Paper-pencil assessment: I would use journal entries for this assessment. I think that the entries could be related to different readings/books that we are discussing in class, which would help with comprehension of the texts and to be able to see writing skills.
Authentic assessment: I would relate texts and books to the real world and have discussions like students could possibly have outside of school. Also, I think that discussions of readings allow the students to look at their world differently.
Teacher-developed assessment: I think teacher-developed assessments are more efficient and effective than standardized tests. When the teacher creates his/her own test, they are able to test on exactly what they are teaching. I feel like this is more effective for grading and for helping students succeed more than strictly teaching for standardized tests.
Norm-reference assessment: I like comparing performance to that of other students. Through this method, I feel like teachers can learn what is working and what isn't. If some students are acing the exams and are understanding what I am teaching, then the other students need tutoring, or have something that is holding them back from reaching their full potential.
Informal assessment: I like pop quizzes (even though the students hate them.) I think this helps students stay on top of their work and stay prepared for class if they know that I will occasionally have pop quizzes. This could include anything from vocabulary quizzes to reading comprehension quizzes to see if the students read their assigned reading or if they are understanding the reading material.
Good ideas, Rachel. I don't think there's anything wrong with pop quizzes but I would caution not to use them as punishment. I can remember clearly several teachers in high school who used graded pop quizzes as ways to control our disruptive behavior, and I do not personally feel that is good teaching. I think that being responsible for doing homework and being quizzed on that is something completely different, and entirely useful. I really love the idea of reflective journaling - that could be a performance assessment as well if you consider all the writing standards of Common Core.
ReplyDeleteI do think that comparing student performance is important when assessing which students may need additional help, but be careful with norm-referenced assessment over criterion-referenced assessments; norm-referenced will be looking at how a student compares to his/her peers, not what they specifically missed on a test.
Good ideas, Rachel! The journal entry idea could double as both a paper-pencil assessment and an informal assessment. The students could write in their journals unannounced and the compiled entries (over the course of a week or month or whatever) could be a larger grade for the semester. I also agree with your teacher-developed tests, but I think I prefer criterion-referenced assessment vs. norm-referenced assessment unless you are seeking a class ranking. : )
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