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-this article discusses the problems with standardized testing and assessing is the consistency
-we have had MANY  discussions in class about whether or not assessing is objective or subjective
-it appears that those referenced and quoted in the article agree that it is entirely subjective
-i feel like it is possible for grading to be objective if it gives very explicit instructions as to the number of (like in the instance of writing assessments) sentences needed, the length of those sentences, how many high interest low frequency words need to be used within each sentence, how often on a percentage students must be able to use punctuation appropriately etc.
-this is where my group and i struggled a lot when we tried to assess these PAT's we felt like we wanted to give students a better grade because this only gives a sneak peek but we also wanted to follow the vague rubric to the best of our ability which lead to a lot of confusion
-going back to the article this ultimately means that when we assess we have to be explicit in what exactly it is that we are REALLY assessing (is it participation? is it attendance? is it their knowledge of the topic? is it their memory? is it their ability to regurgitate facts?)

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How Teachers Are Changing Grading Practices With an Eye on Equity | KQED

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Joe Feldman contends many of the earnest practices teachers continue to use are hold-overs from how they were graded and may actually be doing harm to student learning.

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I feel as though the courses taken this semester have changed my outlook on a few things within the realm of education. The discussions we've had regarding assessment, accommodation, and rubrics have opened my eyes to how political out education system can be. We make students take these daunting tests just for us to use standardized marking checklists and attempt to fit all students into one box. The PAT's that we looked at over the past few days are the prime example of trying to fit students into a specific box with vague guides on how to do so as well as only getting a snap shot of these students on that particular day at that particular time and making the grade they get their identity. The accommodations we make for students throughout the school year become irrelevant once we get students to do these standardized tests. Based on the rubrics used, those who are assessing these tests are not able to see how well some students are able to brainstorm or are able to create these vivid stories because maybe these students struggle with getting everything they need to down on paper, or maybe they need additional time to write these thoughts down that they might not necessarily be able to get. It seems as though a lot of the things that create the typical school environment are not centered around the reasons schools exist. It is my belief that schools exist for the benefit of the child, but there are so many hoops to jump through for the benefit of others like their parents, the government, or the school board. I wonder if it is overly optimistic of me to work towards a student-centered approach regarding all things school related and to put the needs of the students above all else when there are still so many hoops to just through and so many things that my job requires me to do that might pull me in other directions.

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-something this topic has brought up for me is the number of students that likely go without the assistance they need when these summative performance tasks are assigned
-those with expressive language struggles doing well in other subjects but when asked to put their ideas into writing for a literacy class might come to be very daunting
-i think i would give as many accommodations as possible like extended time, speech to text, and maybe get them to do mind maps first in images to see if these things help them get their ideas out
-i like the idea of getting students who have expressive language struggles to do comic strips to tell their stories
-the other thing that came up in our group discussion though that impacts these students is "at what point to you get them to write these things themselves?" and i feel as though it will have to be a constant goal they are working towards but if they are finding ways to express themselves in other formats then that's what matters most
-i feel as though the PAT and other standardized testing formats do not give a well rounded enough look into what each individual student can do and i think it would be best to treat them as additional worksheets rather than massive intimidating summative assessments

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"so much subjectivity in something that is meant to be objective"
-the language used is generally in teacher language
-councils of parents in CBE have changed the language to things they can understand
-who is benefitting from grades?
-who is this assessment for?
-the way students respond to assessment can be negative
-the way parents respond to assessment can be confused or frustrated
-measuring behaviour or citizenship and grading their expected behaviour...
-the "I CAN" statements make it easier for students to self assess but are not appropriate for reporting
-differences between school boards IN ADDITION to differences between teachers at each school
-if one teacher gives a student 3's the entire grade 2 year and the next teacher they have gives them 2's causes parents and students to panic because they is a lack of communication on expectations and a lack of consistency when it comes to personal ideals
-"real time reporting" and how loose deadlines enable teachers to put it off and essentially end up scrambling
-puts a time crunch on students to learn specific things and the expectations are too high considering the time crunch
-my PT asked me to make at least 2 assessments weekly and when it came to what they were supposed to look like she gave me zero examples because she wasn't even doing what she kept asking me to do
-this just further proves that teachers know what is expected of them for real time reporting but the loose deadlines make them push it off until the last minute (she just made me do her assessments for her)
-my experience with assessment was likely clouded by my overall negative practicum experience
-i think the idea of formative assessment is a lot more beneficial for students because it's a learn as you go instead of a stop go track of learning

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-assumptions about someone based on their work rather than their character
-NBC club commentary from other crayons
-trying to change the crayon to fit into the idea of red
-kept putting in really good hard work but it still wasn't fitting what others wanted or expected of them
-start from where the student is at not where your expectations are
-work with their strengths
-let them be themselves
-perceptions of students, families, coworkers clouding our judgements
-books that represent "students of all shapes and sizes" to make sure they feel seen
-a great book/ student resource when discussing identity
-future implementation: work with the students' skills and highlight/praise them
-if a student is a writer then they can write as much as they'd like
-if a student likes to draw give them the opportunity to do that
-allow students to share their knowledge however they wish and watch them become excited about learning because it is tailor made for them
-give students the support for them to show their best work in the ways that makes the most sense for them
-what other ways can students show their learning?
-how can i make sure students are doing their work to the best of their ability?
-how much will this choice improve the overall classroom environment surrounding learning tasks?
-how many of these students would prefer one choice/alternative when it comes to showing their knowledge?
-i had a student in my placement who was very anxious and would frequently get overwhelmed and worried she wasn't going to do a good job - how could i best support these kinds of students?

