This document contains instructions for completing peer responses to classmates' posts on a discussion board. It includes posts from several classmates on various topics related to education, including formative assessments, student-centered learning models, narrative writing, satire, and making difficult decisions about friendships. Students are instructed to respond substantively to at least two classmates' posts.

1. DUE IN 48 HOURS - 14 PEER RESPONSES
Each set of 2 responses has its own instructions:
Respond substantively to a minimum of two of your peers
BOTH POSTS FOR THESE RESPONSES ARE ATTACHED AS
POWERPOINTS..
TAMMY’S POST AND SHEMAIAH’S POST
Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.
ROSEMARY’S POST:
Help Ingrid to understand how the district’s CFA can assist her
instructional efforts. Given her current second-quarter goals,
offer one suggestion for an appropriate formative assessment
strategy in Language Arts and Math.
The tricky thing would be spending time on a lesson while
having students understand the material. However, more than
half may fail or barely pass on the assessments. As a new
teacher, I know that she may feel a little bit more pressure.
Mentoring Ingrid includes explaining to her that Common
Formative Assessments (CFAs) are provided to the students
multiple times a year for several reasons. One of the main
reasons would be to ensure that every student in the classroom
is at the same level. This means that she will know if a student
is falling behind or working ahead of the other students,
meaning they may need more attention. Another reason would
be a perpetual configuration of the classroom, school, and
district assessments to prepare students better for success on the

2. state assessments, according to Ainsworth (2008). Basically,
she could do a practice test for the state assessment at the end
of the year. Ingrid would ensure all her students will pass since
she knows what needs to be worked on to prepare them for
testing. One formative assessment strategy for Language Arts
and Math would be to set daily assessments such as one or two
questions on the material being taught. This way, she knows
who is grasping the material and where they may be lost.
According to Hansen (2015), for math, the assessment will
include adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions, dividing
a whole number by a fraction, and estimating.
What advice would you give Melanie for developing
assessments for learning that encourage and bring smiles to her
kindergartners?
The advice that I can give Melanie is that every kid loves
playing games. My favorite thing about students in kindergarten
is that they have the wildest or craziest imaginations ever. I
would use those towards any assessment because she could ask
them what they think the number one looks like. She can have
them draw what the number looks like to them. I would also tell
her not to give up on helping them learn because within the first
5-6 years of anyone’s life is where we will learn the most.
Discuss how and why formative assessment is considered an
evaluation for learning and why summative assessments are
considered assessments of learning. What advice would you
give these teachers to help them evaluate the advantages of
each?
Formative assessments refer to various methods that teachers
use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension,
learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or
course. Formative assessments help teachers identify concepts
that students are struggling to understand, skills they are having

3. difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet
achieved to make adjustments to lessons, instructional
techniques, and academic support. The general goal of
formative assessment is to collect detailed information that can
be used to improve instruction and student learning while it’s
happening. What makes an assessment “formative” is not the
design of a test, technique, or self-evaluation, per se, but the
way it is used—i.e., to inform in-process teaching and learning
modifications (Great Schools Partnership, 2014).
My best advice to the teachers is that these assessments are
essential because they help the teacher set up a lesson plan that
will help students become successful during the lesson.
References:
Great Schools Partnerships. (2014). Formative Assessment.
Retrieved from
https://www.edglossary.org/formative-assessment/ (Links to an
external site.)
Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015).
Curriculum and instruction for the 21st century [Electronic
Version]. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
DESIREE’S POST:
Help Ingrid to understand how the district’s CFA can assist her
instructional efforts. Given her current second-quarter goals,
offer one suggestion for an appropriate formative assessment
strategy in Language Arts and in Math.
Ingrid can use the feedback from the scores on how students are
doing and where they need to improve. With those results as an
educator it will show were your strong areas of teaching are and

4. where as an educator there needs to be improvements. Ingrid
can use the backwards planning process by putting the end
results in place and goals that need to be met for the students to
be ready for the CFA's that are given (Hansen, Buczynski &
Puckett, 2015, Section 4.1).
What advice would you give Melanie for developing
assessments for learning that encourage and bring smiles to her
kindergartners?
Melanie can still use her current methods just add more
interactive fun material to her assessment process. Melanie
could use student conferences where she can take time with a
handful of students daily when doing her CFA's. After getting
results she can set goals for each child based on prior test
results to get students where they need to be. Melanie could
include other things like a white board to draw answers on
interactive material that must be used. Allowing more
interaction and hands on can help the kindergarten age group
stay focused. (Hansen, Buczynski & Puckett, 2015, Section 5.2)
From my experience with assessments I have put together a
binder with all the essential material that my students should
know by the end of the school year. I collaborate with my other
preschool teacher where I am employed so that we are on the
same page with what our students should know when
transitioning from one classroom to another. We do quarterly
assessments to see the progress and see the areas that still need
to be focused on.
Discuss how and why formative assessment is considered
assessment for learning, and why summative assessments are
considered assessment of learning. What advice would you give
these teachers to help them consider the
advantages
of each?

