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Blog: Assessment Activity Plan

Course
Classroom Management

Description of Learners
 Volunteer teachers/tutors at a non-governmental organization
 Adults ranging in age from 25-55
 Males and females
 Live all over the world but most originate from India, Pakistan, Uganda (from a
range of cultures and nationalities)
 Are well-educated, most have at least one degree
 All have excellent English skills and are at least bilingual (first language is
matched to the context of the school and students they teach), some are
multilingual
 Teaching knowledge ranges from nothing to expert (in terms of formal
education)
 Teaching experience ranges from a few months to many years of classroom
experience
o at different levels (elementary, middle, high school, college)
o in different subject areas (e.g. English, mathematics, science, business)
 Experience with the charity organization ranges from a few months to 2 years
 In future the course may include new volunteers and will be revised as needed
when this is done

Learning Objectives: What Will be Assessed

The course has 5 main objectives. The assessment described here is only for one part
(classroom context) of item one.
1. Reflect on your learners and classroom context
2. Identify learner highest priority needs
3. Identify program highest priority needs
4. Describe three characteristics of the classroom environment that you would
like to achieve (goals)
5. Create a classroom management plan suitable for your context and that aligns
with the context, learner needs, program needs and your classroom
environment goals
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Assessment Strategy: Assignment Instructions

In order to make decisions related to classroom management it is important to reflect
on who the learners are, what we think a classroom should be like and what kind of
classroom environment supports learning. Feelings are important too.
In this reflection we will focus only on the classroom environment.
Thinking about our own ideas and experiences is necessary as it influences
 how we describe our ‘ideal’ classroom
 how we interpret what happens in the classes we teach and
 how we identify goals for our own classrooms.
Of course, all of this is influenced by our personal experiences as a student and as a
teacher and by our ideas about learning.
Please use the guidelines below to complete this assignment.
 Include
o a title page with your name and AF project
o all parts (Parts 1-2-3) and use a title with each part
o 1000 words (minimum for paper) / 5-7 minutes (video)
 Use the assignment rubric(s) to check grading and requirements
 Submit your ‘Reflection’ in the Course Assignment section.
Documents may be MSWord, OpenOffice or PDF.
Videos may be AVI, FLV, WMV, MP4, or MOV.

Part 1: Ideal Classroom Characteristics

Make a list of 10-15 important characteristics of your ‘ideal’ classroom. Include ideas
from any perspective (e.g. what you like as a learner, what you like as a teacher).
You may want to include having a comfortable physical space but please keep your list
general (details of what is necessary to create this space would be important at a later
stage).
Once you have your list, identify 5 items that you feel are the most important or
essential for learning to take place. These 5 items will be used in Part 2.
Options: Your list of characteristics may be typed/word processed or you can draw
images or collect photographs. The only requirement here is that these are included
in your final document and can be included in an MSWord, OpenOffice of PDF file.

Part 2: 5 Things Essential for Learning

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List the 5 characteristics that you believe are most important for learning and explain
your reasoning for each one.
Use the guiding questions below to help you.
1. Why is ____ characteristic important?
2. What happens when ____ is missing?
 How is behaviour effected? How is learning effected?
3. What happens when ____ is present?
 How is behaviour effected? How is learning effected?
4. Give an example, from your own personal experience, of a situation in which
this characteristic was either missing or present. Explain:
 how you felt at the time and how you feel about the situation now
 how student learning was affected
 what, if anything, the teacher’s role was in the situation
For example, is this something that a teacher should manage or control,
can make better or worse, should pay attention to or ignore?

Part 3: Personal Learning, Questions and Sharing

Summarize your own personal learning, questions you still have or that developed
during your reflection, an idea you would like to share and some ideas to learn more
about.
1. Give three things you learned about your own thinking related to teaching,
learning or the classroom.
2. Give two questions you still have related to this topic.
3. Give one idea you want to share with others.
4. Give four or more ideas that you will investigate further to support or improve
learning in your current or future classrooms
(This assignment is modelled on Hill, 2016).

