I am absolutely struggling with my PD! I am providing my children with engaging, challenging activities in mathematics. Check.
I am assessing through inviting comments on the class blog. Check.
I am taking anecdotal records and photographic evidence of my class totally engaed in a maths task. Check.
The mathematical discussions that I am hearing are absolutely mind blowing. Check.
The students are telling me that maths is their new favourite subject. Check.
Why then are my results on the topic test so poor? Does anyone have any ideas? is there anyone that could take a look at my topic tests and tell me where I'm going wrong? I really need some help from my team mates here.
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2 comments:
Without sounding simplistic Robyn, is the topic test really correlating with the learning in the tasks? I'd imagine the students would be getting deep understanding of concepts with your tasks...are the topic tests assessing simple computations and is the problem just that the students have not drawn the 'threads together'? Do we sometimes have to be more explicit in pulling together concepts;-from the 'real life' learning experiences to the abstract questions & computations often found in 'tests'?
Robyn,
Why are you so worried about the “topic test” at the end of a unit of work?
A very experienced and inspirational teacher once told me that authentic assessment needs to be varied; it needs to be implemented at the beginning of a unit of work, during a unit of work and at the end of a unit of work. It should always be part of the learning experience - not separate from it.
You tell us that you are using other forms of assessment and that these other forms of assessment are showing you that you’re students are engaged, exploring mathematical concepts, using mathematical language and self assessing through the blog – CHECK.
These other forms of assessment are providing you with invaluable information about the learning that’s happening in your classroom – CHECK
Do the children see the topic test as isolated and separate from their learning experiences?
Your learning experiences seem to be based around investigation and problem solving – does the topic test ask the children to think about and solve problems similar to those you have posed during your lessons? Or as Frances has said are they simply required to solve computations?
The topic test doesn’t have to represent the "end" of a unit of work- why can’t you use it to direct your future learning experiences?
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