I have always been a very panicky test taker. No matter how much I prepare or how confident I am in the material I always stress to the max. As a child I was easily distracted during tests. I can specifically remember my third grade spelling assessment experiences. Torrie, a girl who sat right next to me, nervously tapped her pencil against her desk during spelling tests. It seemed the less prepared Torrie was for the test the harder she tapped her pencil, maybe it helped her think! No matter how prepared I was for the test I was always very distracted by the tapping of Torrie’s pencil; it was difficult for me to concentrate and focus. I most certainly can side with students who are not good test takers. Accommodations for assessment are a crucial aspect of accomplishing a valid and reliable sample of each student’s performance. Students can easily be distracted when taking an assessment, every noise, pen drop, or pencil tap is heard and often distracts students that have trouble focusing.
Assessments should be used to gather information about student learning. Teachers should design and plan assessments before teaching. This will ensure that the learning objectives align with assessment goals. I think authentic assessment is very important and meaningful to students. It allows students to apply the information they have learned to a real life experience. Classroom tests were discussed in the chapter which I also found to be a wonderful assessment tool. I do not think it’s fair to give students text book based assessments that have been written by a publisher. Classroom tests are written by the teacher who knows her students and can word questions in an appropriate manner for students. Students often get lost in the wording of standardized tests.
The assessment approach that stood out to me most in this chapter is the use of portfolios. I think portfolios are a great way to motivate students and encourage them to put effort into their work. It allows students to have a sense of pride and ownership in their work. It also allows students to view their own personal growth within a specific period of time. Portfolios allow students to add their own little touch of creativity to their work, evaluate their work, and explain their understandings. Portfolios can also be used during parent conferences to display the students work.
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I am also a VERY panicky test taker! I tend to work myself up and stress way to much over a test! I do agree with you that classroom assessments should be written by the teacher. This is because the TEACHER (not the publisher) is the one that knows the students and how they function.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that portfolios are a great way of assessment. They are a good way of allowing the students to show their work and be proud of it as well as a way for you to assess them.
I totally agree with both of you! Any form of assessment should be teacher-made NOT publisher relayed! Growing up, (and still today) I was always one of the last ones to complete/ turn in a test. It wasn't that I didn't know the material, I just think at a different rate. Usually, I have all of these thoughts of what I could write about (for discussion based tests)and I want to try my best to get it all down before time's up. I love the idea of utilizing portfolios! It is a great reflective tool for students to monitor their own progress toward a common classroom goal.
ReplyDeleteAssessments should be as authentic as possible. Don't box up your capabilities when it comes to assessments! Be creative and inventive!!
Hear, hear! Why are we going through all this school if we're just going to follow the textbook plan? The textbook should be a supplement, never the be all and end all. I like your statement about the teacher knowing the students and being able to write the test for the students. Further, we are responsible for teaching the frameworks. We (should) know them inside and out. While the textbook publishers are aware of the frameworks, we must remember that they are a business, and their first goal is always to sell. What may seem like a nice idea may not be what our students need. When teaching a lesson/unit the teacher knows what is most important to his/her students' learning and can structure a test appropriately. Great post, Sara!
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