Running head: PLANNING INSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT

Planning, Preparation, Instructions, and Assessment of Learners

Elisabeth Moore
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2016

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Introduction
Assessing, planning, and collecting data are only three of the many tasks that teachers
complete on a daily basis. Making instructional decisions based on data that has been collected is
a necessary skill to have as a teacher. While I was student teaching, I had the opportunity to
conduct a pre-assessment, make instructional decisions, and give a post assessment to the class.
All aspects of the process were preparation for Virginia SOL K.2b which states, The student,
given a set containing 15 or fewer concrete objects, will write the numeral to tell how many are
in the set (VDOE).

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact I chose was one of the completed assessments that I gave to the students
as a pre- and post- assessment. The main goal of this assessment was to determine whether or not
the students could write numbers 1-15 in order. This assessment also determined whether or not
the students could effectively count objects and write the number of objects shown. I chose this
article because I believe that it is important for assessments to be very clear in the area being
assessed. This assessment is clearly written and the results cannot be subjective.
The second artifact I chose was a video of the instruction that was given after the preassessment. After the pre-assessment, I assessed the results and divided the students in to two
groups. The first group were the students who were unable to write numbers 1-10 in order. The
second group of student were ones that either struggled with numbers 11-15 or successfully
wrote numbers 1-15. After breaking up the students in to groups, the assistant teacher and I
specialized the instruction based on the students weak areas. In the video, I am working with the

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lower group. At the time of the video, they had roughly grasped the concept of writing numbers
1-10 in order. I chose this artifact to demonstrate the strategy that was used based on the preassessment data.
The final article that I chose was a sheet comparing the pre-assessment and postassessment scores. After the students took the pre-assessment, I graphed the results to determine
how to best instruct the students. I used that information to note the pre-assessment scores and
then eventually added the post-assessment scores. I chose this as one of my articles because I
wanted to show the effectiveness of the instruction given to the students.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

Data collection and lesson plan decision making comprise a major part of education. As a
teacher, is it important to have an organized data collection plan for each assessment given to the
students. This plan may be something as simple as a graph sheet with check marks or something
more detailed such as in depth evaluation sheets for each student. Now more than ever, teachers
are required to collect and file data on their students. Collecting data and using it to shape lesson
plans is something that a high quality teacher does.
An important aspect in the process of planning, instruction, and post-assessment of
learners is considering the learning style of each student. For example, when the students in my
class were broken up in to groups to work on their numbers, they used a variety of manipulatives
such as playdough and puzzles to create the numbers. One aspect of my philosophy is that I
believe every child learns in different ways. I believe it is the teachers responsibility to
accommodate those learning needs as much as possible.

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After pre-assessing the students, it is important for the teacher to consider two main
questions: what is the intended learning outcome of the instruction, and how will the teacher
know whether or not the students have achieved the learning outcome (Waugh, Gronlund p.4).
After determining the answers to these questions, the teacher can best plan the instruction that
will lead to the desired outcome. It is also important to chose an assessment that directly
correlates to the instruction given. The pre-assessment, learning plan, and post-assessment
should all be aligned.
Although there may be specific assessments that are used to determine understanding, an
effective teacher gathers a significant amount of data and evidence of learning throughout the
instruction process (Wiggins, McTighe p.152). Not only should there be multiple assessments,
but there should be different methods for the assessments (Wiggins, McTighe p.152).
The goal of this entire process is for the students to gain understanding and for the
teacher to gather data about the students understanding. Part of my philosophy as a teacher is
that I believe if there are clear goals, students will rise to achieve them. Assessment, planning,
and instruction is about preparation, clear expectations, and enduring understandings.

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Resources
Waugh, C. K., & Gronlund, N. E. (2013). Assessment of Student Achievement (10th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education.
"VDOE :: Mathematics Standards of Learning Resources." VDOE :: Virginia Department of
Education Home. N.p., 2009. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.