Mind Frame 1: Teachers/Leaders believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students' learning and achievement.
This mind frame connects to using student data as an accountability tool and a source of feedback! If teachers are not frequently evaluating their effect on student learning, we are unable to make the necessary changes to improve our teaching practices. This mind frame has positively influenced how I view and use student data. From my own experiences, I've learned that using student data is the most powerful reflection tool, since it directly connects to the effects of a teachers' instruction and strategies on student learning and overall achievement. It is important to note that using one point of data is not enough to truly evaluate your effectiveness as a teacher. Thus, I have learned that using multiple data points is one way to ensure that data is accurate and valid.
Mind Frame 2:Teacher leaders believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers or leaders, did or did not do... We are change agents! This mind Frame reminds us to use the results of student achievement as a feedback tool; allowing the data to reveal what we as educators did well, and our next steps. In my first years of teaching, I struggled to understand that all of the factors that impact positive student learning experiences are in my control. For example, when students were not engaged, or they did not have strong family support, I felt that my hands were tied and that their achievement was reflective upon their failure to engage or a poor home life. Thankfully, I have come to the understanding that being aware of these factors is not enough. Planning ahead to ensure students are engaged and learning despite their home situation has become my most important and challenging role. If students are not learning, I am able to use that as feedback. Now, I am able to take accountability for student learning in a way that I had not done before. Student data is no longer a reflection of student effort, understanding and engagement. As I have grown as an educator, students' failure to learn always translates to my failure to engage them in learning. I then ask myself a series of questions How can I improve, what are my next steps?
Mind Frame 7: Teachers/Leaders believe that it is their role to develop positive relationships in classrooms & staff rooms. This one is near and dear to my heart since I am such a relationship-oriented person! My favorite part of teaching is being able to create and maintain an oasis of safety in my classroom. Students learn from day one that mistakes are valued because mistakes are the best way to reflect their learning and help me to identify misconceptions! They know that taking risks are important for their growth. This is one mind frame that I have always believed is my responsibility and I am intrigued with finding all the different ways to improve the classroom climate!
Using student data is an effective way to measure lesson effectiveness. If teachers can closely review the data as the primary change agents, they can identify what are positive and negative trends in data in order to determine teacher best practices. For instance, I currently analyze several data points in order to effectively determine student learning. These include:
Exit Ticket's & Do Now's:Exit slips and do-now's serve as a quick snapshot of a students understanding. This type of assessment is short and should take only a few minutes to complete. The exit slip is a time-saving tool since it focuses on the mastery of one or two skills. For example, If students were practicing double digit addition, an exit slip should have one or two double digit addition problems rather than a whole page full. The teacher can immediately use this data to inform her next instructional decision.
Weekly Tasks: I strive to have a good balance in the type of weekly math and literacy tasks that I give to students. Muller, J. (2013), reminds us that there is a difference between an authentic assessment and an performance assessment. For example, performance assessments require that students demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. On the other hand, authentic assessments require students to demonstrate this learned knowledge and skill to a real-life situation.
Several Technology-based assessments:
I-Station- As a school, we use an online comprehensive reading assessment that measures a students' level in all four of the following reading components: Fluency, comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary. The assessment gives real-time data within minutes after the student completes the text. Teachers love this assessment most because it personalizes learning by assigning specific lessons and activities specific to each students' reading need! Similarly, this assessment tool also groups students according to skill level and provides personalized lessons that teachers can use in small groups. This data is already analyzed and organized so that teachers can quickly use the data points to plan and personalize instruction.
Freckle- Freckle is a free online assessment tool similar to I-station since it offers personalized learning, however, freckle monitors Math, literacy, science, social studies, and writing. I have just recently started using Freckle more often to expose students to taking a math assessment online before our district-wide CMAS standardized testing. I especially enjoy using this online tool because, unlike reflex math, it measures and analyzes students understanding of several math concepts and standards.
Reflex Math-Reflex math is an online assessment tool that measures students fact fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This assessment offers students specific practice on the facts that they have not yet mastered. There are several report options available to students, parents, and teachers. One that I use daily is the fact fluency report which analyzes and organizes each students' fact fluency into a color-coded multiplication chart.