5. According to our text formative assessments are the most
powerful assessments for improving student understanding and
performance. Formative assessments are very flexible and easy
to use in all kinds of classroom settings. They are direct and
give results immediately. Summative assessments are good to
reiterate the lesson that was being taught. Using the questioning
method for this is very successful and produces critical thinking
about what was understood from a lesson. I would encourage
these teachers to do their own research on what assessment
would work best for the way that they run the classroom daily.
Both assessments allow the teachers to see where and what
needs to be improved by the students and teachers.
Sincerely,
Desiree Beck
Resources:
Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015).
Curriculum and instruction for the 21st century
[Electronic Version]. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.
BRITNEY’S POST:
Answer the following questions and tell how considering these
questions helps you to connect with each of the student-centered
instructional models and why.
Question/Task

6. Student-Centered Model
Can you name any projects or inquiries that you participated in
as a student? Did they teach you any other skills besides the
particular content area?
In high school, one elective I had was a cooking class, and we
would work in groups often and cook for other classmates. We
would have to decide on the type of dish, figure out the
ingredients, and set up a presentation. I learned to follow a
recipe because any misstep can mess up the entire dish. As a
group, we needed to make sure our math skills were accurate
for measuring out ingredients. Another project I did was on a
famous landmark of the country. The teacher gave us a list of
landmarks, and we had to choose from, do research, create a
PowerPoint, and present to the class.
Create a list of several projects, problems, or inquiries that
could be used at the grade levels or content areas in which
you are preparing to teach.
I want to teach Kindergarten. Some projects I would have them
participate in are...
· Role-plays for expectations in the classroom and how we
treat others.
· Hands-on science experiments like caterpillar life cycle,
making snow, five senses.

7. · Retell a story with a group of peers or be creative and draw a
picture representing the story.
· Visual learning posters that the students help create.
· A family culture/background project
· Cooking activities
Do you have any recollection of plays, simulations, debates,
or mock trials that you participated in as a student? What
were some learning benefits you received from these
experiences?
I do not remember participating in any plays or debates in
subjects like social studies, government, or science class in
school. The teachers would mostly give lectures and take a
test. However, when we were on the topic of plays, my
English teacher let people choose a character to read. I did
like to read aloud because they brought the characters alive. I
also needed to pay attention not only when it was my turn but
also when other classmates read for the text to make sense. It
helps me now when I read to imagine what a character sounds
like, and when I read aloud to my class, I notice how I change
my voice.
When considering these questions, I realized that I did not have
many experiences where I worked in many groups throughout
my education, had mock trials or debates. It shows how far
education has come in the last 20 years. I think if I had
experienced these student-centered activities, I would have
remembered them because of the higher-order thinking,

8. researching, and collaborating with others. As a future educator,
it is important to me that I plan with student-centered activities
in mind. Students need to have those moments where they were
challenged academically, socially, and mentally to be prepared
for the demands of college and the workforce to solve any
problem.
SYDNEY’S POST:
“For students to gain these foundational skills of self-reliance,
they will need, in addition to the more teacher-directed models,
more student-centered strategies,” (Hansen, et. al., 2015, sec.
6.4). While I was a student, I remember a few projects that
stand out. One particular project was dissecting different
organs. I could never handle seeing a full dead animal, but I
was fascinated by the organs. We learned how to properly
handle organs, prepare for dissections, measuring out incisions,
how each organ worked along with special facts, and that death
is apart of the life cycle. I did not fully understand what death
meant until that point.
Although I am not aiming to become a teacher, I would teach
kindergarten if I did decide to pursue teaching as a career path.
I would like to do hands- on experiences.
· Students go outside and finding specific objects and draw
them in their diary.
· Students travel to different tables in the room to learn about
different cultures.
· “What would you do and what should you do” activity plays
where students are presented with a situation and react. Then we
go over as a class how to approach the situation. This would
include ideas on safety, bullying, and interpersonal conflicts.

