Journal Entries

Assessing for Learning 
This article focuses on assessment of learning. With the new common core standards assessment are changing. To provide for meaningful assessment items it is helpful to organize expectations of students into learning levels. The learning levels are, construct a concept, discover a relationship, simple knowledge, comprehension and communication, algorithmic skill, application, and creative thinking. These levels describes the types of thinking that are required to learn mathematics. Each level progresses. Each level is assessed a little differently. The CCSSM standards call for a wider range of assessments. Teachers whole follow this model and create their own assessments will cater to the students as individuals. 

I thought this article was very relevant and useful. I think that it is logical to organize assessments into learning levels. Each student might be a different learning level so assessing at their level would make most sense. It would help the student succeed in math. I also agree with this article that it is important for teachers to start creating their own assessments. If teachers create their own assessments they will cater to what the students need. And that is the most important thing to do as a teacher. 


Area Beyond Formula
Walter Stark is a teacher that had his students explore a the Area beyond the Formula problem to asses the students understanding of the mathematical ideas. He started out with a discussion before giving the students the problem. Students were separated into groups. They were given a notecard and had to determine how many of the notecards would it take to fill up the poster board. Each group presented their strategies to the class. He found that some students had similar strategies while others had different approaches.

I thought this article was interesting. It was interesting to read the different strategies that the students came up with. There were some that I didn't even think of! This type of activity would be really beneficial to students because it allows them to think more deeply about the mathematical ideas. It goes beyond pencil and paper. I also liked that the teacher included many discussions. This allowed for students to generate more ideas. I would like to do something like this in my class one day. It is cool to read about how students are really engaged in an activity and like to learn.