 Electronic PortfolioThe University of Pennsylvania's Science Teacher Institute Master of Integrated Science Education Program |
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| Use
of New Pedagogical Knowledge in Designing Assessment – The participant has demonstrated the application of improved knowledge of educational theory in the design of assessments used in his or her own classroom. |
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The piece I chose for this rubric category is a unit about the rock
cycle that I completed in my first science education course. The
instructor, Dr. Micheal Smith, guided us through an unusual way
to design a unit of study called Backwards Design or
Understanding by Design (UBD). The title comes from the backwards
order
in which the unit is designed. The theory behind this is
that teachers need to know and specifically determine what they want
their students to learn first (the enduring understandings) and then
design an assessment that will test it. Once the assessment is
designed, then the teacher designs all lessons and activities that will
help the students meet the goals. I chose this piece because I feel
that this unit shows a deep understanding of assessment. In our class we learned about
authentic assessments.
I am very proud of the assessment I created here because it so much better than any other assessment I have designed before. If you compare the assessment for the Rock Cycle Unit to an assessment I did previously you will see the drastic difference. The old assessment is not authentic nor is it interesting. There were no other activities planned prior to this assessment besides reading the textbook. Comparatively, the new assessment is authentic, meaning it is something that is relevant to real-life, it is interesting and exciting, and students are continuing to learn something in order to complete the assessment. I have never put so much work into a unit of study before as I did with the UBD, and I am proud of the finished product. I felt very enlightened to have learned about Backwards Design.
After completing this unit design I have a new outlook on planning. I learned that determining what the end-results should be helps in determining what needs to be taught. I work in a district that follows a specific daily curriculum. After doing this unit, I feel more confident in making changes to the prescribed plan, because I can choose lessons that help students learn the enduring understandings. It took time and planning, which are not my strengths, so that would be the most difficult thing about following such a design, but it seems worth it
I am very proud of the assessment I created here because it so much better than any other assessment I have designed before. If you compare the assessment for the Rock Cycle Unit to an assessment I did previously you will see the drastic difference. The old assessment is not authentic nor is it interesting. There were no other activities planned prior to this assessment besides reading the textbook. Comparatively, the new assessment is authentic, meaning it is something that is relevant to real-life, it is interesting and exciting, and students are continuing to learn something in order to complete the assessment. I have never put so much work into a unit of study before as I did with the UBD, and I am proud of the finished product. I felt very enlightened to have learned about Backwards Design.
After completing this unit design I have a new outlook on planning. I learned that determining what the end-results should be helps in determining what needs to be taught. I work in a district that follows a specific daily curriculum. After doing this unit, I feel more confident in making changes to the prescribed plan, because I can choose lessons that help students learn the enduring understandings. It took time and planning, which are not my strengths, so that would be the most difficult thing about following such a design, but it seems worth it
