Reflection on Unit II
In this unit, we explored formative assessment. We covered topics such as feedback, the purpose of feedback, types of feedback, and learned how to give good and timely feedback to students as future teachers. We learned this topic through different class activities, such as sharing our experiences of receiving feedback in school to understand the meaning of feedback. We also practiced peer and self-assessment to learn how to give critical and useful feedback and how to assess students. We covered topics like classroom assessment techniques through a role play, and we also discussed their importance. Finally, Unit Two ended with a debate on whether formative assessment is superior to summative assessment, helping us understand the formative use of summative assessment.
What I learned in this lesson?
I learned that assessment is not always about ranking or grading students. It is about understanding where each student stands and what a teacher can do to support them. There are different ways to assess students and it is not only done by the teacher. We can use methods such as self-assessment, peer assessment, and even group assessment, which help students understand how their teacher grades them. I understood that providing timely and well-structured feedback to students is important, as they will follow up on it. Feedback is an integral part of assessment. It also occurred to me that we can use different techniques to assess students in the short term or while teaching. Activities like reflection, 3-2-1 exit tickets, minute papers, one-sentence summaries, etc., can be used. This unit also clarified my doubt about the usage of formative and summative assessment in assessing students, as we don’t have to choose just one—both can be used together in the assessment process. Although it has its own challenges such as time constraints, limited resources, and lack of skills, it is still important and useful.
I agree with the idea that formative assessment is a continuous process. It follows certain stages of assessment, such as pre-test, post-test, and final exam, to understand where each student stands. Teachers can use various methods to help each student with the improvement they need. I also learned that while doing formative assessment can be challenging for both teachers and students, going through the process slowly and in stages helps students improve more effectively. For example, in the feedback I received on my last reflection, it was mentioned that I need to critically analyze whether I agree or disagree with what was taught in the class or the unit. I followed up on that in this reflection, which shows that formative assessment is helpful in improving students’ learning.
Challenges I faced in this lesson.
The activities such as role play and debate used at the beginning of the lesson were a little difficult for me to understand. I wondered why we were doing these activities and how they were related to the lesson, and I had a hard time connecting them to the topic. It is also difficult to understand how formative and summative assessment can work together. Although I understood the concept, I still find it challenging to see how it works in real-life situations. All the other activities had a clear application, but this part felt unclear. To solve this problem, I think I need to explore more on this topic and its application through independent study.
In conclusion, this unit has deepened my understanding of formative assessment and its significance in supporting student learning. I have learned that assessment is beyond grading and ranking it is about identifying students’ needs and helping them grow through continuous support and constructive feedback. The various activities, such as peer and self-assessment, role play, classroom assessment techniques, and debate, is engaging and educational. Although some activities were challenging at first, they helped me reflect more critically and understand the practical use of formative assessment in the classroom.
