Weeks 7/8 Reflection

Week 7-8 Reflection

Statistics and Definitions

Mean - Averaging. Add the values and divide by how many values are on the list.

Median - Middle number. Arrange values from lowest to highest, median will be the middle number or the average of the 2 middle numbers.

Mode - Refers to the value in the list that occurs most often.

Range - The difference between the smallest and largest value.

We also learned how to represent data using a Normal Curve and Standard Deviation. Normal Curves are bell curves that represent usual distribution where Standard Deviation shows the distance scores depart from the mean. The lower the Standard Deviation, the closer the score is to being average.

To compare scores/progress on a particular dimension, we can use either the Z-Score or T-Score to convert raw data.

Data Driven instruction

There are several decisions that a teacher can make about instruction based on assessment results. A teacher can decide to reteach content that students may need more assistance with, they can go over content that has been mentioned but never explicitly taught with explicit instruction, they can offer reminders to keep students focused and they can offer challenges for students who have already mastered certain areas of the content.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Quantitative data is data that deals with numbers (quantities). To interpret this data, teachers should find quantitative observations such as mean, median, mode and standard deviation. This provides teachers with objective data that they can use to inform their instruction.

Qualitative data is data that deals with specific qualities and can be observed without the use of numbers. This data is important to collect because it offers more context than quantitative data and can provide a more holistic view of a student’s current skill level and progress.

Reflection

I will use what we have learned in weeks 7 and 8 to ensure that my instruction is data driven and tailored to the needs I observe in my students. I will make sure to use a combination of both quantitative and qualitative data. I will use mean, median, mode and standard deviation to add meaning to raw scores so that I can effectively interpret data. I will use my interpretations to determine what aspects of my teaching are working and which ones need to be modified.