Unit 1: Assessing different learning styles
Unit Objectives:
Identify strategies for assessing students
Determine the different learning styles
Free Write: I'd like to start off this unit with a free write. Write down on a piece of paper any and all ideas that flow through your mind when you think of ways you've assessed students and ways students can be assessed. There are no right or wrong answers but I would like to get your ideas flowing and start your thinking about assessing students.
Important Information: Four main strategies for assessing student's abilities:
1. Select a page from the textbook of your course and write five basic comprehension questions for it. Give students the amount of time you feel they should read the text at and have them answer the questions. ---If they read significantly slow or struggle with comprehension, then they do not have access to the text and will most likely struggle without intervention
2. The Lexile Test: Find out if students have taken a Lexile Test. This should tell you the reading level of your students and what books are at their level. The level of many novels is found at www.lexile.com
3. Close test: Use a passage from your textbook and take out every tenth word. If students are able to fill in the missing words then the textbook is at an appropriate level and they should be able to comprehend it.
4. Standardized Tests: If students score below their grade level on the tests they will struggle with the text and content information. If students score at their grade level then they will be able to comprehend the text and content information. Students who score above their grade level should be given "enrichment" materials in addition to the text.
Discussion: On the discussion tab on this unit, I'd like you to discuss these strategies. Which one is the most useful/helpful and why? Which of these have you used and what was your experience with it?
Important Information: Students have different learning styles and preferences. The two most important types of learning styles are as follows:
1. Left Brain/Right Brain: Many students and educators rate themselves according to "brain dominance." The right dominated are more creative while the left dominated are more factual and serious. Knowing your students' preferences can help you differentiate instruction to meet all your students' needs. To take a look at a brain scan(assessment) check out www.drrubenzer.com/RonB/RubSamples/brain10001.pdf
2. Visual/Auditory,Kinesthetic: There are three types of learners: Visual, Auditory and kinesthetic/haptic learners. Check out the following link for a free inventory of learning styles. Learning Inventory Visual type learners learn best through sight and through visuals. Auditory learners do best through sounds and listening. Kinesthetic learners learn best through interactions and experiences.
Complete the matching game on the following link: Matching Game