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ETP401
Assessment - AT2B

Alanah Knight – 211396067

arkni@deakin.edu.au
Due: Friday 15 June 2018 11:59pm
Words: 2059

Contents:

Introduction……………………………………………………………………..……….. P.1
Assessment Design and Development: ………………………………..……………….... P.2
Implementation of assessment strategy:…………………………………………............. P.4
Critical reflection/ Stance: ………………….…………………....…………..………pp. 6-7
References: ………………………………………………………………….……........... P.8
Appendix A: Lesson plans………………………………………………………….. pp. 9-16
Appendix B: Assessment Data and materials ……………….…………………..... pp. 17-19
Appendix C: Peer and Mentor Feedback on Assessment Design……..…………... pp. 20-21
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Introduction
This assessment was formulated for a prep/one composite grade with 24
Learners. 12 preps and 12 grade ones make up the classroom in the rural
South-East Melbourne school with a strong focus on sustainability and
community. Students are from mainly English-speaking backgrounds, and
are of mid socio-economic status. Learners of this stage are interested in
play, creation and construction and therefore learning tasks have
considered these attributes. The grade runs Mathematics workshops on a
rotation basis, therefore lessons involve grouped and varied activities, as
students in four groups participate in 2 planned activities daily, therefore
there are eight planned mathematics activities in total for each day.
Mathematics lessons run topically for two weeks, beginning with a pre-
test, followed by the teaching period for two weeks, concluding with a
post test in which results inform report writing.

The lesson sequence begins with a pre-test on 2D and 3D Shapes to find

out what students already know. Building new understandings on old
contextual foundations is a cornerstone of constructivist learning (Freire,
1970), and a personal teaching goal during assessment creation. As the
students had prior completed pre-tests of a certain format (Appendix C–
Reflection 1, p.22), This format was followed during the design and
application of the 3D shapes pre/post-test. Students completing the test
use physical representations of shapes to answer a series of questions
related to the objects and their attributes. The Learning intention of the
test, and following lessons is: To find out the 2D and 3D shapes the
students can identify and understand attributes of including faces, edges
and vertices. This is met by a series of learning tasks targeted at four
groups (Appendix A, p. 9). Lessons included sorting between 2D and 3D
shapes, naming shapes and attributes, building and constructing shapes
physically, sorting out real life objects into shape categories and learning
terminology of and counting the attributes. These lessons built up over
the week, and must also continue for another week, before the post-test
can be conducted. Harlen describes the importance of students ‘self-
assessment’ in learning under ‘principle 9’ of assessment practice (2010,
p. 31). Formative assessment within the learning tasks aims to engage
students in their own learning and assessment through age and stage
appropriate means including the traffic light system, and the ‘post it note
faces’ reflected upon and enhanced by the supervising teacher (Appendix
C-Reflection-2, pp. 22-23).
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Design and Development

The 2D and 3D Shapes pre/post-test links to the outcomes within the

Victorian mathematics curriculum strand: (VCMMG081) prep,
(VCMMG098) year one (VCAA 2017), (See table 1 below for further
description). One of the objectives of this assessment was creating a task
incorporating the use of manipulatives to enhance student learning.
Harlen describes the third assessment principle as an ‘explicit process’ to
ensure information is ‘reliable’ and ‘valid’ (2010, p. 30). This pre/post test
was reliably conducted the same for each student within the grade. The
test was valid for most students, however instances, such as a student
with behavioural issues refusing the test at the time, meant that child
received a mark of 0 for not demonstrating their understanding. This was
resolved later, and the student was then able to have appropriate data
and groupings allocated. Conducting the pre-test before the teaching
block allows for true student representation of content knowledge. This
assessment changed multiple times (Appendix C, p. 23).

Aspect of Assessment The pre/ post-test within the lesson sequence, links to
Task the learning intentions and objectives by finding out
what learners already know about the topic, informing
grouping and further lesson planning for the topic.

Assessment Task 2D and 3D Shapes.

Type of Assessment This is both a diagnostic and a summative assessment

depending on use as a pre/post-test. Formative
assessment has been used intermittently after the pre-
test.