9. · Fun science experiments like coke in mentos, turning an egg
translucent, invisible ink, and homemade lava lamps.
I did not participate in plays because I was too concerned with
being embarrassed if I messed up, but I really enjoyed
participating in mock projects. We were assigned roles within a
court room and had to research the role. We would do a mock
trial with attorneys making their cases. Juries deliberating, and
the teacher would be the judge to oversee the trial. We also
played a stock market game to see who would gain the most
amount of money, but the market in our class crashed and it was
determined by rolling dice to see if the bank would give us our
money back (Great Depression simulation). One of the most
impactful strategies I use to this day is a mock interview. We
learned how to build resumes, dress, and interview properly to
get a job within our classroom.
These questions would help me connect with students because I
look back onto my experiences to bring fun learning strategies
to my classroom. Those specific experience have stuck with me,
and in turn I remembered the material better. If I enjoyed them
while I was a student, I can interest other students in their
learning and get them to participate further with their
educational journey.
References
Hansen, C.B., Buczynski, S., & Puckett, K.S. (2015).
Curriculum and instruction for the 21st century
. Bridgepoint Education
Discussion
- Reader Response
HAILEY’S POST:

10. Satire has always been my favorite genre. Its use of irony and
exaggeration has always piqued my interest- especially when it
is a subtle irony in which case you have to read between the
lines to find it. My biggest weakness when it comes to writing
is that I tend to get off track or go on tangents throughout my
writing. Does anyone else have this issue? If so, how do you
keep yourself from doing it? Top of Form
DILLON’S POST:
After reading and watching the lessons of this week, I have
learned the many key components of narrative writing. The
narrative format of writing is based on events that are personal
to you. I feel that this makes it easier to write narrative essays
because you pretty much already have all the information you
need. I also learned about illustration and exemplification and
how they can play a huge role in the key components of your
essay. Other types of components you can include in your essay
are humor, irony, and satire. I also learned more this week
about the structure that you should apply in your essays. I feel
that structure and staying on topic in an essay is something I
really struggle with when writing but this weeks reading gave
me a better idea.
Discussion
- Clickbait Your Universal Theme
BRIDGET’S POST:
When I was a teenager I often stayed at my friends house. She
was the pastors daughter and lived next to the church. One
night the teenage boys decided they were gonna have a
sleepover at the church. So I stayed with my friend that night.
I guess it was sometime after midnight when we got the bright
idea to toilet paper the guys' vehicles and scare them by
knocking on the doors of the church. Maybe the knocking part

11. wasn't such a good idea, because they opened the back door and
saw us sneaking back to the house. They decided to run after
us. Did I mention there was a cemetery behind the church? So
here I am running for my life when all of sudden I'm tackled to
the ground. My scream could have woken the dead. Well, it
didn't wake the dead but it did wake the pastor and his wife!
Our punishment was almost a good ole fashioned butt whipping
but they decided to be a little lenient and instead we spent the
next day cleaning the house from top to bottom.
KYLEIGH’S POST:
This time last year, a group of friends and I were living in the
middle of Ethiopia. After not talking to our families for 3
months due to the lack of wifi, we decided to go on a hunt for
internet. After a four-hour bus drive, that felt similar to riding a
roller coaster, we finally reached this hostel. The hostel was
surrounded by canopy trees and was quite beautiful, but the
atmosphere was extremely nosy. The noises sounded like
animals, however, there was none in sight. Once we reached the
door, we were greeted by the owner of the hostel, a very kind
Ethiopian man. After informing my group of all the rules, he
said, "PS do NOT feed the monkeys." A few hours later, my
friend Mary was eating lunch, and out no where a monkey
jumped on our table. Mary then proceeded to feed the monkey
her burger. In a matter of seconds, we were surrounded by
monkeys trying to steal our food. Luckily, none of my friends
got bit, our food however was attacked. Needless to say, rules
really are meant to be followed.
Discussion
- Difficult Decision
ALYVIA’S POST:
People come in your life for certain reasons. They either stick

12. with you forever or only a certain amount of time. To be able to
have at least one best friend, consider yourself lucky. Last
month I had to let go of my best friend. Although I considered
her to be my best friend, the things she did to me does not meet
up to that title. Our parents were best friends growing up which
resulted in us becoming very close as children. We would
always attend each other's family functions and beach trips.
During the beginning of our teenage years, my best friend
moved two hours away from me. We saw each other only 3
times a year until recently. Last March she moved into her
grandma's house that was located five minutes away from me.
We spent the whole quarantine together and caught up talking
most of the time. It was great having a friend with you all the
time but it also caused a lot of fighting and drama between the
both of us. I realized who she really was while being with her
almost everyday. She made me feel very low about myself to
make herself feel better. She always considered herself right in
every conversation we had. Everything was about her and the
way she wanted to control the situation. I was tired of having to
deal with that toxic energy around me. I could not be myself
around her without her saying something rude. I eventually had
enough, I started to fade away from the friendship. I told her
how I felt and she disagreed with me. That's when I knew she
was not the type of person I wanted to be around. The
friendship opened my eyes by teaching me how selfish people
are and how they only look out for themselves. At the end of the
day, I broke the friendship off for sake of letting each one of us
grow. The future holds a lot and our friendship may be one
thing that comes around again.
KYLEIGH’S POST:
The year was 2016, it was a Tuesday. Also known as the day, I
came across the World Race Instagram page. The page
screamed, “Take a gap year to travel the world for Jesus, sign
up today!”. I was already on a hunt for adventure, and this trip

