Chapter 5 - UbD

Chapter 5 gave a good overview of evidence of learning. I really liked the concept of the “snap shot” learning style. A “snap shot” can be viewed as a standardized test. IT is considered bad because it is just one test. Just like one picture or “snap shot” it doesn’t tell the whole story of our life or of what we really know. It is better to use multiple assessments. By having a variety of assessments, such as journals, portfolios, presentations, ect., the teacher can get more of a photo album sense of the students progress instead of a snapshot. Understanding the material being taught is very important. IF students can answer questions like how or why, they are demonstrating a deeper understanding of a topic. The GRASPS framework is a good example of how students can fully understand a topic. This model shows how the concepts can become more relevant to the student by making goals, finding the role the information plays for the student, thinking about the audience the piece is for, making the product effectively and more. The GRASPS example and explanation really shows that this type of assessment requires the student to think beyond the minimal. They student doesn’t just write a paper, turn it in an be done. They think about the audience, perhaps what role it plays in their life, and what goals they can achieve within the essay. By my students dwelling on more than the essay prompt, the essay or project may become more meaningful and the information may stick with the students longer than if I didn’t use GRASPS every now and then. It is important to use both summative and formative assessments. The formative assessments aid the summative assessments by allowing the students to become more familiar with the unit before the big tests. My classroom would be pretty boring and unproductive if I only used summative assessments. A mix is the best way for the students to learn. I think this chapter ended on a good point. Provide feedback early and often. If I don’t give my student any feedback, they can not fix their mistakes and earn from them. By checking in on my students regularly, I can catch the mistakes earlier and the students have more chances to fix their mistakes and practice what ever they are doing the correct way faster. The more they learn the better!