Assessment

What I already know about AER: 

Assessment, evaluation and reporting is a way of understanding where a student is at in terms of their learning. It is constantly changing, as teachers are always using new methods to assess students and their understanding of curriculum and class material.

What is collected from student learning, allows teachers/educators to provide constructive or positive feedback, regarding the child's strengths as well as next steps. It is also used to assess the teacher's teaching and student level of understanding. 

What I want to learn about AER: 

I want to be able to understand how to fairly assess all students, including students with disabilities or specific learning needs. In these types of situations, I want to understand how to modify or change my method of assessment, so that it is fair for all students. 

I assume that with Differentiated Instruction, you must use Differentiated Assessment. I want to use DA with DI and am interested to know how to successfully implement this. 

I want to understand how to complete report cards for my students, as well as understand what is important to include on them. I understand that in the past, teachers use a template that they copy and paste for other students and change their names, however I want to know what the best way to personalize is.

I think it is critical to understand that there are parents who may make complaints and feel as though their children are being inappropriately assessed. I want to be able to have the skills to discuss assessment with families, so they understand my methods. 

I also want to know if it is appropriate to include student opinion in assessment and evaluation. I want to know if this will help to develop their self-reflection skills. 

What I Have Learned 

I have learned that there are distinct differences between assessment for, of and as learning. Assessment for learning occurs when a teacher provides feedback to students after they have completed a task. The teacher will provide feedback to the student, including what they thought the student did well, and what they could have improved on. Assessment as learning occurs when students are given the opportunity to participate in self-assessment, assisting them to be agents of their own learning. Finally, assessment of learning is summative – meaning the teacher uses it for the final report of a student’s work.

I have also learned that there are a variety of tools that can be used to assess student work. For example, teachers may choose to use anecdotal records, where they would make observations during collaborative group work. They may choose to use checklists that will be created using the success criteria and learning goals. Rubrics are also created based on the achievement chart in the curriculum documents. These are just some examples, of the many ways to assess student learning. 

I learned that the use of grades and/or levels are not entirely effective in assessing a student’s learning, and that the use of feedback is more effective. Students are able to respond appropriately to feedback, rather than a grade. 

Additionally, I have learned that there are three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative and summative. Diagnostic assessment occurs when a teacher is determining where a student is at in terms of their learning, what they already know and where they need to go next. Formative assessment occurs when a teacher is checking to see how a student is progressing in their learning, and next steps. Summative assessment occurs in the form of unit tests or final projects, to determine what a student has learned through the learning process.