Strategies for Monitoring Student Understanding
Brophy (1987) states that effective teaching presupposes monitoring students’ understand. There are various strategies to monitor student understanding. For instance, when the instructions are given, the teacher may move around the class to monitor whether the students have comprehended the task properly. This type of monitoring helps the teacher to make sure the students understand the task. Students benefit from this monitoring as they are likely to complete the task when they understand the task properly.
Tests can be regarded as effective monitoring measures as they help the teacher to understand whether students have managed to grasp the necessary material. Students also benefit from this type of monitoring as they can revise the material. These tests also help the teacher to see students’ progress (Brophy, 1987).
Completing various interesting projects can also be regarded as a monitoring strategy. The students will have to use the material taught to complete their projects. The teacher will help students with their projects. Students will report on their projects to the class. This will make students more self-confident and the teacher will make sure students understand the necessary material. Self-monitoring is also a very effective strategy. One of the possible types of self-monitoring will be discussed below (in section 3).
An Effective Monitoring System for Students Who Are More Likely to Have Difficulties with Classroom Assignments
One of the most effective monitoring strategies for students who are likely to have difficulties with classroom assignments is monitoring these students’ understanding after the task is given. The teacher may help the students understand the task properly by giving more instructions, more details, hints, and tips. The teacher should also move around the class while the students work on the task. The teacher can assist the students: giving tips, pointing at mistakes, etc.
This will help the students to complete the tasks more successfully, which, in its turn, will increase their self-confidence. The system of these measures will also help the teacher to monitor the progress of these students.
Observation and Description
The video reveals the way the teacher encourages the learners to self-monitor. All learners create their portfolios. Admittedly, portfolios cannot be regarded as something progressive. However, in this case, making portfolios is not conventional. Learners themselves create their portfolios. They choose works which, in their opinion, are the most successful ones. Notably, the teacher helps them to complete this task. This assistance is revealed in two ways.
First, the teacher can give some piece of advice on this or that paper. Secondly, the teacher asks the learner to explain his/her choice. The portfolios contain works covering various disciplines. These portfolios cover the learners’ progress at a specific point of the year.
Remarkably, the learners are eager to create their portfolios. They are also encouraged to evaluate their works as well as their progress. Learners try to choose their best works. They may ask their teacher to help them to decide which work to choose. However, the teacher notes that they manage to make the right decision on their own.
Analysis, Exploration, and Reasoning
Admittedly, the learners have to be effectively engaged in the process of their self-assessment (Linn et al., 2009). In the present case, the learners are fully engaged in the process. Thus, they analyze all their works produced. They try to choose the best works. They are completely responsible for their choice. First, they look at all works and try to evaluate which one is better. It is the learners’ responsibility to define specific criteria of the works’ quality. The learners are also responsible for evaluating their work according to their criteria. Finally, the learners make their choice on their own.
However, it is necessary to note that this process is still guided by the teacher. Admittedly, the teacher’s guidance is of paramount importance for the process of self-assessment (Linn et al., 2009; Brophy, 1987). Thus, the teacher may help the learners to make their choice. This guidance is also revealed in a different plane. The teacher asks the learners to justify their choices. Thus, the learner repeats the entire process as he/she enumerates some features of his/her works which are important. Again, the learners are completely engaged in the process of self-assessment as they try to prove they have made the right choice.
Connections to Other Effective Teaching Practices
It is necessary to note that the present teaching practice is very effective. This self-assessment procedure reaches several goals. In the first place, the learners are completely engaged in the process. They analyze their previous works to choose the best ones. They also need to prove that their choice is right. Thus, they go through all mental processes once more when reporting on the works they are going to include in their portfolios. The learners have to explain why this or that work is the best one, providing some criteria they have used. In the process of self-reporting, the learners find their own mistakes if any.
They sometimes understand why this or that work cannot be in their portfolios. It is necessary to add, that the present procedure is very objective. Admittedly, some students may be too subjective when assessing their works, as they want to seem successful students (Slavin, 2009). However, the procedure of self-reporting eliminates any subjectivity.
