Out of what I've learned in the English Ed program, I think I know the least about assessment- not that I don't know the necessity and significance of it, but how to do it effectively. When I write my lessons, it is easier to provide an informal assessment within the procedures I've listed out, whether it be the completion of a worksheet or participation in group discussions. However, I still find myself asking the question, "How do I do this well? and, "What tools will I use to make it meaningful?"
Heidi Andrade's article, " Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning," helped me answer one of them. Of course, I've heard of rubrics before and was assessed by them here and high school. I also attempted to make one for a unit in ENGL 489 (pretty much a failure). My professor gave it back to me after grading and said "good start, but needs some work." I thought I did so well at the time, but after looking at Andrade's points of how to make one and its useful purpose, I realize I missed quite a few key points. For one, it's not just about knowing how I will be assessing the students and to organize my time. I agree that it's now more about the students knowing what's expected of them. After all, we're not here to set them up to fail, right? They should know what we're looking for, and in connection with knowing that, the essentials we spent six weeks preparing for that essay or for that portfolio will be reiterated and known once again.
The other important question I've raised is, "What if not every student can be expected of the same criteria?" I think that chapter 5: Considering Evidence of Learning in Diverse Classrooms touches on that a bit. So much of our education here is based on trying to accommodate everyone. The thought of having so many types of learners in a classroom is a reality, but still intimidating. One of my biggest concerns is not wanting to leave anyone out. So with that, what options do we have? Different rubrics? A different scale for students with special needs? At the end of the day, it is still about the "photo album" Tomlinson brings up. I'm a firm believer in seeing progress and taking steps toward a higher level of learning. In a world full of summative, high stakes assessing, I'd much rather assign my students a portfolio that will turn the "snap shots" into that "photo album."
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree on the difficulty of assessing every single learner when their skills are very different. It can be overwhelming! I am struggling in my math club, because my students are all different ages and their skills are all over the place! As the teacher, I am planning to scaffold different activities and pair some of my students up so they can help each other learn. There is only one of me and fifteen of them so a lot of learning will have to be done independently. Obviously, this is in a different context, but sometimes grouping people together who want to do the same project can be a little less stressful and help you assess. Of course, individual assessments are needed at some point.
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI would say that most of us in class would want to assess our kids using a “photo album” mentality rather then snap shots. However, we are entering a field in which that does not seem to be the case. Many times much more stress is put into standardize test (THE SNAP SHOT) rather than in portfolios. Many times it seems to me that these tests are more about the school than the student. But, what is it that our students really learn from 1 or 2 hours of quiet testing or 50 minutes to give back all the information that they cramp the night before the exam? Is that learning? Is that what the test is meant to assess, how much our student know? Ask them those same questions next week on a pop-quiz and most might not remember anything. How do we make our administrators see the value in the photo album? How can we do what we think is best, but still make our boss happy? Can we combine the too? (I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER!)
However, in my household my mother would always tell me that practice makes perfect. It seems to me that with a photo album we get to see the student grow and practice as they perfect the skill. This also helps with differentiation because each student would set a goal for themselves, the A student can always perfect their skills, the B student can always work towards that A or higher and so forth. The photo album analogy can help us set up individual goals for each student (where both the teacher and the student work together to set and maintain those goals) and it makes it easier to see his or her growth and development over time. But if we do that would we only use them to assess growth and nothing else? I guess it all depends on each teacher’s philosophy and goals to decide where they stand and what they would do.
It is difficult to fairly assess every student with one assessment. The students in every classroom have different abilities. I think progress should be taken into account with assessment. If a student received an A on a pretest and an A on a final assessment and another student received a F on a pretest and a B on a final assessment, the second student has improved more than the first student and has done more learning. In my classroom, I would prefer assessment that is differentiated like a portfolio or a multigenre project. There is still room for an A student to improve with these types of assessments. Also, I would be able to see progress in addition to a final product. If I were to make a rubric for one of these projects, I would include a progress category.
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