LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

CEU courses open for enrollment

Differentiating Instruction in Online Courses - Carolina Online Teacher Program
Tailor your online instruction to meet the unique learning styles of specific students. You'll develop differentiated components of your own online courses through practical assignments, and modify content, learning experiences, and assessments to address individual students' needs.
Take this course: Begins March 22.

From the education reference

performance assessment
Assessment that measures student performance on concrete tasks or activities as opposed to standardized multiple-choice tests. Students are expected to apply a range of skills and knowledge to solve a problem. Assessment is based not only on the results of the task but also on the processes of task performance.
performance criteria
A description of the characteristics or dimensions used to judge the quality of student work. Criteria are the guidelines or rules that outline for students what will be assessed on a given task.
assessment
The process or means of evaluating a student’s knowledge or skills.
summative assessment
Evaluation administered at the conclusion of a unit of instruction to comprehensively assess student learning and the effectiveness of an instructional method or program.
formative assessment
A process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides explicit feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes. Formative assessment is a method of continually evaluating students’ academic needs and development within the classroom and precedes local benchmark assessments and state-mandated summative assessments.
alternative assessment
Assessment that measures student learning in forms other than traditional pencil-and-paper tests.
authentic assessment
Assessment that seeks to evaluate students' abilities in "real-world" contexts, including the application and demonstration of skills and knowledge to authentic tasks or projects likely to be encountered in adult life.
portfolio assessment
Assessment that is based on a collection of student work (see portfolio), measuring student progress in a variety of skills in one class or over the course of a school year.
criterion-referenced assessment
Assessment that measures student knowledge and understanding in relation to specific standards or performance objectives. Criterion-referenced assessment measures students' performance in relation to standards, not in relation to other students; all students may earn the highest grade if all meet the established performance criteria.
norm-referenced assessment
An assessment designed to measure and compare individual students' performances or test results to those of an appropriate peer group (that is, norm group) at the classroom, local, or national level. Students with the best performance on a given assessment receive the highest grades.
problem-based assessment
Based on a problem-solving or problem-posing educational model, problem-based assessment involves the presentation of a problem the student must solve.
Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium
A consortium of state and national education agencies and organizations focused on the preparation, licensure, and professional development of teachers. INTASC is guided by the belief that student learning standards should drive the preparation and development of teachers.

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Summative assessment
This article defines summative assessment and lists several examples and common formats.
Format: article
By Heather Coffey.
Checking comprehension
In Ongoing assessment for reading, page 2.4
Many assessments for students’ comprehension contain questions to be answered by the student. Miscue analysis makes retelling the performance of comprehension. When a student completes a reading, the teacher should facilitate both an unaided and aided retelling...
By Jeanne Gunther.
Oedipus the King reader's theatre
Students will rewrite the Greek tragedy in a modern context in order to review and analyze the plot. This assignment is designed as a final project in a Greek Theatre unit. It is expected that the literature has already been read and analyzed as a class. I have found that this project is an innovative way to review for a unit test on the play and Greek Theatre.
Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)
Benchmark assessments
This reference article discusses the concept of benchmark assessments, including arguments for and against standardized benchmark testing and best practices in creating teacher-developed benchmark assessments.
Format: article
By Heather Coffey.
Exploring geometric shapes
These hands-on activities make learning about geometric shapes more appealing to students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)
By Debbie Fox.
Three Little Kittens
Students will experience the joys of acting out the story using simple props. Students will enjoy eating pie, and completing a bubble map and class graph.
Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Mathematics)
By Amanda Mcalpine, Carol Elliott, and Ginny Devine.
Romeo! Why do you have to be a doggone Montague?
Students will interpret and comprehend Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Act 2, Scene 2 (the balcony scene) through translating the original text and preparing a dramatic presentation of the scene for the class.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)
By Amanda Rowland.
Buy, sell, and tell
This is a whole language lesson for Speech Language Pathologists that incorporates food vocabulary, basic concepts of matching, color, and number, as well as the pragmatic skill of turn taking for language-delayed kindergarten students.
Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)
By Karen Ring.
Goals, goals, goals
Students will be introduced to the benefits of goal-setting and the steps in the goal setting process. A group activity with a ball will give students practice in all steps of the process and an opportunity to see the benefits of setting goals.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)
By Pat Nystrom.
Overhand throwing
The students will perform the skills of throwing overhand. This is the third lesson in Manipulative Activities Unit in 2nd quarter that follows lesson on throwing a ball underhand.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 )
By Bozena Mielczak.
North Carolina Thinking Skills: An introduction
There are five dimensions in the model of thinking skills used to classify questions for the state's assessment tests.
Format: article
By Tom Munk.
It's all about them!
Students will create a class database in preparation for the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills using information about their classmates.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Computer/Technology Skills)
By Skip Thibault.
Highlighting revisions, glossing changes
By highlighting their revisions and explaining (i.e.,glossing) the changes they have made to a draft of their work, students will not only become more proficient writers but will also become more conscious of the process of revision and thus more reflective writers. Further, teachers will find it easier to monitor and evaluate student revisions.
Format: lesson plan (grade 10 English Language Arts)
By Peter Bobbe.
Elements of a fable
In this lesson students will examine the elements of a fable. Students will use their understanding of fable elements to create an original fable and present it in dramatic form. This lesson includes modifications and alternative assessments for Advanced Limited English Proficient students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Kate Boyce.
Arctic animals
This is a whole language lesson for Speech Language Pathologists incorporating listening comprehension, categorizing, following verbal directions, and basic vocabulary and language concepts for First grade students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)
By Susan Ayers.
Underhand throwing
The students will perform the skills of throwing underhand. This is the second lesson in Manipulative Activities Unit in 2nd quarter that follows lesson on rolling a ball.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1–3 Healthful Living)
By Bozena Mielczak.
Picture this!
In this lesson, students will use their imagination and creativity to create an original, five-minute scene from a given picture.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Theater Arts Education)
By Cindy Lohr.
North Carolina regional travel brochure
The students will cooperatively design travel brochures that describe major physical and cultural characteristics of the regions in North Carolina.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
By Deborah Harrell.
Revising and editing an essay
Students will learn how to revise and edit an essay. In particular, they will focus on pronoun agreement. This is the third lesson in a series of three based upon LEARN NC's 9th grade writing exemplars.
Format: lesson plan
By Kim Bowen.
Name that tune!
This is a student/parent assignment. The students will perform selected lines from their band method books, and their parents (or responsible adults) will listen and try to name the tune.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Music Education)
By Mary Beth Smith.