Reflection #2

1.Personally, I do believe that only offering students multiple choice tests limits students. As teachers, we should encourage students to think, to find the answers if they do not know them. I think this is a part of the learning experience. Students know that when taking a multiple choice test that the answer will be there, typically 1 of 4 so they have a 25% chance of guessing and getting the answer correct; in the end getting a “good enough” score but overall not learning much at all. When giving summative assessments such as this, teachers should not want students to guess but to have learned the information and to apply it appropriately. I think multiple choice tests also limit the student’s uniqueness and creativity. Different concepts can be applied in different ways. I believe that students should have the opportunity to express their knowledge and overall understanding of a subject by more than just choosing one of four answers. 2.Formative assessment can be discussion in groups or as a class or they can be written, such as worksheets. I prefer assessments such as the KWL charts to assess student’s prior knowledge, expectations, and what they have learned or even concept maps, to make connections in information they are learning. These assignments can be turned in so that I’d know where my students are as the lesson progress. Summative assessments are more conclusive to a lesson or group of lesson. Tests (incorporating multiple choice, short answers, fill in the blank, etc.) and other creative projects can be used. Book reports are great for English classes. I think it is important to have both formative and summative assessments because it gives me an idea of what the students know both on a daily basis and after complete a unit. •Book Reports: Students can choose from a list of books, relating to the subject matter. From there, they can read summarize, and express their opinions of the story. •Presentations/Expert Groups: Students can create presentations, taking on the role of peer teachers. They would be expected to learn and research parts of the assigned topic to present and teach to the class. •Quizzes: This is a simple way to judge student knowledge as the lessons progress; given at the end of each week.

Photos :)

A little more about me: My favorite football team is the New Orleans Saints, my roommates and I have 3 animals (Halliwell, the doggie, Salem, the bigger cat, and Bellatrix, the kitten. I love the Harry Potter series. The photo of my sister and I shows us in 2011, when we first began at ASU, and again in 2013, our last year. She's an Education major and is student teaching this semester.

Reflection #1

Hi everyone! My name is Alisha Graham; I’m a Psychology major with a minor in Education. I think this makes my experience in this program a little different than most people (I have not specialized in a content area and I don’t plan to take the PPR certification test) My overall goal is to be able to teach at the community college level and I choose Education as my minor so that I can have some experience inside the classroom. I know this is a secondary program and that middle/high school will be a totally different experience than community college but I feel that the basics that I will learn in this course and what I have learned in the courses I have taken will definitely help me in the future. To reach my goals I will have to attend a graduate school and receive my master’s degree so that’s what I plan to work on after graduating this May. This semester I will be placed at Glenn Middle School in an 8th Grade English course. My reasons for this is because I have contacted my middle school in Houston, where I plan to move to after graduation, and I am trying to set up my own observations to gain more experience inside the classroom. One important trait I believe that teachers must possess is the skill of being facilitators. Their overall job is to guide students while not giving them all the answers. This means not only being a lecturer but listening, giving feedback, and being positive. It is critical for teachers to not only provide information to the students but to ask students questions to make them think and form their own opinions and ideas. Another trait that is equally important for a teacher to possess is the ability to be flexible. Students learn in different ways or may not understand the subject material after a lesson is complete. As teachers, we need to be able to meet the needs of our students. This may mean adding components to a lesson plan or changing the way we present a lesson to meet each individual’s needs. Lastly, I think teachers should serve as role models. Students may or may not have an adult in their lives to encourage them to reach their goals and to do their best inside and outside the classroom. Teachers can serve as a positive image for students.