Fourth Reflection of PETA

Fourth Reflection of PETA

Last week on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, there was a Guest Lecturer, especially in PETA course with the topic “Assessment”. I have learned many things that were new knowledge for me. As a candidate of educator, I could learn how to assess our students in the future and some kinds of assessment. It was good and useful for me.

The parts that I had understood well were the definition of assessment, the reason we do assessment to students, effective assessments, summative and formative assessments, etc. Assessment is the process to know students’ knowledge and capability or skills about the materials that we explain or provide to them before, so the teacher can reflects their teaching process. The teacher can also makes a plan in learning in the future from the result of assessment, because the teacher will know whether her/his technique have succeed or yet. And then, the teacher does to assess the students because to provide feedback on learning process and designed to inform practice. The effective assessments that should applied by the teacher are more like scrapbook than a single snapshot, along the way using a variety of methods and formats, and match the type of the assessment and the needed of evidence of achieving desired the result.

As a teacher, we have to think more about the students than our self when assess them, we should facilitate the students need, for example giving variety assessment, because there are differences of each students. The form of assessment is not only a test or score, but also quiz, questioning and answering orally, assignment, games, etc. And then, we as a teacher should know how to show the students’ score which more appropriate, that is not publish it in public or by tell to all students. It wills more appropriate if the teacher just gives or tells individually.

The differences between Summative and Formative Assessment are:

If summative assessment has some characteristics, such as:

-          It provides to students at the middle or final semester or at the end of the topic, for examples; Final Test, MID Test, etc. It is a formal test.

-          It assesses several elements simultaneously.

-          The goal of this assessment is to know what the students know and do.

-          It seems judge the overall success of a process.

-          The proportion of this test bigger than formative assessment, etc.

The characteristics of formative assessment are:

-          It is regularly and frequently tests, so there are step by step to assess the students. It is informal test, because it can by questioning and answering orally, games, assignments, etc. It usually to improve the students’ low score.

-          It assesses in specific element or skill, examples; speaking, analyzing, writing, reading, etc.

-          The goal is more emphasize or to know students’ understanding and students’ difficulties about the materials.

-          The proportion of this test smaller than summative assessment.

The part that I am still confused is about the Cambridge, because I have lost my concentration. The time was up, so my brain began lazy. I will ask my friends who understand about that well and read more lately. I thought that the class was enjoyable, because there were some activities such as; Question and Answer Session, Group Discussion, Gallery Walk, etc. I can understand the materials from the lecturer’s explanation and those activities, especially by group discussion.

I thought that the materials were very meaningful for me as a candidate of educator, because it will helps my future, from that session I know how to assess our students effectively. I also know what kinds of assessment are. I thought that I would be bored in that session, because the time of schedule was change more afternoons and I would not understand the materials well. So, my expectation on that day was I could keep my spirit and keep my brain on. Apparently, that session was good and the lecturer used a good method, she understood the situation. She could create a good lesson, so I could understand and followed the lesson better. And the last, my expectation for the next session is I can improve our skill and understanding in this course better than before. I hope that I can enjoy the class and with my classmate too. Thank you.