Another interesting point is the distinction between evaluation and assessment. Where evaluation focuses on the students individually, the assessment of the learning could also help teachers reflect on their own teaching styles and evaluate how this style may be adjusted to meet the needs of the students. Students learn in a variety of ways and providing a diversity in learning techniques is the best way to include all students in the activities as some students learn better one way and others another. By setting clear goals, students understand what the purpose of the activity is. Many times as a student I have wondered what the purpose of an activity was and what I was supposed to know at the end of the activity. By knowing the goal, students can be engaged in an activity as they are able to focus on the objective. Without learning goals, many times students just believe that the goal is to “get an A”, but they may lose sight in actually learning the material and instead memorize it long enough to take the test. This results in poor retention of the material. 

What I would want to incorporate in my teaching philosophy is the importance of feedback and how that importance is only relevant if students are able to re-attempt a test or assignment. Learning is not linear but is often a cycle of repeating and improving utilizing similar activities. This cycle also includes assessment of learning material which may need to be adjusted based on student learning evaluations and feedback. 

The Columbia’s Principles that are exemplified in this activity are Principles 1, 3, and 4. Columbia’s Principle 1 instructs teachers to create a classroom environment that values individual experiences, identities, and backgrounds. By allowing the students to pick their own object to reflect on, the instructor is not making the students all focus on the same object, but is creating a more meaningful and diverse experience because the students can reflect on an object that is meaningful to them, not the teacher. This creates a more diverse conversation for the participants when sharing their experience with their classroom partner. Principle 3 focuses on recognizing diversity and acknowledging barriers to inclusion. Again, by allowing students to pick an object to reflect on, this selects course content that is diverse for each student, as diverse as the objects inside and outside of the room. It also works to reduce barriers to inclusion, since students can again choose their own objects to reflect on and not a single object that may not have any connection or meaning for them. This activity also encourages creativity and looking at objects from a diverse perspective. Principle 4 addresses accessibility. All students are able to equally assess any of the objects in their surroundings. The course instructions also allow for multiple ways for students to experience the objects (ie smell, feel, emotion) so students are allowed to experience the object through multiple pathways, not just one. 

In grading this activity, it would be important to reflect on the purpose of the activity and acknowledge that everyone’s perspective and responses are going to be different. There is not just one right answer. This brings in Principle 5, which reflects on one’s beliefs about teaching. Grading this activity based on completion, but not on particular responses would reduce pressure on students. The grade would not be based on a standardized structure which can create restrictions that could erect barriers for some students and reduce inclusivity.