ARTEFACT 2
Kindergarten Numeracy Continuum Clinical Interviews
Standard Descriptors
Standard 1
Know students and how they learn.
Focus
Understand how students learn.
1.2.1
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Standard 6
Engage in professional learning.
Focus
Apply professional learning and improve student learning
6.4.1
Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
Annotation
During my practicum at St Mary's Star of the Sea at Hurstville, I was given the opportunity to conduct clinical numeracy interviews with both Kindergarten classes. I was made aware by both Kindergarten teachers that these tests hold great importance as it gives teachers a comprehensive understanding of how their students are performing, which in turn helps them to understand which areas need addressed.
Conducting the clinical interviews gave me a comprehensive insight into understanding the mental strategies used by students when solving different mathematical problems. This also allowed me to reflect on ways the effectiveness of teaching and what concepts needed to be focused more on. I discussed the results in detail with both Kindergarten teachers throughout my practicum and they informed me of ways in which they had adapted their mathematics program based on the findings of the interviews (1.2.1).
After all students had been interviewed, I was asked to mark students responses according to a rubric and give students a mean mark according to the set criteria provided. This data was entered into a spreadsheet, and allowed both Kindergarten teachers and leadership members to analyse the data.
This was a great exercise that helped me in my professional development. This practicum also made me understand the effectiveness of one to one student interviews. Clarke, Clarke & Roche (2011) cites that one on interviews with students can greatly improve teacher expertise in understanding the obstacles students face during mathematics problems. If used well, this can then help teachers to apply this valuable information to improve the teaching of individual students or groups of students.
This opportunity allowed me to apply my professional learning and improve student learning, by providing results and suggestions from the clinical testing to the Kindergarten teachers. As I was working with many of the students regularly in small groups, I was also able to help moderate the focus of some of these sessions off the findings in the clinical interviews (6.4.1).
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