Friday, January 30, 2009

Assessment is an evaluation. An evaluation of how the students are handling the material they are taught; if they are understanding it or if they aren't understanding it and if they aren't understanding it, why is that? Not only do the students get to get an evaluation on their work with feedback to help them understand their 'mistakes' or their successes of the material, but the teacher gets an evaluation from the students. The evaluation can be positive, meaning all the students or a majority of the students understand the information, so that you, the teacher, can move on or it can be negative. The students or a majority of the students don't understand the material being taught and you as a teacher need to see what areas you went wrong in and then, go back and fix it and spend a little more time on this information.

There are all kinds of assessments formative, diagnostic, summative. A teacher can get this information in different aspects, but the most common way is a test and as the class can see in the 1620 video students take a lot of test and I understand that tests need to be given for feedback and other things, but it can't be the only assessment that a teacher gives. Students don't necessarily learn solely from test, some students might not be good test takers, so there other ways of assessing your students. You can ask students to write asummary or write about the things they learned in class that day and the things they didn't understand, not for a grade, but to see where your students stand. Then, the next day or at the end of the class that day you can review the material that the students didn't understand and review it with them so that they better understand the material. As a teacher you can give them projects related to the material you are teaching them, so that its not as formal as a test and its a little more fun for everyone. Projects let the students express their creativity and also makes them want to learn, because its better than lecturing them and making them take tests. One, more assessment is having a class discussion, by asking the students questions and making a classroom rule, "that there are no stupid questions" and "the only stupid thing is not asking questions".

These are just a few of many ways to assess students. The videos helped provide more information on how to not solely rely on just givning tests, but to be creative and help your students to better understand the material, because you have to remember as a teacher there are many different types of students who all learn in different ways. So as a teacher reach out to all your students and help every student learn not just one kind of students, such as visual learners.

2 comments:

  1. Leigha-

    Your definiion of assessment is very clear and easy to understand! I think it is great how you perfectly explained what it means and various ways to assess a student.

    Great Job!

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  2. Thanks for an interesting post, Leigha!

    You explained, "..as the class can see in the 1620 video students take a lot of test and I understand that tests need to be given for feedback and other things, but it can't be the only assessment that a teacher gives."

    You are so correct. Using various means of assessment is very important.

    Nice job!

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