As has been mentioned above, the learners define some criteria of successful works. In other words, they understand what ultimate goals they need to reach. In this way, the learners understand what they need to do to reach their goals. They recollect specific techniques they used to complete this or that task. While choosing the best work, they inevitably choose successful techniques to use. Therefore, the learners acquire valuable experience which will help them to be more successful in the future. Besides, the present procedure helps the learners to revise the material. Admittedly, this is very important.
Evaluation
The effectiveness of the procedure can be found in three planes: objectivity, revision, useful skills. Thus, when thinking about the objectivity of the procedure, it occurred to me that subjectivity is eliminated as the teacher does not assess the learners’ performance and no subjectivity can be traced in this plane. Notably, the learners cannot exaggerate their abilities, as they only use the works they have. Thus, they cannot claim that there are the best students in the class, as they do not compare each other works, but they simply try to find their best works. As far as I am concerned, the learners will manage to choose the right works as they analyze them carefully and they are also guided by their teacher.
When watching the video, I had to agree with the teacher as the learners did revise the material. When making their portfolios, the learners look into their projects, they see some facts, figures, numbers, pictures, etc. Some things may (or rather are often) forgotten. However, when analyzing their works, learners cannot but revise the material. I noticed that the first revised material while choosing the best works and while discussing their choice with their teacher. Therefore, they had to use some information (learned previously) to justify their choice.
Finally, I also noticed that the learners had a great opportunity to find effective techniques to use. The teacher claims that the learners choose the best work, and they recollect some techniques used to make the work. Thus, the learners manage to identify effective as well as ineffective techniques. Admittedly, this knowledge enables them to choose the most effective techniques to use while completing similar tasks.
Recommendations
I believe the technique discussed is very effective as it addresses the major goals of self-assessment. Of course, it should be held by some important requirements. One of the most important recommendations is to ensure adequate guidance.
Admittedly, learners need clear instructions as to how to create their portfolios. For instance, Brophy (1987) stresses that simple instructions are essential as learners may fail to complete the task correctly because of inappropriate instructions. Thus, the teacher should explain what exactly is expected from the learners. It is also important to warn the learners that they will need to justify their choice. Of course, the learners should be told about this type of activity at the very beginning of the year. It is also important to set specific periods for such a self-assessment procedure.
However, this should be only a part of a combination of students’ self-assessment and self-reporting procedures. Alternative approaches can be closely related to the present one. Thus, after the session of this procedure, i.e. when the learners’ portfolios are ready, it is possible to ask students to report to their peers. Thus, the objectivity remains. However, the students will listen to their peers’ achievements and this can encourage them to work harder.
The learners should try to explain what made them make some of their mistakes. Of course, at earlier stages, the teacher has to provide a list of possible reasons so that the learners can choose some of them. This will help the learners to understand their weaknesses. Such sessions should end in a discussion, where the learners share their knowledge (e.g. effective techniques). It is possible to award the most active learners.
Personal Meaning and Professional Growth
Now I understand that portfolios can be used for learners’ self-assessment and self-reporting procedures. I am determined to use this procedure in my future teaching practice as I find this technique very effective. I think this will help the learners to self-develop. I will start the year by making the learners acquainted with the procedure. The procedures will be held once in two or three months. The learners will know approximate dates when the portfolios will be compiled and analyzed. This will make the learners more disciplined. This will also encourage them to work harder as they will know that their works will play an important role.
I think this will help me as a novice teacher to better understand the role of self-assessment and its influence on learners’ achievements. More so, this technique will also help me to be a successful teacher who can combine different techniques and procedures. Finally, this procedure revealed one more way to look at things from a new perspective. I may also find new ways to use learners’ portfolios. I am determined to try to look at things from various perspectives from now on.
Reference List
Brophy, J. (1987). Teacher behavior to student achievement: Potential implications for instruction of Chapter I students. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
Linn, R., Miller, M., & Gronlund, N. (2009). Measurement and assessment in teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Slavin, R. (2009). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Boston, MA: Pearson.