In my own experiences, the most time-efficient analysis tools are the assessments that students take online. I have learned that using technology not only engages and motivates students, but it serves as an effective way for teachers to gather timely data and, in many cases, offer timely and specific feedback! Using technology is helpful for teachers because it can quantify current data and provide graphs that can be shared and analyzed with students. (CTE, 2015). I currently use learning management systems like google classroom to engage students in discussion forums.
Our team engages in weekly data team meetings, Monthly SIT meetings, as well as collaborative lesson planning. This means we engage in discussion and planning using all of the above assessment tools. For example, in our weekly data team meetings, we are always reviewing data and planning according to the needs identified. We may grade and analyze a weekly task, or look at how students performed on a quarterly interim to reteach according to specific standards.
Hattie 's (2012) book, Visible learning for Teachers has taught me several practices that positively impact teaching experiences and student learning. Most importantly, I have learned that while teachers themselves have the power to make a difference in student learning, it is really the teaching strategies they use that make the most difference. These teachers are open-minded, accepting of feedback, and are actively and consistently engaged in the teaching and learning process. The following mind frames resonated with me most since each of them has had a positive influence on both my teaching and student learning. These Mind Frames remind me that, although there are many factors that influence student learning, teachers beliefs, teaching strategies, and best practices are at the root of their growth as students!
Mind Frame 1: Teachers/Leaders believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students' learning and achievement.
This mind frame connects to using student data as an accountability and a source of feedback! If teachers are not frequently evaluating their effect on student learning, we are unable to make the necessary changes to improve our teaching practices. This mind frame has positively influenced how I view and use student data. From my own experiences, I've learned that using student data is the most powerful reflection tool, since it directly connects to the effects of a teachers' instruction and strategies on student learning and overall achievement. It is important to note that using one point of data is not enough to truly evaluate your effectiveness as a teacher. Thus, I have learned that using multiple data points is one way to ensure that data is accurate and valid.
References:
Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). (2015). What do students already know? Retrieved from
https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/assessing-student-learning/what-do-students-already-know.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible Learning for teachers maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY: Routledge
Muller, J. (2013). Muller's glossary of authentic assessment terms. Retrieved from:
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/glossary.htm#holistic (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
This mind frame connects to using student data as an accountability tool and a source of feedback! If teachers are not frequently evaluating their effect on student learning, we are unable to make the necessary changes to improve our teaching practices. This mind frame has positively influenced how I view and use student data. From my own experiences, I've learned that using student data is the most powerful reflection tool, since it directly connects to the effects of a teachers' instruction and strategies on student learning and overall achievement. It is important to note that using one point of data is not enough to truly evaluate your effectiveness as a teacher. Thus, I have learned that using multiple data points is one way to ensure that data is accurate and valid.
Mind Frame 2:Teacher leaders believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers or leaders, did or did not do... We are change agents! This mind Frame reminds us to use the results of student achievement as a feedback tool; allowing the data to reveal what we as educators did well, and our next steps. In my first years of teaching, I struggled to understand that all of the factors that impact positive student learning experiences are in my control. For example, when students were not engaged, or they did not have strong family support, I felt that my hands were tied and that their achievement was reflective upon their failure to engage or a poor home life. Thankfully, I have come to the understanding that being aware of these factors is not enough. Planning ahead to ensure students are engaged and learning despite their home situation has become my most important and challenging role. If students are not learning, I am able to use that as feedback. Now, I am able to take accountability for student learning in a way that I had not done before. Student data is no longer a reflection of student effort, understanding and engagement. As I have grown as an educator, students' failure to learn always translates to my failure to engage them in learning. I then ask myself a series of questions How can I improve, what are my next steps?
Mind Frame 7: Teachers/Leaders believe that it is their role to develop positive relationships in classrooms & staff rooms. This one is near and dear to my heart since I am such a relationship-oriented person! My favorite part of teaching is being able to create and maintain an oasis of safety in my classroom. Students learn from day one that mistakes are valued because mistakes are the best way to reflect their learning and help me to identify misconceptions! They know that taking risks are important for their growth. This is one mind frame that I have always believed is my responsibility and I am intrigued with finding all the different ways to improve the classroom climate!