The physical assessment is a printed test on two A4

sheets, in which the students interact, drawing, making
notes, marking objects e.g.
When will assessment The assessment has been used at the beginning of the
take place? lesson sequence as a pre/test. It will be further used at
the end of the two-week block as a post-test, and results
will be used to show a measure of learning throughout
the unit.
Links to Curriculum (VCAA 2017)
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Foundation –
Sort, describe and name familiar two-dimensional
shapes and three-dimensional objects in the
environment (VCMMG081).
Year 1 –
Recognise and classify familiar two-dimensional shapes
and three-dimensional objects using obvious features
(VCMMG098).
Assessment Criteria The test will be assessed with each student receiving a
mark for each criterion. The mark is either 0 – no
understanding; 1 – some understanding or 2- full
understanding of each concept.
Feedback to students Student feedback during the post test will be verbal and
immediate. Testing is not a time for explicit teaching,
and students results inform planning for the explicit
teaching block. Short, verbal comments such as ‘very
good’ or ‘try that again’ let students know if they’re on
the right track. This aims to impact learning by
providing a positive environment in which learning can
be successful. Hargreaves (2013, p. 240) identifies that
learners are aware feedback that is either positive or
negative can 'provoke emotions' that may 'interfere with
or support learning'. Providing a quality learning
environment first enables successful feedback
opportunities. Verbal and written feedback will be
given for student work presented during the formative
block, and finally the post-test results aim to inform
reporting and the next grades teacher planning.

Feedback notes have been written and signed See

(Appendix B, p. 21).
Assessment support The physical test. The Colour coded results grid x2,
material The grouping chart for planning and manipulatives
(Shapes).
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Implementation
The assessment (Appendix B, p. 17) was implemented within the
prep/one composite grade. One by one students were called to the
teacher desk while the class rotated several activities not related to 3D
and 2D shapes in their former topic mathematics groupings. The whole
class assessment data presents as follows:

Green represents full understanding of the component, yellow represents

some understanding and red represents no understanding of the assessed
component. Breaking the task into smaller parts allows for targeted
grouping of students for explicit lessons for concepts students need to
focus on.

Table 2.
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As evident in Table two (above), The students mostly understood F.1

(names to shapes). This is partly due to the Grade 1’s within the room
that have already learned terminology last year. Surprisingly, the preps
were able to name some shapes. F.2 or ‘Showing edges, faces, vertices’
on an M.A.B cube was an area that required explicit teaching in the
following activities. The year one learners were unable to demonstrate
sound understanding of this concept. Vocabulary including ‘vertices,
edges, vertex, faces’ was adopted into the classroom daily to build
student knowledge of these words. A whole class evaluation of results
determined there is definitely a clear divide between prep/grade one
achievement on this test, and therefore explains the clear need for multi-
levelled and differentiated open ended learning tasks following the
assessment.

Three students deidentified above (Table 2) as: Student, 1, 2 and 3 were

randomly chosen for assessment work sampling after they completed
their pre-test (see Appendix B, p. 20). These students were given oral
feedback that was transcribed and signed by supervising teacher
(Appendix B, p. 21). Good feedback strategies were employed such as
giving students immediate feedback, relevant to their learning. Anecdotal
notes were made by the teacher on their tests, and these notes with
answers informed the oral feedback they received. Comments were
constructive and each student was encouraged to have a go, and do their
best. Students that required additional support, such as ‘Student 2’ were
advised that they would be learning the content over the coming weeks,
and this initial test was to find out what they know before they learn. This
understanding is important for learner’s self-esteem and efficacy. Student
one is a high achieving prep student, and feedback was targeted to
‘where to next’ discussing extension ideas. This feedback was effective, as
each student was very interested in how they went, and they engaged
with the feedback openly. The feedback was used to detail what they did
well, and what they will be working on next. Students were generally
used to receiving this sort of feedback from their regular classroom
teacher, so were happy to receive it from me. Next time, I’d ask students
to self-assess their assessment before divulging into feedback, as this is
important and was not included. Black and William (1998) describe
formative assessment as 'enhanced' when used concurrently with 'self-
assessment' for improved reliability (p. 143).
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Reflection
The role of a pre/post-test surrounding a teaching block is familiar to the
learners, constructing upon past understandings of testing arrangements.
The assessment strategy was adopted from the supervising teacher’s
strategy, leaving mild autonomy of assessment selection. The pre-test
allowed students to bring to the forefront ‘what they knew’ to be
expanded upon throughout the sequence. Mentor feedback changed the
assessment design (Appendix C, p.23). by incorporating elements such as
the use of manipulatives through assessment, and by method of data
collection (Teacher ticking to save time if student understood content).
The literature assisted assessment design, by ensuring there was a
positive environment set up, and students were comfortable to think and
answer. Fried recalls the importance of approaching students as 'active
learners' enabling critical thinking and enhancing student autonomy
within the classroom (2001, p. 139). The literature equally assisted the
inclusion of self-assessment (Harlen 2010) during the formative lessons
following. The assessment was valid, as it was the same for each student,
however held differing levels of reliability due to individual differences day
to day. Something that may have aided the reliability was the test being
conducted on Monday morning, in which learners were feeling ‘fresh’ from
the weekend, rather than a Friday afternoon. The variety in reliability can
be improved upon by having positive teacher-student relationships so a
good time to conduct assessment can be devised. The students informed
the assessment design and teaching practice through incorporating
formative activities catering to their interests such as play and creation.
Formative lessons included play dough and spaghetti/marshmallow
construction of 3D shapes. The assessment was designed to be short,
simplistic and non-wordy, as the teacher prompted each student
individually. Reporting of learning was done via the spreadsheet (Table 2)
and anecdotal verbal and written notes on each students’ test. Reporting
to parents will be conducted on ‘Sentral’ platform after the post-test
completion. Brady and Kennedy describe reporting that involves the input
of students and parents as 'essential' for learner development. They
further contend that the 'single, greatest indicator' of effective reporting,
is the 'quality of student learning' (2012, p. 100). As a graduate teacher,
this is a reporting factor to attest to.
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Stance