Assessment Rationale
I have chosen reflection because I feel it is useful for teachers/tutors/participants in
this training course to think about their own experiences and ideas before they start
reviewing classroom management techniques or creating their own plans.
The reflection includes three parts (stages actually): general ideas about how the
characteristics of the classroom affect learning, characteristics that people believe
have the greatest impact and then summarizing personal learning, questions
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remaining, an idea to share and ideas to follow up on during the course. The stages
are designed to help learners move from the general to the specific and to identify
their own ideas and knowledge of the subject before they start on any course content.
This assignment will also provide insight to me (as the course designer and instructor)
into the teaching and learning expertise, cultural background, experience and
expectations of the course participants and help ensure that the course will address
their needs.
After learners have examined their own ideas they will be more able to identify what
they feel is important and to more fully engage in the topic. Once the value and
impact of the characteristics of the classroom are established it is more motivating
and engaging to then learn about how to have a positive impact on learning and
create the conditions needed for learning using classroom management techniques.
I have adapted EDUC 4151 paper and video rubrics for the assessment of this
reflection. I am conflicted about leaving the organization and writing elements in the
mark for the paper because this is really a personal ‘thinking’ assignment. I decided to
leave writing and organization in for now and trial the rubric. This is a non-credit
course for adult volunteers and I do not want the participants to feel like they will be
penalized for poor writing, but at the same time, I do expect them to take the
assignment and the course seriously and to produce something that will provide
insight into their thinking and be organized and professional.

Reference
Hill, C. (2016, April 19). Assessing Online Learning: Strategies, Challenges and
Opportunities. Assessment for the Millennial Generation. Retrieved January 31, 2018,
from https://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/assessing-online-learning-strategies-
challenges-and-opportunities/
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Grading Rubric: Reflection on the Classroom Environment and Learning Paper

Level of Mastery Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

A limited level of A partial level of A solid level of A superior and
reflection and reflection and reflection and consistent
insight: below basic insight: basic insight: performance;
expectations performance or demonstrated beyond expectations
expected insight into personal
achievement experiences and
opinions
Reflection Entries may or may All or some of the All the required All the required
content not reflect course required entries are parts are addressed, parts are addressed,
ideas. The three addressed and any and any self- and any self-
(17 marks)
parts of the self-directed entries directed entries directed entries
reflection are NOT connect to course reflect course ideas reflect course ideas
addressed. ideas and/or and/or activities. and/or activities.
activities.

Writer uses the For each entry the For each entry the For each entry the
guiding questions writer uses the writer uses the writer use the
for some entries, guiding questions. guiding questions. guiding questions.
but not all.

Answers are Answers are Answers are Answers are

undeveloped and adequate and might thoughtful and comprehensive,
might NOT reflect NOT reflect how reflect how these thoughtful and
how ideas will these ideas will ideas will impact reflect how these
impact current or impact current or current or future ideas will impact
future practice. future practice. practice. current or future
practice.
0 4 5 6 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10
Organization and Disorganized with Problems exist with Organizational Organization and
layout unclear layout. both organization requirements met. layout requirements
and layout. Minor issues exist are met. The
(2 marks)
regarding structure document has a
and/or layout of the professional look
material. and feel.
0 4 5 6 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10
Writing Writing is hard to Writing is poor due Writing has minor Writing is error free,
(1 mark) read and to high number of grammar, spelling easy to read and to
understand. grammar, spelling and punctuation understand.
Serious and high and punctuation errors.
number of errors.
grammar, spelling
and punctuation
errors. Technical All technical All technical
specifications not specifications met specifications met
Technical met.
specifications not
met.
0 4 5 6 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10
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Grading Rubric: Reflection on the Classroom Environment and Learning Video

Level of Mastery Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

A limited level of A partial level of A solid level of A superior and
reflection and reflection and reflection and consistent
insight: below basic insight: basic insight: performance;
expectations performance or demonstrated beyond expectations
expected insight into personal
achievement experiences and
opinions
Video Format Few of the guiding Most of the guiding All of the guiding All of the guiding
(15 marks) questions are questions are questions are questions are
addressed and the addressed, however, addressed, however, addressed in a
video does not the video lacks in the video lacks in comprehensive
adequately address breadth and depth. breadth and depth. manner and the
the topic of video content
classroom demonstrates
environment and comprehensive
learning. breadth and depth
0 4 5 6 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10
Writing Skills Significant spelling Writing skills are Writing contains Writing is free of
(5 marks) errors throughout. below the expected minor spelling, font spelling, font or
Inconsistency of level as reflected in or overlapping overlapping errors.
font. spelling, font or errors.
layout of text.

Text overlaps images Video has a

or other text in the professional look
video. and feel.

Technical Technical All technical All technical

specifications not specifications not specifications met. specifications met
met. met.
0 4 5 6 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10