a "pattern of beliefs about goals related to achievement in school" (Woolfolk, 2009, pg 470). For students, goals have to be presented in a specific way: they must be difficult but able to reach in the near future and explained well. Students must have clear guidelines and explicit directions. The goal must also be reasonably difficult. It should not be completed easily, but also with time, students will be able to meet their goals. The text states that you should give students clear tips t walk through an activity. This could look like "You need to pick a topic. You must give three examples of this topic. Explain why you chose these topics."
Reflection: I chose this section to reflect on because I feel that it's a topic that many teachers tend to overlook. We forget that sometimes expectations need to be reminded. It's unreasonable to think that they can remember everything that's mentioned to them within the school day. When giving verbal expectations again, you remind students of what and how they should be working. It sets the standard and culture of the classroom. Giving specific expectations also helps clarify what may be in the grading rubric. If goals are explained correctly, a teacher can give the exact formula for getting an A on an assignment.
Concept 2: Flexible Grouping
Summary: Flexible grouping is the idea of grouping students by their specific learning needs. In this kind of learning, assessment is constantly being used. Students are assessed and then regrouped. This can look like many different settings, it can be a small group, partnered or a whole class. Because these groups are constantly changed, students are always being challenged, and have a better focus on achievement and classwork.
Reflection: I think flexible grouping is necessary for some classrooms. Specifically, in special education classrooms, this could be really effective. In my experience in a self-contained class, data and student ability change rapidly during the year. That can mean a student can be ahead or behind their group, so they need to find a better fit to make sure they are being adequately challenged. I feel that flexible grouping is another reason why having accurate, measurable data is so important.
Concept 3: Using the Test from Textbooks
Summary: Textbooks generally come with supplemental tests. These tests are already made, and teachers can use them for assessment at the end of a unit. The text questions if the use of these textbooks is adequate enough. Questions must be extensive enough for your learners. If not, the text recommends using these questions and modifying them to fit your classroom. This can be especially useful if you don't want to make your own test.
Reflection: I feel that most of the time, I will be editing textbook tests. I have been on the student end of having a textbook text, and sometimes they can be unaligned with what the teacher has lectured. To me, it is important to make sure that the information that is given on the test is fair to your students. It seems unrealistic to have students pick up information on a test that may have not been given during the discussions or homework.
Hello Emily,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the tidbit about using tests from text-books, yes they often cover the book chapters concepts fairly well, but just as you said I think it is best to at least revise them a little. Specially if you did not stress one point or another during lectures. I am also not one for "trick" questions so I'd rather opt them out so I don't frustrate/discourage students when testing. I used to have a high-school history teacher that loved history sooo much that we would get really into a concept and talk about it for half the period. You would think such topic would be on the test, since the teacher concentrated on it so much....but then it wouldn't be! It would be something we didn't even get to go over! Ahhh his tests were impossible to study for. I think he wanted us highshchoolers to read/study the entire book ourselves. which you know, most high-schoolers wont do. X---X -facepalms-
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your insights on the topics discussed in Chapters 12, 14, and 15. Goal orientation is something that I think is very important for students to have. I also believe that setting goals is hard for students to do and understand at a young age. The chapter talks about how the goal should not be something that is to be completed easily, but still something that is achievable. One thing that a teacher that I have worked with did was something she called glows and growths. Every Friday students would list something that they did well that week and something that they need to improve on in the coming weeks.