Assessment assists teachers to find out what a student knows already, so

they can personalise learning and construct upon this knowledge, aiming
to improve the conceptual understandings of all students. Learning,
teaching and assessment are intertwined as teachers make formal, and
informal observations on each learning task for each student, daily. The
three pillars of educational theory and praxis are: Curriculum, Pedagogy
and Assessment. These three important structural underpinnings of
modern education are fluid and iterative in nature. Students that are
highly engaged and highly motivated are at a learning and assessment
advantage, therefore it is part of the teachers’ responsibility to consider
these factors in all assessment to create rich learning tasks that students
are interested and engaged in. Self-assessment enhances reliability
(Black and William 1998, p.143), whereas peer assessment can assist
students to consider the broken-down elements of a learning task, and
assist their peers to reach heightened success criteria. Student learning in
further grades, can begin with the reporting information passed on by
prior reporting. This is not applicable in the instance of Foundation,
however the Grade one’s within the class benefited from past test results
informing their learning tasks. Changes from AT1 to AT2 with this stance
on assessment lead to the notion that teaching requires constant learning
to improve. As a beginning teacher, conducting an assessment within the
confines of a practicum school with their own set system in place, there is
little room for expression. As a graduate teacher, and upon advice from
Fried (2001) stepping away from traditional methods of assessment may
not be easy, but can have results that far outweigh the consequences for
successful personal development. This development of assessment can
achieve outcomes that are highly critical and autonomous from learners in
control of their own education, transforming the classroom space from
student ‘docile’ listeners (Freire 1970) to students that are capable and
confident through constructivist methods to self and peer assess their
own learning of content they actualise.
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References:

Black, P and William, D 1998, 'Inside the Black Box', Phi Delta
Kappan, vol. 80, no.2, pp. 139-148.

Brady, L, & Kennedy, K 2012, 'Principles and strategies for reporting

student achievement in the classroom', in Assessment and reporting:
celebrating student achievement, 4th edn., Pearson Australia,
Frenchs Forest, pp. 99-120.

Fried, R 2001, The passionate teacher: a practical guide, Beacon

Press, Boston.

Freire 1970, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Continuum, New York.

Hargreaves, E 2013, 'Inquiring into children's experiences of teacher

feedback: reconceptualising Assessment for Learning', Oxford Review
of Education, vol. 39, no.2, pp. 229-246.

Harlen, W 2010, ‘What is quality teacher assessment?’, Developing

Teacher Assessment, pp. 29-52.
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Appendices: (A)
Appendix A – Lesson Plans and overview.
Due to the nature of classroom changes, this assessment was incredibly
different from the original designed and proposed task. As such, it is necessary
to not include the presentation, and instead include the overview from this new
assessment task devised.

This sequence of lessons was designed for student learning after the post
test conducted in Lesson 1.

This is my lesson planner for the week.

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Lesson 1 – Pre Test on 2D and 3D shapes (Monday)

Learning Intention: To find out which shapes the students can identify,
and understand attributes of including faces, edges and vertices.
Success Criteria: I can name 2D and 3D shapes and describe attributes of
these shapes. (By the end of the 2-week teaching block).

Introduction: Counting warm up – sit in a circle on the mat. Go around

the circle counting by two’s encouraging peers to help each other.

Middle lesson: Rotation of 4 Mathematics activities and games from prior

weeks while teacher calls students over to complete pre-test.

Reflection: Post it note faces (Fill in the ‘face’ on your post it notes to
describe how you felt about your Maths class today) – Face was drawn
and placed on each desk – students just draw the mouth either smiling,
indifferent, or frowning.

