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Jamie Simoes EDC 452 Journal #3 The assessment that I observed this week in my placement was a little bit different then what I have been used to seeing in this first grade classroom. Typically the types of assessments that are given are usually done in a way where the teacher mainly observes the students or works one on one with individual students. The assessment I observed this time involved a piece of paper and a pencil. The students were all give a large blank piece of paper. The teacher explained the directions to the students as they sat on the rug in a large group. She told them that she wanted them to try their best and write down as many numbers as they could remember starting at 1 and working their way up to 100. She let them know that they did not have to reach 100 and all she wanted them to do was try their hardest. The students did this assessment at their desks. There are numbers all over the classroom that the students could have used to help them with this assessment, but it was up to them to realize that there was support on the classroom walls. Some of the students worked very quietly and stayed focused on the tasks while others were constantly raising their hand looking for help. Because this was an assessment the teacher could not help the students very much and she just kept enforcing the importance of trying their hardest and also that they don’t have to reach 100 if they can’t. I really liked seeing this type of assessment done in the first grade classroom because like I said before I am not used to seeing paper and pencil assessments done at this age. The students weren’t aware that they were being tested and I think that this was a good thing. If the students thought they were being testing I don’t think they would perform as well because a typical first grader would be more focused on asking questions rather then working quietly at the task given to them. Knowing that first graders are capable of these types of assessments is a great thing to know. I now realize that there are multiple ways to test these students even though they are still very young. As long as there is support and clear concise directions, a paper and pencil assessment can be given to a group of first graders with minor problems.

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