"Assessment is defined as choosing the words, numbers, or symbols that we think best represent literacy learning for the purpose at hand (Johnston, 1997)" (Renwick, 2014, Chapter 1).
As I read the syllabus for this class and looked through this week's readings, I couldn't help but think of this Calvin and Hobbes comic strip and how it reflects assessment. The idea of using badges and other "non-traditional" means of assessment makes me a little skeptical. The use of badges seems as silly as using smiley faces or some other seemingly arbitrary symbol.
However, I must also admit, that as a student, I am excited to experience this type of assessment in this class. As a teacher it scares me, but as a student it feels somewhat liberating. Won't it be nice to not be as focused on a number? Won't it be nice to earn something instead of a percentage?
So if I am so excited to experience this type of assessment as a student, why would I be so resistant to using it in my own classroom? To be honest, I would be afraid that the data that I gathered would not be the kind of data that my administration or my students or their parents would expect. Students at my school are extremely motivated by grades and where they rank in the classroom. Every time that I return an assignment, I have to ask them to stop comparing their work with one another. Parents have access to my online grade book, and some of them are hyper-vigilant about each assignment. Administrators want that grade book filled with data at the end of each term, and not all assessments fit into the parameters of that program. It seems like if I were to do non-traditional assessments, no one would appreciate the importance of these types of assignments but me.
Formative vs. Summative
"We often see formative and summative assessments pitted against each other. It's as if they are two students asking a question at the same time, each vying for the teachers attention" (Renwick, 2014, Chapter 1).
I really appreciated Renwick's discussion of these two types of assessments. It served as a wake-up call to me. As I read, I realized just how reliant I have become on summative assessments, and I have scaled back my formative assessments drastically. I feel that I have become so focused on summative assessments because my students are more motivated by those. If I have a class do creative writing "just for fun and practice" they will always ask me, "Is this for a grade?" I usually refuse to answer this question directly because if I tell them that it isn't for a grade then they will not put much effort into it.
Perhaps if I commit to formative assessments I can train my students to put forth a full effort even when a grade is not in play. If they realize that effort put forth in formative assessments will result in improved performance on summative assessments, then this shift might be possible.
Bloom's Taxonomy
I appreciated when Darling-Hammond (2014) reminded me of Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain (see above). When looking at this pyramid, it is really shocking to me to think about how much that we assess is located in the knowledge section (lowest order of thinking). I appreciated the examples that Darlin-Hammond provided that showed how to assess cognitive skills at the top of the pyramid. As and English teacher, it is my responsibility to come up with creative ways to inspire that same higher order of thinking in my students.
To-Do List
1. Brainstorm formative assessments that can supplement summative assessments that I already use.
2. Brainstorm assignments that challenge students to go above and beyond lower-order cognitive skills.
References:
Darling-Hammond, L. (2014). Next generation assessment: Moving beyond the bubble test to support 21st Century Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Renwick, M. (2014). Digital student portfolios: A whole school approach to connected learning and continuous assessment. Virginia Beach, VA: Powerful Learning Press.
I had the same reaction to formative and versus summative assessment! I did not realize how much my brain was trained to traditional lecturing and then a final test, so formative assessments fell to way side. Other educators would ask, "But how do you know the students understand the material?" and my first thought was that they would ask a question if they had one. Some students are not as reflective as others and do not truly know whether or not they know the material until they can try it on their own. I also had the problem of students asking, "Is this for a grade?" How frustrating! Some simple formative assessments that I want to incorporate more often are exit tickets, show what you know on post its, and checking specific questions on in class work. Feel free to use my ideas or share some of your own!
ReplyDeleteCaitlyn