Assessment of and for Student Learning
To monitor student learning is to assess student knowledge. There are many ways to assess students, and even more ways that teachers can use the data that is collected. Data can be many mediums, including verbal, written, and demonstrative. Collecting and using this data in innovative and important ways to enhance student learning are integral to a productive classroom. Some ways to use student data are by using it to monitor student progress, guide/design curriculum, and project based learning. A classroom that incorporates these practices is one rich in true student learning.
Student Progress
To teach students is to be able to show that they are learning. By assessing students you can in some cases, immediately see if they have, in fact learned the information. This can be done in a number of ways including daily quizzes, check-in questions after an assignment, and group discussions on what they have been studying. During my student teaching experience all three of these methods were used to track how students were learning and understanding the material. The daily quizzes were especially helpful, given that they could be reviewed during class and aide in guiding the instruction.
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Curriculum
How I assess my students directly affects how you design your curriculum. Assessment should be a part of daily lesson plans whether formative or summative. Various styles of assessment can be implemented in a classroom in ways that don’t burden or stress students. To better communicate with students what they are being assessed on and how they are being assessed, the teacher should incorporate rubrics and guidelines into their assignments and lesson plans.
Project Based Learning
Students often have to demonstrate their knowledge at the end of the unit; for decades it has been through a test. There are some forms of assessment that do not always work for all students. By varying assessment, especially through Project Based Learning (PBL), students are able to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that may be more tailored to them. A project based assessment often includes producing images, videos, or a manipulative. These alternatives all help address a wide variety of student needs. Below is an example from a project on Federalist and Anti-federalist. Students worked in small groups to create different elements including a video to demonstrate their knowledge.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHK9DxTom9k&w=560&h=315]
For more on assessment in the classroom please check here.