I am Proud I Am a Teacher

No other profession is greater than teaching. Since time immemorial teaching has remained a noble profession. Everyone of us, including the nations' Presidents and leaders are products of teaching. Laurels to the teachers, this is a great achievement. Not only have they made great leaders and professionals, they have developed persons of good character.

I have never dreamed of becoming a teacher. I wanted to become a doctor.

"Take a course where we will not be spending much. Take education", requested my mother. I obediently followed my mom's suggestion.

I planned of staying in school and teach for only two years to please my parents but to my surprise, I am still a teacher until now and I am happy that God has guided me to this calling. There were daunting challenges, sacrifices to make, much work to be done, reports to make, expectations from the parents and the community, the school head and DepED officials and goals to reach. I considered these as opportunities to grow in my profession and to do important and honorable work.

Yes, molding and crafting young minds into what he will be in the future is a tough job yet enjoyable, interesting and challenging. These need patience, diligence, enthusiasm, creativity, understanding, mastery of the subject you are teaching, intelligence, most of all commitment. It is not a JOKE to be a teacher.

The past years have been fulfilling and satisfying. I have made priests, nuns, doctors, nurses, lawyers, successful entrepreneurs, engineers, architects, teachers, accountants, bankers, name it. They are my source of pride. The appreciation and words of thanks through letters and text messages, assistance for my school, plaques of appreciation from former students in different batches are overwhelming and inspiring. I can confidently say, I have made a difference in their lives. I have made a contribution in improving the quality of their lives.

And YES, I am proud I have been a teacher-parent to my students. I have made a major role in shaping their destiny. As Christa McAuliffe famously said, " I touch the future...I teach."

How about giving a hug to your teachers the next time you see them, wouldn't that be nice?

Assessment of Learning versus Assessment for Learning

Assessment of learning is testing the knowledge retention when a person is educated/taught in a subject matter. This will be to determine what the person's goals will be to build his program. These are assessment strategies that are designed to confirm what students know. It demonstrates whether curriculum goals or goals of the program are met.

Assessment for learning is establishing the skills level a person has before undertaking any other learning. For example, if training a person to measure two pieces of wood, fix together to gain a length that has to be cut to a final size, it would be advisable to ensure that the person was familiar with basic math as it will require addition and subtraction. If these basic skills are not there, then the training to cut the wood will fail. Assessment for learning allows teachers to pinpoint where a student is currently "at" with his learning More importantly though, it helps to assess what they need to learn next in order to get to the next...

Source:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_differences_between_assessment_for_learning_and_ assessment_of_learning

Reflection/Reaction

Here are two terms that, to me, need a second look, a second thought, assessment OF learning and assessment FOR learning, similar or different?

I say, YES to both. Similar because both are assessments which serve as basis for making instructional decisions and different because assessment of learning has a summative role, assessment is given at the end of the lesson. This is to find out if students have learned the subject matter after it has been taught. Assessment for learning has a diagnostic role. Assessment is given before the subject matter is taught. Information or results gathered from the assessment are used to enhance instruction and improve learning.

Every teacher then needs to assess if he wants to find out if his students are learning, if his teaching is effective and if he wants to know what the students need to do to improve. 

Now comes the question, what kind of classroom assessment do our teachers give to their students? Is it a good well-planned assessment that promotes students' learning?

Let' face it, there are a few teachers, I hope, who sometimes give a test because he is not prepared with his lesson, or give a test because it is a matter of classroom routine or worst as a means of punishing the students who are noisy, have not passed the assignment or not ready with the assigned reports. Test scores are recorded and grades are computed, period. No proper evaluation is made after the assessment. 

It's so disappointing, isn't it? This is one important area in the teaching-learning activity, my dear colleagues, that we should look into. If this is happening in your school, demonstrate your instructional leadership. Make sure that classroom practices and materials used by your teachers are aligned with your school goals. There should be regular teacher observation and feedback.Encourage your teachers to use assessment of learning and assessment for learning.

Thank you.

Assessment versus Evaluation

      Assessment and evaluation are two most important steps to problem solving or scientific inquiry or study. Both are essential for the improvement of the subject or the person.

  1. Assessment is the systematic process of gathering information on student learning. Evaluation is the process of analyzing, reflecting upon, and summarizing assessment information and making judgments or decisions based upon the information gathered.

  2. Assessment is done at the beginning of the inquiry whereas evaluation is usually done at the beginning.

  3. Assessment seeks to note down all data, both subjective and objective, while evaluation notes down whether there has been changes or improvement in the data.

  4  As the first step in a scientific process, it forms the basis for future evaluations, whether there has been a change or not. It's main purpose is to bring about improvement in the subject under study. An evaluation is a set of statements or activities that seek to point out whether the objectives were met. As the last part of the inquiry, it involves telling people whether the solution or the goal has been realized or not. Evaluation can result in three things: One is that there has been a positive change, the second being a negative change, and the last being no change or development at all. By comparing the outcomes with the preliminary data noted in the assessment, the clinicians can easily form the basis of their evaluation. In case of the teachers, for example, when they  give certain marks (scores) to their students, they are already giving an evaluation. It is through this process that they can gauge the performance and overall learning of their students.

 5. Assessment focuses on learning, teaching and outcomes. It provides information for improving learning and teaching. It is an interactive process between the students and teachers that informs the latter how well their students are learning what they are teaching. The information is learner-centered, course, frequently anonymous, and not graded. Evaluation focuses on grades and may reflect classroom components other than course content and mastery level. These could include discussion, cooperation, attendance, and verbal ability.

References:
specialed.about.com/od/assessment/a/AandE.htm
differencebetween.net/.../difference-bet...
wwww.nelson.com/nelson/school/secondary/mathematics/constructingmath/faq_cons

Reflection

      Some people may have confusing ideas about the terms assessment and evaluation. Others, may have even thought of these words to be similar.

      During our first day of class in Advanced Methods in Educational Assessment (Education 304) with our professor Dr. Olga C. Alonsabe, we were asked to distinguish between the two. On my way home, I thought over these words to be one and the same thing.. But as I read through the internet, thanks to this technology, I learned their fundamental difference. Assessment is the systematic process of gathering information on student learning whereas, evaluation is the process of analyzing, reflecting upon, and summarizing assessment information and making judgments or decisions based upon the information gathered (www.nelson.com./nelson/school/secondary/mathematics/constructingmath). Both are essential parts in the teaching-learning process. They are likened as a "horse and carriage". They need each other, they support one another (differencebetween.net/.../difference-bet...).

      Since assessment and evaluation measure whether or not learning and/or learning objectives are met, it is important for teachers to use both techniques regularly to improve learning and to guide instruction.

      I encourage every school head then, to monitor/follow up if their teachers do regular and effective assessment and evaluation because only then will the teacher know if learning occurs, if his teaching has been effective, and further, he will know how to respond to the learning needs of his students.

      Who doesn't want to improve student learning, anyone?