Throughout my years at Brock University, I have met
many people who have grown to become my friends. However, there have been some
that I've lost touch with, due to that fact that they have choice to leave school. For the most part, many of them based their reasoning on that fact that they weren't satisfied with their
program and did not believe that it was worth completing because they weren't learning. I don’t blame them. I wouldn't want to spend years in a program that
I didn't find was satisfying to my needs or even stick around in a program that would help prepare me for a potential future due to a lack of learning.
Coming to a conclusion, that I too would leave
school for the same reasons got me thinking about self-assessment.
Self-Assessment
(Retrieved From: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/studentaffairs/assessment/images/SA-Assessment-Header-Main2.jpg)
It is know that self-assessment is vital to the learning
process, due to the fact that it is a powerful tool in determining the type of
learning and even outcomes that we want to achieve (Frankland, 2007). And I
think that to properly give an answer to the question about me being satisfied
with my learning to date, I should make a check-list that is based on what it is
I want to learn about and if it’s being fulfilled. So that I can make a better judgement about myself in relation to the program I am in.
I decided that I want to focus on our course about
interweaving the curriculum and assessment into the classroom. And come to a
conclusion if I am happy with the goals of the course and decided if my
learning is valid to my program.
For example some points on my check-list are the
following:
- Is the content new/interesting?
- Do the assignments achieve learning?
- Is the learning being communicated in way that fits my needs?
(Examples of self-assessment check-lists can be seen here.)
Assessment
Connection
Now, this course appeared to be designed to take the
new store of education and directly apply in within the classroom. Big concepts
discussed in class were the emerging new story and how the classrooms of today
are changing to incorporate collaboration in order to give students another way
succeed (Drake et al., 2014). This was done through our blogging assignment and
how each student was able to help add to each students work. I felt that this
added an approach to education that made me interested and want to continue
with the work. The content was interesting, thus being a positive mark on my
check list.
As well this course was all about deep learning. And
how the new pedagogy is constructivist in nature yet also project based (Drake
et al., 2014). This again is reflecting the blogging assignment that factored
in the development of technology and strategies that would relate to student
achievement, by giving us the ability to write about anything. Again, this took
into consideration of student interests and gave use power to use technology to
our advantage, mainly because a majority of us are comfortable using technology
to learn. This again was positive mark on my check-list because it communicated
information on platforms that are familiar to me.
Most importantly to me, this course balanced
assessment with motivation. As referred to our learnings, motivation increases
our engagement and the way we deliver assessment, and assessment being an
emotional act can affect our motivation (Drake et al., 2014). I believe that my
own mindset grew by giving the chance to have assessment be student oriented
and guided through my peers. Once again this is another positive factor due to
that fact in being motivated I was able to learn.
Furthermore, another major connection I found that
connects this course with assessment, was the fact that the assignments where
feedback driven and focused on the visible actions and work (Drake et al., 2014).
In relation the blogging assignment many of my peers used this example of providing feedback that
reflected self-assessment. Through the process of feedback, and how feedback
an important aspect of self-assessment because it proposes questions that raise
self-awareness (Merry & Yorke, 2013). I was given the chance to find and
build on my unique abilities and by providing supportive feedback while
communicating assessment, which allowed me to enrich my motivation to continue
to work.
Conclusion
To conclude,
am I satisfied with my teacher program? At the moment I believe that I am,
however I feel that I was I could be more experienced with the classroom
setting. But that will be coming soon.
Now are you satisfied?
Reference:
Drake,
S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving
Curriculum and Classroom
Assessment: Engaging the 21st-Century lecturer. Canada: Oxford
University Press.
Frankland, S. (2007). Enhancing teaching and
learning through assessment. Dordrecht, the
Netherlands: Springer.
Merry, S., & Yorke, M. (2013)., Reconceptualising
feedback in higher education.
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