An informal assessment can be helpful, especially when it comes to subconscious cues. During a lecture or activity, a teacher can walk around the room and observe body language, as well as facial cues. A teacher can also listen for verbal cues of confusion, and look for an opportunity to extend another explanation to students that may be stuck on an activity or question. However, I think a formal assessment gives a better overall picture of a student’s progress. For this, a teacher can check an assignment or a quiz at the end of class, to check for understanding and attentiveness during class. Giving a straightforward answer could show that they know the correct answer, but a teacher can also give an essay response question. This would better show a student’s mastery level and full understanding through explanation and application. Either of these could be in the form of a quiz to review the main concepts for the day.
Traditional assessment has its positive attributes. It is always a good sign when a teacher asks a direct question, and students can return to him, or her, a direct response. This ensures that a student is paying attention and knows the “textbook answers”. The true test lies in an Authentic assessment. Teachers can assign students to bring in an article about an issue occurring in the country, or have them write a paragraph on how they could use a concept that has been taught that week to apply to their life or future. These assignments show application. If a student can take a concept that they have learned and apply it to a real-life situation, and on that scale relate to it, then it may show the teacher that the student knows more than just “textbook answers”. He or she actually understands the material on a level where it can be put to use.
Standardized tests can be used throughout the semester, in terms of Common Assessments, or at the end of the semester as a final. This can help assess not only the subject material that was learned and retained by the student, but can also compare teachers and/or teaching styles. This can help show what topics need more time dedicated to them, which teaching styles seem to work best, and what can be improved on. This helpful to teachers because they can see where their students are in comparison to other classes, and can see what areas they need to improve on compared to other teachers. Teacher developed assessments are very important in terms of assessing individuals in a particular class. The teacher can then figure out what material is being absorbed by a particular student, and what material is not. If all, or most, or the students are having issues in one area, the teacher can realize that another route may need to be taken to make those concepts clear to all.
Paper-pencil assessments are good when explaining a concept and putting ideas about a topic down on paper. This allows students to gather ALL of their thoughts about what has been learned, and describe the ideas in their own words and explanations. This shows the teacher that the student does not only know the basic definition or concept, but can also go into a deeper explanation and description about the concept and its applications. On the other hand, a Performance assessment helps teachers assess the application perspective of a concept. If a student can put a concept into physical practice or demonstrate it smoothly, then a teacher can suspect that the topic is not just fully learned, but understood enough for application when there may not necessarily be time to get thoughts together. If a student stumbles through a performance or simply cannot perform the task, then he or she may need further explanation.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both Criterion-referenced and Norm-referenced assessments. Criterion-referenced allows teachers to assess their students alongside of other students in the school, county, or state, to see how their students’ scores compare. This lets teachers see what areas they need to improve on, and in what areas they are doing better. The disadvantage to this assessment is that it usually comes at the end of a course, so teachers cannot make improvements necessarily on that class in particular. A teacher can only improve on the next class. The advantage of a norm-referenced assessment is that students can be assessed against their peers in that class. This can help a teacher during the semester to see what material is being absorbed well and what material is not. A teacher can also see if there are any students falling behind or needing help in a particular area. This allows for improvements throughout the semester. The disadvantage to this assessment, however, is that it does not allow teachers to compare to other teachers’ styles. He or she may be doing a poor job, but their kids still be making good grades, and simply not know it because they cannot compare outside of their own teaching style.
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