INTEL Day 5

Today we reflected on assessments. We visited a website with numerous examples and rubrics on how to assess student learning. Seeing these examples opened my eyes to the many creative ways a teacher can assess his students' learning. We generally stick to the traditional form of testing, but this website showed other ways to gauge student learning. It provided rubrics and checklists for gauging participation, critical thinking, use of media, investigation from outside sources, and self assessment. I personally have never used student self assessment to grade student work. It will be a new experience.

Being exposed to these other methods of assessment made it possible to incorporate them into my unit plan. For example, a KWL chart, a powerpoint presentation, a discussion of modes of transportation and their merits, drawing parallels between real life examples and the concept of slope of a straight line, and finally the graphing of straight lines and finding their slope. All of these activities are student-centered rather than teacher-centered, and they are assessments embedded in the learning process.

This exposure has given me new tools to use and share with the other teachers at school. I will be more alert to alternate ways to assess and how to incorporate them into my lessons and classroom instruction. I would expect better student response if they can see that their input counts for something; if they see that the process of learning means as much, or more, as getting answers right on a test.

The good thing about being exposed to varied assessments is that a teacher has tools and options. Not all assessments are good for all subjects. But with more tools, the teacher can vary his assessment strategies and incorporate student assessment when possible. Students will respond more readily if they see they have a real stake in and possibility of influencing their final grade through participation. This encourages the student who is not a good memorizer, but may be a great organizer or team worker or investigator.