Learning Outcome #12:
Use multiple and authentic forms of assessment to analyze teaching and student learning and to plan curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of individual students
Smith and Wilhelm, authors of Going with the Flow, suggest, “One of the benefits of designing instruction that articulates for students what they ought to be doing is that it makes assessment so much easier” (141). Assessment should not be a trap for students; instead, it should be an opportunity for students to purposefully put to use what they have learned.
It is imperative for teachers to use multiple forms of assessment to analyze both their teaching and student progress and learning; this assessment should also be authentic. Without proper assessments, teachers will not be able to ensure that their teaching strategies are effective. If students are not successful with assessments, teachers need to reconsider how they are teaching concepts in their classrooms to promote learning and achievement.
I complete both formal and informal assessments with my students. I use warm-up activities, classroom exercises, and class discussions to assess students’ understanding and progress informally. Through these informal assessments I can clearly understand which students are struggling, if any or all are, and in what areas they require more teaching or additional work with a concept. Formally, I assess my students with homework assignments, quizzes, exams, writing pieces, and projects. I can precisely diagnose which concepts students need reinforcement in and the number of students who need the reinforcement. If a large number of students have difficulty with a particular concept after teaching it, I can reflect and reassess how I taught the concept, and I can adapt the lessons to better fit students’ needs in the future.
Informal Assessments:
Warm-Up Writing Prompts
Information Stations
Symbolism in The Hunger Games
Formal Assessments:
Drama Quiz
The Contender Quiz
The Contender Unit Exam
Persuasive Writing Assignment
Mind Map Project
Work Cited
Smith, Michael, and Jeffrey Wilhelm. Going with the Flow: How to Engage Boys (and Girls) in Their Literacy Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books, 2006. 141. Print.
Image from http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/cii/resources/outcomes/how_assessment_works.asp