13. caught my attention. After school that day, I rushed home and
told my mom, “Mom, I think I am going to move across the
world.” She looked at me with concern, then began the
questions. What are you talking about? Who is this
organization? How will you pay for this? What about college?
How long will you be gone? These questions repeated in my
head for the next 3 years. Eventually, after much thought and
wrestle, I decided to go. In 2019, I packed all my belongings
into a backpack and joined 38 other strangers in the Atlanta
airport to start an adventure of a lifetime. Over the course of 7
months, I lived by the volcanos of Guatemala, on the plains in
Ethiopia, and ended my time overseas in a small hostel located
in the middle of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Although this decision
was impulsive, it was still the trip of a lifetime, and I have no
regrets!
Discussion
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to This Forum
ALYVIA’S POST:
Growing up I lived with two sisters, one was only a year older
than me and the other was 13 years older than me. So I spent
most of my time with my sister who was closer to my age.
Throwing it back to the summer of middle school my sister and
I spent most of our time at home with our disabled mom. We
could not really leave the house because of our situation so we
had to make the best of it. We were constantly being creative,
playing outside, as well as having some friends over during the
week.
One day during the week our cousin came over. She lived about
2 hours away from us at the time. Everytime she came over we
always seemed to cause trouble. We would always pull pranks
on each other, laugh a lot, and stay up late when we weren't
supposed to. We used to always play this game called ‘Guess

14. the Food’. The rule of the game is to be blind folded and the
other people who were not blind folded had to pick out random
foods. We would mix the food together and feed it to one
another. Sounds fun right? So one day we decided to play
‘Guess the Food’ because we had nothing better to do. My
cousin and I already went and it was now my sister's time to be
blind folded. As she stands next to the pantry waiting patiently,
my cousin and I gather some snacks to mix. We pulled out
peanut butter as well as these tiny marshmallows we had. We
scooped out the peanut butter and rubbed a little bit of it on the
marshmallow. Without my sister preparing herself, I slammed
the peanut butter marshmallow in her mouth. She instantly
closed her mouth and started screaming “ITS A TOOTH, ITS A
TOOTH” with a lisp. Knowing my cousin and I did not put a
tooth in her mouth, had us dying laughing. Laughing to the
point where my cousin ran to the bathroom to go pee. As she
was running, she slipped around the corner of the hall and fell
hard. That made the situation even funnier to us. With that
being said, that day will never leave me. Each time we get
together we always bring up that day which puts a smile on our
faces.
BRIDGET’S POST:
A long time ago, in a galaxy far away I saw a sign posted in
someone's office. I assume the man who used the office was a
pilot or at least loved to fly. The sign simply read, "The second
greatest thrill known to man is flying. The first is landing!". I
make no bones about being a non-traditional student. In my late
30s and having been out of high school for over 20 years means
that I'm a risk taker whether I want to believe it or not. For the
last four years, since my divorce, my whole life has been a risk.
In that time, as I try to discover myself, I've learned to embrace
new experiences. Just this last year, I embraced a new
experience that should make no sense to a sensible person. I
flew in a plane for the first time. For some reason, I've

15. managed to make it my entire life without feeling the need to
leave Mother Earth. Yet here I was, about to risk life and limb
by doing the unthinkable to fly across the country to visit my
boyfriend. Long distance relationships are hard, especially
when you're plunging 30,000 feet to your death.
I've always wondered about flying. It makes no sense. Air is
light. Airplanes are heavy. Airplanes are made of metal. Metal
is heavier than air. Therefore, it should be physically
impossible for metal to fly. And what's with this whole airport
thing? Can someone please explain why the airport is called a
"terminal"? I don't know about you, but where I'm from,
"terminal" is a bad thing. If you are terminally ill, that means
you're not coming back. This story is NOT going to have a
happy ending. Why can't they just call it that-long-corridor-
you-walk-down-to-get-on-your-heavier-than-air-piece of metal?
Why do they have to use terminal, as if I wasn't scared enough?
I mean, most of the airplane movies I've ever seen did not have
a happy ending. Snakes on a Plane, Lost, Manifest, and Airport
'77 all came to mind. None of those turned out well for the
passengers. All of that ran through my mind as I boarded my
first flight. I remembered with anxiety the last TV series I'd
watched about airplanes. It was called "Manifest". In that
show, an airliner is engulfed in fog and lands five years later! I
didn't have five extra years to fly around. I had places to go
and people to see! Thankfully, I did make one comforting
discovery. Airplanes serve alcohol. Finally, I was able to calm
myself down, sit back in my window seat and enjoy the splendor
of the heavens. Flying wasn't bad at all. That is until I looked
out the window and realized I could no longer see the wing. It
was completely engulfed in fog! Jesus wept.