Week 5: The Assessment-Instruction Process and Enhancing Core Math Instruction

 

The Assessment-Instruction Process

Within the first few weeks of class, we discussed the context-learner match in order to teach reading and writing effectively. This week, we discussed the rest of the Assessment-Instruction Process. In our previous discussions, getting started with assessment involved evaluating the context for learning as well as the learner individually. 
- Step 4: Evaluating the Match Between Learner and Context - Teachers will evaluate the match between the learner's knowledge, skill, strategies, and motivation and the context's setting, instructional strategies, resources, and learning tasks. 
- Step 5: Reflecting on Information, Planning Instruction - Teachers will reflect on their findings between the learner/context match and plan instruction based on hypotheses of what the learner needs. 
- Step 6: Establish a Match Through Diagnostic Teaching - 
By utilizing diagnostic teaching, teachers will use evidence to create hypotheses about the learner's needs and altering the context to match the learner. This involves controlling the conditions of instruction by changing the setting or altering the instructional methods and/or materials.
- Step 7: Adapting Instruction with Curriculum-Based Measurement - When teachers adapt their instruction, they typically use alternate methods of teaching to fit the learner. Alternate methods compares two or more instructional techniques to teach the same content or skill. Using the technique of scaffolding, teachers can modify tasks until learners are able to accomplish the task independently. Using scaffolding, teachers can start with minimal supports that only increase when the task is above the learner's frustration level.
- Step 8: Report Findings - After teachers modify the context to match the learner, it is necessary to track the learner's progress to make sure they are improving in their learning of reading and writing instruction.

When I start using the CRI to instruct my student in placement, I plan to use the test battery to decide what components of reading and writing to teach and implement into my lessons. This method of assessment and instruction helps teachers to understand their students as individual learners and adapt their instruction based on the learners' needs.

We also read about and discussed math instruction and best practices. The guidelines for best practice are somewhat specific to math because instruction builds on previous skills. Teachers need to prioritize and teach critical content, sequencing examples to demonstrate instruction, teach the requisite skills to build on basics, and model instruction to demonstrate tasks, using scaffolding to promote independence. I remember growing up annoyed at my teachers for the math review packets over the summer, but as math became more difficult for me into high school, I thanked my teachers for reteaching us the skills we would be building on and reviewing at the beginning of the year with us. Practicing with my teachers and thinking of ways to remember the skills helped me to improve as math got harder.