What makes Mastery Learning an ideal assessment in a gifted classroom?
The individualized assignment and assessment that is personal to the student makes it ideal in a gifted classroom. Gifted students often come to general classes with the knowledge of the concept being taught. Mastery learning allows those students to first demonstrate they understand the grade level topic being taught, this could be done through a traditional test, or using a formative assessment method, then expand on their knowledge through extension activities, thus really mastering the concepts. This fits nicely in a classroom that uses RtI.
Methods of implementation:
The individualized assignment and assessment that is personal to the student makes it ideal in a gifted classroom. Gifted students often come to general classes with the knowledge of the concept being taught. Mastery learning allows those students to first demonstrate they understand the grade level topic being taught, this could be done through a traditional test, or using a formative assessment method, then expand on their knowledge through extension activities, thus really mastering the concepts. This fits nicely in a classroom that uses RtI.
Methods of implementation:
- Through careful planning, determine what you want the students to know at the end of your unit of study.
- Identify those students who have mastered the concepts and goals you have for the end of the unit. These may or may not always be the same students.
- Plan extension activities. These can be small partnered activities such as research projects, presentations, videos, web quests (I recommend Zunal ) just to name a few.