Introduction
Over the decades, the education system has been formulating theories to class the performance of students. For example, the professional learning community depends on primary traditional assessments. The system applies quizzes, chapter testing, referencing testing criteria, the district benchmarking tests, and unit testing to assess the performance of students. These methods do not adequately address balanced and differentiated students assessments. To meet the diverse grading needs of the students within my grading level, I have proposed a PLC presentation plan that the team can use to integrate the general students performance. The teaching staff ought to sensitize to learn by means of extensive information inquiry (DuFour, R. 2006). By inquiring, students understand the diverse concepts rather than mastering the topics. Learning by persistent questioning has been undermined by the current traditional, grading system, which only aims to promote students to the next class. It has also been discouraged poor comprehensive of the learning concepts.
Rationale of Changing the Outcome of a Lesson
For learning to be effective, the outcome of the lesson is highly prioritized. This is because the initial concept introduced to the students reflects the understanding of the entire topic. Changing the outcome of the lesson is essential as it gives students an opportunity to discover new ways of mastering the concept. The teachers should only guide learners on the topic and allow them to explore the entire concepts on themselves, or as study groups (Fogarty, R., & Pete, B. M. 2011). Teaching by experience enable students an opportunity to find details of the topic by asking questions. Use of questions provides a comprehensive coverage of the entire topic or concept. The rationale of this mode is that it opens up the students and exposes them to intensive research of the diverse topics. Valuable information of the concepts can only be understood distinctively by the inquiry based questions mode of learning.
Strategies of changing the entry points
The current entry points to the next class by gradating students, does not adequately cover topic understanding, but rather memorizing the concepts. Entry points discourage mastering of the subject, and therefore, there is a need to consider other factors that can effectively help students comprehend the studying concepts rather than cramming for the exams. Although, entry points qualify students to the next class, other strategies should as well be prioritized. Firstly, teachers need to get rid of the assumption that all students will understand uniformly as long as they are in the same classroom. Students get concepts differently though taught by the same tutor. Secondly, teachers should consider grouping students. Some students understand better when working groups than individual study. Thirdly, the strengths and weakness of pupils is to be put into account (Easton, L. B. 2011). Entry points for impaired students should be lower. Additionally, they should have specific classrooms that meet their conditions. The assessments should be adaptive to satisfy the needs of the learners.
Strategies of changing the exit points
Exit points should be applied adequately to test mastering of concepts. Exit points enable students to capture valuable information about a topic. Additionally, teachers are able to monitor and review the performance of students. Sound strategies should be bused to determine the exit points that best benefits the students. Firstly, few minutes at beginning of a class should be spent cross checking classroom records and other tasks not related to knowledge. This helps monitor students progress and whether they are advancing their concepts mastering level (Easton, L. B. 2011). Secondly, concepts of previous topics should be briefly summarized before starting on the new concepts. Especially, where the concepts are prerequisites of the other. Thirdly, the assignments of previous classes should be elaborated further. This method helps students who did not understand previous sessions have an idea of new concepts. In addition, teachers should guide students explain ideas they already know about the subject, and provide instructions to facilitate better understanding of the topic.
Possible Assessments
Today many schools have severe problems assessing the knowledge of the students. In fact, many students who do not pass the curriculum exams are termed stupid. Modern schools should adapt a proper assessment of the students within and outside the classroom. Exposing students to vast capabilities show that although students may fail the formal exams, they may display a lot of potential capabilities outside the classroom context (DuFour, R. 2006).. Therefore, the education system should not be biased in terms of assessment. In fact, intelligent assessment would be much appropriate for the present schools. This method enables students to explore their potential by mastering concepts that may not necessary reflect classroom course work. The concepts may still be applicable in solving a range of problems.
Additionally, formative assessment enables students to improve thinking capacity, high learning skills and individual learning activities. Performance assessments together with students portfolios substantially aid in identify students’ intelligence. On top of that, traditional assessments help shape the potential of the students. Traditional methods should assisting students’ master concepts rather than knowledge to pass formal exams. Lastly, summative assessments are essential for school programs as it helps evaluate learning activities of the students.
Performance Assessment
Performance assessment enable the students perform the assignments and tasks rather than providing optional answers that students can choose from. For example, the students should be allowed to formulate hypothesis, researching further on the assigned topics, and even solve class problems. This assessment helps students demonstrate skills and knowledge about the topic. Examples of performance assessments include the following:
Grouping students to work together on projects assigned to them. This helps brings pool of minds together thereby generating vast ideas about the topic. Discussion and research topics are more effective when done in groups than personal studies( Fogarty, R., & Pete, B. M. 2011). The essay assignments are also convenient when performed in groups. Description, summary and topics that require proper analysis and explanation would cover effectively in groups. Additionally, topics that require clear demonstrations and explanations of completed procedures work easily in groups where a lot of ideas are given. There are assignments that require experiments to test concepts scientifically. Group work helps regulate these processes. Lastly, portfolios reflect the performance of a student. Portfolios provide a collection of the work completed assembled together in a file, which helps follow the performance of students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, students’ assessments should go beyond the classroom. This helps students explore their potential and capabilities rather than focusing examinations attainment.
References
DuFour, R. (2006). Learning by doing: a handbook for professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, Ind.: Solution Tree.
Easton, L. B. (2011). Professional learning communities by design:Â putting the learning back into PLCs. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin.
Fogarty, R., & Pete, B. M. (2011). Supporting differentiated instruction: a professional learning communities approach. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.