Assessment Learning Log

WHAT?

Throughout the last week, we've studied the importance, usage, and structures of assessments in the classroom. Assessments have many purposes in the classroom. It is considered a processes where we as teachers observe a sample of student's behavior and draw inferences about the student's knowledge and abilities. Assessments are not a means of grading, more importantly they are a way to help teachers make judgments of students. There are various forms of assessments including formal, informal, paper-pencil, and performance. All of these models have their time and place within the classroom. Formal assessments are preplanned to determine what the student's have learned. These can include homework assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. Informal assessments are the evaluations that the teacher does throughout the day without the students even aware of it. These observations help teachers gauge how the students are doing in the class and help evaluate the teachers' instruction. Paper-pencil assessments are written responses to written items, for example, when a teacher provides a topic or problem to solve, and the students have to respond in a written format. Performance assessments are something that you actually do with the students. They are asked to 'DO' the subject in a real world setting. These assessments allow students to be creative and can perform what they have learned in class. When creating or using an assessment, it is important to evaluate the four aspects of an assessment. These include, R.S.V.P. or Reliability, Standardization, Validity, and Practicality. Reliability refers to the assessment having consistent questions and grading. i.e. no bias or tricks. Standardization refers to consistent implemention of the information, meaning that the assessments are given and scored similarly for everyone. Validity refers to the alignment. Validity means that your assessment actually measures what it is intended to measure. And finally practicality refers to how easily you can correct the assessment and receive feedback. This also infers that the assessment is cheap and easy to use and takes only a small amount of time to score. These four aspects of assessments help teachers determine if the assessment should be used. There is not a 'perfect' assessment because no matter the assessment you use, it will have positive and negative effects on the four aspects of assessments.

SO WHAT?

Learning about assessments is a crucial aspect of teaching. We need to know best possible ways to assess our students and what works best. It is a waste of time to give students paper-pencil test over and over again because you lose out on some of the other things they are learning. Student's need to be given the opportunity to show what they have learned in different ways. Learning about the R.S.V.P. has been very helpful because it will help me realize what is a good assessment and what needs some adjustment. When I was doing my work-sample in Professor Cooks class last semester, my assessment was the worst part of my experience in the classroom. My assessment was too easy for the students and didn't really test what i had taught them. This information will come in handy as I become better familiar with the designing of assessments in my classroom.

NOW WHAT?

As I learn more about assessments, I will be able to understand how to effectively administer tests to my students. Becoming familiar with assessments may take some trial and error, however, it will be smart to show your assessments to co-workers and other students to ask their opinion and suggestions. It will be beneficial to go to seminars and workshops to learn more about building strong, effective, fun, assessments that engage students and truly evaluate their knowledge and abilities in my classroom. When I begin making my own assessments for student teaching, I will keep the R.S.V.P. in mind so that I can hold myself accountable for the assessments that I create and the ability to make judgments about my students progress.