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?
I think that for younger elementary students it is often hard to assess them. Kindergarten can be a really hard age group to assess because there are not as many formal assessments and a lot has to be done through observations. Having kindergarten students start to write their stories is a good way to see if they understand letter sounds and also the concepts of print.
ReplyDeleteI agree that writing essays is a good way for students to express their learning in a creative manner. It is also good for a teacher to really pick apart and see what a student has learned. Throughout the next two years I hope that I am able to learn many creative and effective ways to assess a student.
I think that you definitely have a good head on your shoulders Sarah when you're thinking about different assessments. I agree that there needs to be a huge variety for students instead of simply just falling into a circle and doing the same assessment over and over. Although I haven't had too much experience just yet with actually choosing assessments, usually I will look at my students and then base my decision off of them. For example this semester in my fourth grade class, there are so many students who love to interact and share. In this case, clicker quizzes are great as well as written assignments because they are able to answer questions in a more interactive way and also express themselves in ways that they might not be able to do while just talking.
ReplyDeleteI also look at what I feel comfortable using. There are times where I believe that a traditional test is important because it will show what the student has obtained from the actual material, but other times where they need to show more detail and depth about what they have learned so written assessments or portfolios are the best. My favorite would definitely be portfolios or performing assessments. I love being able to act and express myself more than simply spitting out the facts.
When I am teaching a lesson I feel as if I am preforming many assessments at one time. When I ask a question I assess the students answers to ensure that they are grasping the concepts that I am teaching them. If my students do not seem to be understanding then I go back and change the way I presented the material. It is important for a teacher to be able to assess their own lessons while they are teaching the lesson. As a teacher I do not want to teach an entire lesson and then find out that my students did not understand what I was teaching.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite assessment tool has to be partner worksheets. I like these because it give the students an opportunity to work in with a peer while I formally assess both students comprehension.