Sunday June 20
Reflect on the idea that tests are the only objective assessments of student learning.
I have been teaching for eighteen years now and I have seen all types of assessments over the years. I started out as a mathematics teacher and the only type of assessment I used, or even knew how to use, were formal tests. I still believe that tests are an important part of grading in mathematics but since I have been teaching in the computer science field for the last nine years I have seen many other types of assessment. I have used many types of assessments that are more performance based. I now assess whether students can produce a product with the material they have studied rather than assessing whether or not they know the actual material itself. If a student can show me a web page they have built with an unordered list on it, that tells me more than the student trying to answer a test question related to unordered lists. I have not given an actual test in the last five years, all evaluation is project based and graded using rubrics.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to do the assessing! The kids and their parents get to know why they get the marks they do, not from memorizing, but from actual performance.
I also agree that the blogs should be used fr more, but they are at the beginning so it will come, in time.
Nancy Bedard