When assessment drives instruction, students learn more and become more confident, self-directed learners. Assessing Projects helps teachers create assessments that address 21st century skills and provides strategies to make assessment an integral part of their teaching and help students understand content more deeply, think at higher levels, and become self-directed learners.
How do we break this cycle? If this is true, then wouldn't it be reasonable to say that the future teachers in our classes would continue this, I mean besides those of us in this class, aren't we just preparing a new wave of teachers to continue following our bad models.
Good point. When our only references are those based in our own learning experiences how do we get away from that? I guess constant reflection on our own process and close attention to our students.
Yes, Jen. I think reflection is the key. And hopefully that is what we are doing here. Through reflection, you'll be able to gather some new knowledge to move your own classroom toward better alternatives to test preparation.
How might we meet the needs of the system and the needs of the learners
Great picture. The first thing that came to my mind however was what does this look like at a high school setting where students are competitive or on the other extreme, just going through the motions. How do we bring the enjoyment of learning to the high schools and continue a model of creativity?
Through collaboration, creativity, exploration, and sharing students can be assessed in a real world way.
I think you are right, this is a good summation of your ideas, we need to continue rewarding those who go outside the box of the traditional testing model and recognize the possibilities of engaging students at a new level and making assessment just a brief stop and a progression in a longer journey of learning the 'big ideas'.
You mentioned "negative" modes of testing. If assessment is a valuable part of learning - I believe it is...valuable feedback - what are the postive ways we assess student learning?
"This set of web pages will describe and discuss the use of technology to support alternative assessment from a number of perspectives. Originally developed and maintained by Dr. Helen Barrett, School of Education, University of Alaska Anchorage (retired). "
"This article describes the need and prospects for alternative assessment approaches in online learning environments within the context of higher education."
"TRAILS is a knowledge assessment with multiple-choice questions targeting a variety of information literacy skills based on sixth and ninth grade standards. This Web-based system was developed to provide an easily accessible and flexible tool for library media specialists and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the information-seeking skills of their students."
This site breaks down the world of standardized assessments into easily understandable chunks. Designed for parents, the site offers a particularly useful chart presenting testing issues and what supporters and critics say about each.
"Testing represents a commitment to high academic standards and school accountability. When the financial and emotional stakes associated with standardized tests are disproportionately high, this laudable goal becomes distorted."
Today, the NCTE definition of 21st century literacies makes it clear that further evolution of curriculum, assessment, and teaching practice itself is necessary.
They are also cut and dry, right or wrong, no in between. The assessments I think we will be looking at examine not only what students know but what they don't and see learning as a progression.
Like the teacher I talked about who went into the filing cabinet and pulled out the same numbered tests every year without changing the ways because 'it worked in the past.'
This is the greatest challenge, administrators understanding the disconnect between what is going on in the class and what alternatives are out there. How to demonstrate how more effective teaching and alternative assessments can best prepare students for these standardized tests.