Thoughts on Assessment

In general, I believe that anyone can achieve any goal if they truly put their mind to it.  That is not to say that all people are cut out for everything, but I truly believe that if someone has the drive, commitment, and passion, anything is possible. Whichever path you chose in life may be much easier, or maybe even much harder, for someone else, but we all must handle the cards we are dealt in life.  That is, we all come from specifically unique backgrounds and we all must cope with and adapt to our own situation to make our lives what we want them to be. When it comes specifically to education, I believe all children are capable of successfully completing high school and receiving a diploma.  This assertion would obviously be adjusted for medical disabilities, but in general, we are all capable of learning at a high school level in the proper environment.  With that being said, all individuals have their best method of learning and presenting their learning.  While one student could excel on summative exams, another student may perform better with presentations.  While one student may like designing informative posters, another might better demonstrate their knowledge through a research paper.  It is important, to me at least, to provide students with a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning.  If a student struggles to perform on formal test, I will not only provide alternative assessments, but I will also integrate strategies for the student to improve and become more comfortable with the formal testing concept.  This allows students to not only develop skills in assessment areas in which they struggle, but also maintain their confidence and forward progression by demonstrating learning through preferred methods.

In creating the best assessments for my students to demonstrate learning in a reliable and valid fashion, my primary goal is to learn my students; study them and understand what helps them and what they struggle with.  By knowing my students, I will be better prepared to design assessments to best suit them.  Although I do understand that some methods are more popular among students than others, it is a goal of mine to incorporate all kids of assessment, not to stress and frustrate the students, but to allow them low-stakes opportunities to practice and develop skills on certain assessment types that tend to cause struggle.  By doing this, I can identify weak areas and help my students strengthen them to prepare them for future studies or careers. As a mathematics student, I much preferred open-ended questions where I could show my work.  Further, I performed best in a situation where teachers were clear on test content and provided adequate study materials.  I happen to be lucky enough to have a nearly photographic memory, so performing on exams has not been the struggle for me as it is for most students.  With that being said, I have to be careful not to allow my personal preference and personal abilities for this kind of assessment cause bias in my classroom.  To combat this, I frequently provide alternative assessment types, like projects or presentations.  I also am sure to gather data from students during and after different types of assessments.  This could be as simple as asking some questions during work time to gauge if students enjoy the activity, or by giving a short survey after assessment items are completed.  By implementing these strategies, I can provide a positive learning experience where students feel valued and heard.  In this way, students are true active participants in their learning and educational career.