Electronic Portfolio Department of Social Science Education |
| Table of Contents Professional Standards |
Assessment
As an educator, I feel that assessment is the chief way to monitor and adjust student learning. In this day in age assessment appears in the classroom via many shapes and sizes in order to combat various intelligence levels. Still, assessment remains a very controversial topic in education. While student teaching I was exposed to many different assessment tools. From writing assignments to benchmarks, and standardized tests, to End of Course Tests, testing is very prominent in today's schools. These various forms provide for student accountability, as well as provide a lens in which a teacher's accomplishments, or deficiencies can be viewed. My student teaching allowed me the opportunity to try a handful of different assessments. I learned what works for me, as far as gauging the rate in which students are grasping what is intended to be grasped. I must say, designing assessment tools can be a pretty daunting task to attempt, but experience will allow me the ability to hone my skills in constructing these tools. I enjoy when students see that what they are doing everyday (reading, discussing, listening) really lends itself to their mastering of certain concepts and skills. It is a feeling that students can apply to many different areas in life and allows the class to serve as a worthwhile thing. I also have a heart for those who may have fallen behind a little. Not every student learns at the same rate and I take pride in taking time out to work with those who need extra encouragement and practice at developing their skills. That is one of the true meanings of teaching to me, working with those who have trouble grasping things and to watch the light bulb turn on inside their heads so to speak. I design assessment tools that encompass many areas that will allow students to show off what they know. I construct my tests in a way that incorporates a variety of ways to gauge assessment such as multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, maps, short answer, and essays. The latter is one of the best ways I feel that can judge what students know and are thinking. While I experimented with assessment, I also experimented with my record keeping. I used a traditional grade book as well as a computer program that could do everything under the sun. In the end though I always kept my students abreast of their progress in my class. I posted student grades inside the class room, and progress reports were sent home on a periodic basis. Kids are motivated by grades and I allowed them the opportunity to receive feed back on how they were doing, as well as letting them know what they needed to work on. During my student teaching I used countless forms of informal assessment. Personally, I feel that writing is the most accurate way for a person to show what they know about something. The simple process of writing forces a person to take all of the pieces of knowledge that are flying around in their head and organize those thoughts to make an articulate statement. I am fully aware though that each student is different in terms of their writing skills. That being said, I fully intend to give students the opportunity to practice and build solid writing skills. This will not only prove to be worthwhile inside the confines of my social studies classroom, but will benefit each and everyone of them throughout careers in school and in the outside world. Assessment is one area that I would like to improve upon. Specifically, I would like to work on making more specific rubrics. I feel that this will help me to grade more closely and help me in developing more critical teacher feedback. I am confident that my travels as a teacher will aid in addressing these issues. In the meantime, I have a few examples of where I stand as an assessor and what I view as exemplary assessment tools. |