Assessment Practices

Throughout my years, I have experienced many types of assessments. Through the point of view of both the teacher and the student, I feel I have gained quite a bit of knowledge as to the effectiveness of those various tools. I believe for smaller children, it is often the best thing for them to have a blank slate to fill with the information they have gained. For example, something as simple as a blank piece of paper offers a canvas for a drawing or some text to retell what was gained through a lesson. Something more complex, like a portfolio, still offers a place for them to use their own ways of relating information, but can allow for a longer time period and a more in-depth analysis.

For upper elementary students, I think it can be a little more difficult to choose the right assessment. It often seems easiest to use pre-made multiple choice tests or worksheets with word banks. While this is sometimes the best way, I think it would be too easy to stay on that path and avoid creativity. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grades are often good times to emphasize the importance of fact with general concepts. In these cases, those paper tests may still be the best way. However, I think it is so important to bring in other forms of questioning and assessing to balance that mixture. Since writing should also be emphasized at this age, I lean heavily toward the use of essay-style assessments. This allows students an opportunity to work on writing skills along with any other given subject.

My question for my peers is this: What factors influence your choice of assessment when teaching a lesson? Why those particular ones? What is your favorite assessment tool?