Assessment is something a teacher keeps in the back of their mind at all times. It's the way we figure out if we've achieved our main goal: student learning. To me, rubrics are a very important tool that can be used to measure student learning. They break down your criteria into different categories where you can rate or score each using a scale. Another type of assessment can be through a test or quiz.
I think informal assessments can be quite valuable as well: student responses in class, ticket-out-the-door exercises that aren't graded, but used to gauge how much your students have learned. Informal assessments help you along the way.
Overall, teachers use a blend of formal and informal assessment strategies to see where their students are at. You do have to think very carefully about how you're going to assess and what's important and not important to assess, keeping the end goal in mind....
It was encouraging to read your post about assessment. I agree that we are continuously assessing, whether formal or informal, our students. The informal assessments are just as important as the formal assessments. As you said, they help guide you in addressing the needs of the students as the concepts are being taught/learned. I use the informal assessments to determine if a help session is needed for a particular student. The informal assessment helps you determine weaknesses or strengths as you move toward the end goal. Insightful post!
ReplyDeleteInformal assessment is very important. Especially when asking students to complete a PBL assignment. Listening to the students as they are working collectively, monitoring their progress by some sort of project management system, or even having them turn in progress reports are excellent ways of informally assessing students when they are doing collaborative PBL work...
ReplyDeleteI know all educators hate how assessment-driven our system has become. The right kind of assessments are definitely necessary though.
Lara, you made a good point about informal assessments. Informal assessments can promote students' performance on formal assessments as well. For example, feedback based on informal assessments should facilitate student learning. Thus, as you mentioned, teachers should carefully consider the effective use of two assessments.
ReplyDeleteI love a good rubric. As a teacher AND as a student. I'm glad you brought those up. Rubrics make grading easier, and it makes an assignment crystal clear for students. (If you can get them to look at them, that is. I'm still working on that with some of my ninth graders!)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you that informal assessments are necessary. Any good teacher is constantly taking informal assessments. It really can change the course of a class! If it's clear through informal assessments that kids aren't grasping one concept, I know it's time to reteach before moving on.