 |
| https://mind42.com/mindmap/e2cfe058-271a-4486-b532-92503d0590a3?rel=pmb |
This week in class, we touched upon the topic of assisting students through the use of diagnostic assessments. As defined by Growing Success, diagnostic assessment “occurs before instruction begins so teachers can determine students’ readiness to learn new knowledge and skills, as well as obtain information about their interests and learning preferences.” Amy Lin shared with us Gap Closing , a resource designed to provide students with additional support through the use of diagnostics and intervention materials. After having the opportunity to explore both the teacher manual and student resource for Gap Closing, it caused me to further reflect on the use of diagnostic assessment in the classroom.
So,
what will diagnostic assessment look like in my math classroom? How will
diagnostic tools help me as an educator to further help my students? Personally,
I strongly believe it is important to have a balance of the type of diagnostic
assessment used in the classroom in order to meet the needs of various learning
styles. For example, diagnostic assessment can occur through individual conversations,
class discussions, activities, mind-maps, a short presentation and then of
course the most obvious, a written worksheet. Conducting diagnostic assessment
in various forms supports the concept of differentiating learning (which I
discussed in my last blog post). By presenting students with many different
forms of assessment, chances are they will find one that best suits their learning
preference. For example, giving students a diagnostic assessment on fractions,
you could simply have the students complete a written worksheet, or you could
present students with word problems and have them visually represent the
fractions on a poster.
 |
| https://teacherstrong.wordpress.com/2013/02/ |
One
form of diagnostic assessment that I remember from my own mathematical experiences
was the KWL chart, standing for, “what I already know, what I want to know, and
what I learned.” An example of a KWL chart is presented on the left. Although this
chart may work for some students, I would have preferred to complete a group
activity or interactive form of assessment. Reflecting back on this, I probably
just wrote down things because I simply had to. Every unit, we would complete
this chart and our class was not presented with any other form of diagnostic
assessment. Considering this experience, I recognize the importance of implementing
diagnostic assessment in many meaningful ways.
Similar to the idea that tests are not the only way to assess students, I believe
diagnostic assessment should also be used in many different forms.
 |
| https://www.pinterest.com/pin/311944711664791477/ |
As
an aspiring educator, I hope to continue to find teaching practices that will
foster learning and growth amongst my students. Using diagnostic assessment
tools in my classroom with allow myself to gain a strong understanding of student’s
prior knowledge, strengths and weaknesses. Thus, I will be able to tailor
lessons to meet the unique needs of my students and determine the best way for
every student to achieve success. Diagnostic assessment is also just as
powerful for students because they are able to reveal to themselves areas of
possible improvement. Diagnostic assessment is a great way to provide students with ongoing, meaningful feedback. I look forward to continue discovering ways to implement diagnostic assessment in the classroom.
Thanks for reading and happy thanksgiving!
Rachelle
Hello Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteI like how you have considered having different diagnostic assessments within your classroom. Even though this class focused on one form of diagnostic assessment, Gap Closing. I like how you brought up the importance of having a good balance of individual conversations, class discussions, activities, mind-maps, short presentations, and then written worksheets. These different assessments will help both you and your students know what type of learner they are. With this information you will then be able to tailor your lessons to your classes learning styles. I also like how you associated diagnostic assessments with providing students with ongoing and meaningful feedback, this will help them succeed at being a life-long learner.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jodi
Hey Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post and especially liked your point about providing various forms of diagnostic assessment to the students. We have been taught to differentiate instruction while the students are learning 'new' material. However, we have never focused on differentiating diagnostic assessments. Educators should be differentiating diagnostic assessments in order to reach each and every student in the class. It would be problematic to assess students' prior knowledge in the exact same way every time because some students may not be able to demonstrate their knowledge in that specific way. Therefore, I completely agree with your point about creating different diagnostic assessments to assess students.
Looking forward to reading more of your posts,
Laura
Hi Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Like yourself, after being given time in our class to look through and attempt the diagnostic portion of the student book from Gap Closing I began to reflect on what diagnostic assessment will look like in my mathematics classroom. I thought of using many of the same strategies as yourself- mind maps, discussions, and presentations. Another really useful strategy I thought of is using Kahoot! quizzes. These online quizzes would provide a "spin" to formal quizzes as they are much more engaging for students. This will only maximize the opportunity for students to show what they know. It is crucial to provide different engaging means of diagnostic assessment for students so they can have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that benefits them.
Melissa Broderick