Plant Science Systems Test/Plant Science Systems Quick Jot Exercise

Spring 2014
Description: The test is from the end of a two week plant systems unit and the snowball
fight is a short exercise about things learned in class that day.

Alignment Reflection:
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
Standard 8: Assessment Teachers know how to test for students progress. The
teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and
ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.

This artifact best aligns with Standard 8: Teachers know how to test for student progress
because they represent various methods of testing student comprehension. The test is a
systematic way to evaluate students because this is the time at which they are being
examined for their retained knowledge of both major concepts and some finer details. An
understanding of how to classify leaves and plants was an integral part of this unit. From
defining the correct stem types, to arrangements of leaf structure and venation, this unit is
packed full of valuable information making the students more knowledgeable in everyday
agricultural life. Being that this material is covered in our freshmen class, it is presented as
introductory information and gives us a base upon which to build in the Horticulture and
Plant Science class they take as sophomores. For terms that students should have added to
their vocabulary throughout the unit, they were asked to find the correct answer within a
multiple-choice question. For a higher-level question they were asked to write a definition
whether it be in the words that make the most sense to them or the definition straight from
their class notes. I also included fill in the blank questions with definitions partially given,
and even included true and false statements to further assess their knowledge of the
concepts and definitions. My final assessments came in the form of 2 truths and a lie
where the students were asked to distinguish which two statements were true and which
statement was the lie. This is a higher level thinking exercise and as an educator I reaped
great results from this assessment form.

The quick jots are assessments that evaluate daily progress. This individual work allows the
student to use their own words to explain major concepts picked up from the material
covered that day. Most times students pick up on the same material but share it differently
on their quick jot. Observing the ways that students remember or share information allows
me to be able to alter teaching methods and to change question structure to best meet the
intellectual, social, and physical development of the students.

UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Statement
KSD1.f. Assesses Student Learning: The candidate understands, is committed to,
and can develop assessments that are clearly stated and congruent with instructional goals.
The students are aware of how they are meeting the established standards and are involved
in the goal setting process.

This artifact reflects best on KSD1.f. Assesses student learning because through the quick jot
method I can better understand how I need to formulate the test to meet students needs.
Students receive and take notes based upon the major concepts within the unit that are laid
out to establish the learning objectives. After supplying notes and a chance to describe the
topics covered students have a chance to use the information. To alleviate test stress,
students receive their quick jots back as an extra study guide and as a confidence booster to
show the students that they do have the information stored in their knowledge bank.
Grades are given on relevance to subject matter covered on the day of the quick jot. This
Plant Science Systems Test/Plant Science Systems Quick Jot Exercise
Spring 2014
does not seem to be an issue because students want to use the freshest facts before they
store them away. If students receive points off their quick jot I talk with them about which
topics should have been focused on and ask them to rewrite about them to drive home
importance. Quick jots are a way for students to express their own knowledge while
continuing to reach the instructional goals.




Personal Reflection:
What I learned about teaching/learning?
Asking clear concise questions that set students up for success promotes both
growth and confidence. Teaching is not about trying to force feed students what we
(as teachers) believe the students should learn. Students will learn one way or
another but as educators, our job is to provide correct information, productive
activities, and developmental evaluations with timely feedback.


What I learned about myself?
Spending quality time building assessments that set students up for success takes a
plethora of time. In order to make myself a more positive advocate for the
betterment of students, I need to put in the effort and create an assessment that will
reflect truly on my students knowledge and understanding. This by no means
allows for simple questions with little depth, but rather that the questions contain
clues that lead students toward the desired answer.