ENTRY 6: Assessment
The candidate understands how to use multiple measures to monitor and assess individual student learning, engage learners in self-assessment, and use data to make decisions.
The candidate should complete a reflective essay illustrating appropriate use of assessment utilized in teaching. Three artifacts are to be submitted and may include Unit Plans, Student Feedback, Assessments, and Student Work.
The candidate should complete a reflective essay illustrating appropriate use of assessment utilized in teaching. Three artifacts are to be submitted and may include Unit Plans, Student Feedback, Assessments, and Student Work.
Assessment is a critical element in every classroom, but especially in the music classroom. This is something that the music educator must be able to do with accuracy, effectiveness, and focus. We must use a wide variety of approaches to assess students as educators, but also provide them the opportunity to assess each other and themselves.
In the elementary setting, observation of students’ actions, behaviors, and music making are the best tools of assessment. Partner activities are great for assessment. As the teacher, we are able to lead activities and move about the room while the students are doing the activity. A great example of this would be improvisation on Orff instruments. Students will be in pairs, improvising on a xylophone. Students take turns playing the xylophone and this allows the teacher to observe on a more individual level since only half of the class is playing at one time. Another example of individual assessment in the elementary music classroom would be a call and response game. Students are standing in a circle and you can bounce a ball to each student individually and at random, and that student will sing back to you. Then the teacher can record how well students are able to match pitch, sing rhythmically, etc. on a check list.
Observation is still very much present in the secondary classroom. However, peer assessment and self-assessment are much more common at this level than elementary. I will often ask questions, give prompts, or worksheets for students to consider or complete when they are to assess. This gets the students thinking and these forms of assessment are insightful to how students feel they are doing. This can be compared to your own assessment which gives you the opportunity to meld these two assessments into individualized instruction for each student. Another useful assessment tool at the secondary level, and even at the upper elementary level, is a rubric. Rubrics are analytical assessments and measure multiple things at once, against a specific criterion. These are very useful, especially when assessing a performance.
It is important for educators to remember to use many different types of assessment. Each assessment provides different data and assesses different things. It would be inappropriate to grade students only holistically or only analytically. To get the best view of student progress and mastery of content, multiple modes of assessment are necessary.
In the elementary setting, observation of students’ actions, behaviors, and music making are the best tools of assessment. Partner activities are great for assessment. As the teacher, we are able to lead activities and move about the room while the students are doing the activity. A great example of this would be improvisation on Orff instruments. Students will be in pairs, improvising on a xylophone. Students take turns playing the xylophone and this allows the teacher to observe on a more individual level since only half of the class is playing at one time. Another example of individual assessment in the elementary music classroom would be a call and response game. Students are standing in a circle and you can bounce a ball to each student individually and at random, and that student will sing back to you. Then the teacher can record how well students are able to match pitch, sing rhythmically, etc. on a check list.
Observation is still very much present in the secondary classroom. However, peer assessment and self-assessment are much more common at this level than elementary. I will often ask questions, give prompts, or worksheets for students to consider or complete when they are to assess. This gets the students thinking and these forms of assessment are insightful to how students feel they are doing. This can be compared to your own assessment which gives you the opportunity to meld these two assessments into individualized instruction for each student. Another useful assessment tool at the secondary level, and even at the upper elementary level, is a rubric. Rubrics are analytical assessments and measure multiple things at once, against a specific criterion. These are very useful, especially when assessing a performance.
It is important for educators to remember to use many different types of assessment. Each assessment provides different data and assesses different things. It would be inappropriate to grade students only holistically or only analytically. To get the best view of student progress and mastery of content, multiple modes of assessment are necessary.
ARTIFACT 1: Assessment Portfolio
Numerous types of assessment, compiled in one document, for the secondary classroom.
ARTIFACT 2: Rubric for Vocal Assessment
A type of analytical assessment.
ARTIFACT 3: Personal Concert Reflection
A document I created with my CT in my student teaching to help students reflect on their performance.