Smiling: 18
Indifferent: 4
Frowning: 2
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Lesson 2 – Tuesday
Learning Intention: To extend all groups knowledge of 2D and 3D Shapes.
Success Criteria: Successful completion of group activities.

Introduction – ‘3D shapes that I know -song (YouTube video)’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cg-Uc556-Q

Middle Lesson: -
Red: 1 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Magenta)
2 Teacher Group 3D shapes and sides introduction

Blue: 1 – 3D picture match (Everyday pictures to shapes)

2 - 3D shapes/objects cut/paste
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Green: 1 - 3D picture match (Everyday pictures to shapes)

2 – 3D shapes/Objects cut/paste

Orange: 1 Teacher Group – 3D shapes and sides introduction

2 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Blue)

Reflection:
- Think/Pair/Share something they learned in Maths today.
- Milkshake brain break
- Show and tell (during fruit snack)
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Lesson 3 – Wednesday

Learning Intention: To extend all groups knowledge of 2D and 3D Shapes.

Success Criteria: Successful completion of group activities.

Introduction – ‘Mystery Shape’ What’s in my bag? One student is chosen

to come and lucky dip a shape, describing its features (sides, corners,
vertices ect) for others to guess.

Middle Lesson –
Red: 1 – 3D picture match (Everyday pictures to shapes)
2 - 3D shapes/objects cut/paste

Blue: 1- Teacher Group – 3D shapes and sides introduction

2 - ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Magenta)

Green: 1 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Blue)

2 - Teacher Group – 3D shapes and sides introduction

Orange: 1 – 3D picture match (Everyday pictures to shapes)

2 - 3D shapes/objects cut/paste

Reflection:
- Hold up 1,2, or 3 fingers to show how you felt about the lesson.
- Maths counting brain break
- Show and tell (during fruit snack)
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Lesson 4 Thursday
Learning Intention: To extend all groups knowledge of 2D and 3D Shapes
Success Criteria: Successful completion of group activities.

Introduction – Students use classroom shape floor mat, to further

enhance their understanding of shapes.

Middle Lesson -
Red: 1 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Magenta)
2 Teacher Group – Physical object sort.

Blue: 1 Cut-paste 2D and 3D sheets

2 Toothpicks and Marshmallows – construct 3D shapes
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Green: 1 Playdough – construct 3D shapes

2 Colour 2D shapes red, 3D shapes blue page.

Orange: 1 Teacher Group – Physical object sort.

2 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Blue)

Reflection:
- Traffic light reflection
- Roller coaster brain break
- Show and tell (during fruit snack)
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Lesson 5 Friday
Learning Intention: To extend all groups knowledge of 2D and 3D Shapes
Success Criteria: Successful completion of group activities.

Introduction –
Revise Pre-Test together.

Middle Lesson -
Red: 1 Cut-paste 2D and 3D sheets
2 Toothpicks and Marshmallows – construct 3D shapes

Blue: 1 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Magenta)

2 Teacher Group – Physical object sort.

Green: 1 Teacher Group – Physical object sort.

2 ICT – Galaxy Maths for Kids (Blue)

Orange: 1 Playdough – construct 3D shapes

2 Colour 2D shapes red, 3D shapes blue page.

Reflection:
- Maths shapes revision video
- Show and tell (during fruit snack)
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Appendix B
Pre/post -Test
The pre-test was devised for student learning.
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Pre - Test results

The results were chartered into a table, for further grouping and planning.
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Grouping and charting

Groupings created and planning chartered from the results. Red, Blue, Green
and Orange groups were devised and the areas those students required to
focus on, were used in planning.
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Three Deidentified student tests. (Anecdotal notes on each)

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Mentor Signed student oral feedback from Pre-test.

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Appendix C
Student Data/ Journal Entries / Mentor feedback

Journal Entry 1 (Exert from a long file)

The students completed the ‘Time’ post-test with the help of
manipulatives (Teacher clock) and the physical paper space
provided (counting by 5’s). The students were generally happy to
be completing Fridays’ game rotations on the Monday which freed
up the teacher group so the teacher can be completing testing as
the class runs seamlessly. This was also the same in next doors
classroom.

Journal Entry 2 (Exert from a long file)

As students filled out their post-it’s with a face, a conversation
throughout the class erupted about how they felt about their work.
This was important, as they were considering their learning and
while the noise got loud in the room, it was productive and
reflective, where students could consider their thoughts and feelings
about the work they were doing. The post- it notes were successful
in their measure of adding a student component to assessment. The
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Further Mentor Teacher Feedback on assessment.