Using student data is an effective way to measure lesson effectiveness. If teachers can closely review the data as the primary change agents, they can identify what are positive and negative trends in data in order to determine teacher best practices. For instance, I currently analyze several data points in order to effectively determine student learning. These include:
Exit Ticket's & Do Now's:Exit slips and do-now's serve as a quick snapshot of a students understanding. This type of assessment is short and should take only a few minutes to complete. The exit slip is a time-saving tool since it focuses on the mastery of one or two skills. For example, If students were practicing double digit addition, an exit slip should have one or two double digit addition problems rather than a whole page full. The teacher can immediately use this data to inform her next instructional decision.
Weekly Tasks: I strive to have a good balance in the type of weekly math and literacy tasks that I give to students. Muller, J. (2013), reminds us that there is a difference between an authentic assessment and an performance assessment. For example, performance assessments require that students demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. On the other hand, authentic assessments require students to demonstrate this learned knowledge and skill to a real-life situation.
Several Technology-based assessments:
I-Station- As a school, we use an online comprehensive reading assessment that measures a students' level in all four of the following reading components: Fluency, comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary. The assessment gives real-time data within minutes after the student completes the text. Teachers love this assessment most because it personalizes learning by assigning specific lessons and activities specific to each students' reading need! Similarly, this assessment tool also groups students according to skill level and provides personalized lessons that teachers can use in small groups. This data is already analyzed and organized so that teachers can quickly use the data points to plan and personalize instruction.
Freckle- Freckle is a free online assessment tool similar to I-station since it offers personalized learning, however, freckle monitors Math, literacy, science, social studies, and writing. I have just recently started using Freckle more often to expose students to taking a math assessment online before our district-wide CMAS standardized testing. I especially enjoy using this online tool because, unlike reflex math, it measures and analyzes students understanding of several math concepts and standards.
Reflex Math-Reflex math is an online assessment tool that measures students fact fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This assessment offers students specific practice on the facts that they have not yet mastered. There are several report options available to students, parents, and teachers. One that I use daily is the fact fluency report which analyzes and organizes each students' fact fluency into a color-coded multiplication chart.
In my own experiences, the most time-efficient analysis tools are the assessments that students take online. I have learned that using technology not only engages and motivates students, but it serves as an effective way for teachers to gather timely data and, in many cases, offer timely and specific feedback! Using technology is helpful for teachers because it can quantify current data and provide graphs that can be shared and analyzed with students. (CTE, 2015). I currently use learning management systems like google classroom to engage students in discussion forums.
Our team engages in weekly data team meetings, Monthly SIT meetings, as well as collaborative lesson planning. This means we engage in discussion and planning using all of the above assessment tools. For example, in our weekly data team meetings, we are always reviewing data and planning according to the needs identified. We may grade and analyze a weekly task, or look at how students performed on a quarterly interim to reteach according to specific standards.
Hattie 's (2012) book, Visible learning for Teachers has taught me several practices that positively impact teaching experiences and student learning. Most importantly, I have learned that while teachers themselves have the power to make a difference in student learning, it is really the teaching strategies they use that make the most difference. These teachers are open-minded, accepting of feedback, and are actively and consistently engaged in the teaching and learning process. The following mind frames resonated with me most since each of them has had a positive influence on both my teaching and student learning. These Mind Frames remind me that, although there are many factors that influence student learning, teachers beliefs, teaching strategies, and best practices are at the root of their growth as students!
Mind Frame 1: Teachers/Leaders believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students' learning and achievement.
This mind frame connects to using student data as an accountability and a source of feedback! If teachers are not frequently evaluating their effect on student learning, we are unable to make the necessary changes to improve our teaching practices. This mind frame has positively influenced how I view and use student data. From my own experiences, I've learned that using student data is the most powerful reflection tool, since it directly connects to the effects of a teachers' instruction and strategies on student learning and overall achievement. It is important to note that using one point of data is not enough to truly evaluate your effectiveness as a teacher. Thus, I have learned that using multiple data points is one way to ensure that data is accurate and valid.
References:
Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). (2015). What do students already know? Retrieved from
https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/assessing-student-learning/what-do-students-already-know.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible Learning for teachers maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY: Routledge
Muller, J. (2013). Muller's glossary of authentic assessment terms. Retrieved from:
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/glossary.htm#holistic (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