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-this career path is something that i have been passionate about for years
-i desperately want to do a good job
-the things that are worrying me: the idea that i might not see some of the warning signs when it comes to students at risk, the idea that these students might fall through the cracks, not being able to support students in the way they need, stretching myself too thin in trying to support everyone at once, the idea of being yet another teacher who faces burnout
-i know these are all things that i will learn on the job/with more experience
-i know that by stating that these are things i am worried about means that i care and i will likely be hypervigilant at making students feel as supported as possible
-i think the initial learning process in the classroom has me spiraling a bit thinking of worst case scenarios

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-something i can picture myself struggling with is consistency when it comes to boundaries
-i want to set boundaries when it comes to parents and students but i feel as though i am very much a people pleaser and it can be tough to stand firm
-i know it is important to set boundaries and stay consistent at the beginning of the school year so that those boundaries are not crossed but i feel like i don't know what kind of boundaries to set first
-basic boundary: when to contact and when i will respond
-other boundaries: what kind of talk/tone/behaviours i will tolerate both from students, parents, and other teachers

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-i want my classroom to be a place where students feel relaxed and calm
-i don't want students to be over stimulated by the things i have on the walls or by things being disorganized
-i want my classroom to be intentional and deliberate with the things that are posted on the walls
-i want my students to learn from the things posted on the walls and use them when they need assistance
-i want my classroom to be a place where students feel safe and where they feel they can be creative and take risks because the space is so calming
-materials/supplies: calendars for birthdays, number lines for counting, different vowel pairings, a number of the day chart, whiteboards, book shaves organized by reading level/colour, math manipulatives, games for literacy and math at different stations, bean bag chairs, wobble chairs, floor desks, different shelves, rolling drawer storage for different games, quiet corner, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT CORNER where students go to solve their problems together, drawers/buckets full of communal supplies for students like markers/pencil crayons/etc, station for blank paper or colouring sheets...
-it is my hope that with all of these materials and resource that students can become more autonomous within the classroom, more independent, and feel a lot more comfortable and at home because they know where things are and how to use them

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-organized
-everything is in its place
-shelves are covered to make it less distracting/overly stimulating for students
-different seating arrangements/possibilities
-carpets for close reading
-windows with curtains
-lamps or string lights for less harsh lighting
-IDEAL: monthly planners for each subject to make it easier to follow timeline of the year
-cup of pencils and erasers PER table group
-deliberate information on the wall (things they will learn from if they are distracted OR things they can use to help them if they need assistance - use like a scavenger hunt)
-a personal bulletin board for students where they can bring in pictures of the things that are important to them (maybe make it a weekly thing? add it into their weekly schedule)
-have students chose what projects etc that go onto the bulletin boards inside and outside the classroom

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-does taking a test measure a students' knowledge? or does it measure their ability to work under pressure?
-test taking as a standardized measure for "knowledge"
-multiple choice or not this is an anxiety inducing experience
-i had students take a math test on place value (a unit we had been working on for quite some time) and i told them that i was just using it to better understand what i needed to go over more thoroughly and teach them again but once they got their marks back a student said "oh wow i did really bad" really loudly and for some reason i got embarrassed even though he wasn't embarrassed
-why is it that i felt embarrassed? this comment hit a bit harder because i felt as though this student not doing well was reflecting my teaching ability
-i think that one of the things i found challenging is finding the right mark/grade to give
-this one worksheet or test gives a brief snapshot of how the student was doing THAT DAY with the content
-whereas i could more easily grade based on how they grew throughout the unit in their learning
-not measuring effort in the curriculum
-measuring depth of knowledge
vocabulary: rocky view assessment rubrics (mastering, advancing, progressing, emerging, beginning, limited) referring to level of support but what does that support look like based on EF/UDL/SLD?
-basic/standardized rubric/assessment tools for students that are not all the same
-determining what each level (MAPEBL) looks like for each student makes things increasingly more complicated
-going back to our feelings about students not understanding content or "failing" tests
-students feel as though it is their fault but it is entirely on the teacher
-WE as teachers need to give multiple entry points to the content we are teaching and if we are not doing that then obviously every student won't feel as though they understand
-multiple entry points could look like videos, visual representations, real life comparisons, hands-on work, journal writing, connections to songs, games, poetry...
-i think Jerry's character throwing out the test was a very forward thinking call HOWEVER he should have used the information on the test to give him more insight into the things students still need help with instead of throwing it all away
-this test gives evidence of the information that needs to be retaught