Are Tests the Only Real Objective Assessment?

There are many different forms of assessment that can be used to determine whether or not students are making academic progress. If we, as teachers, only relied on standardized tests or midterm and final exams, some of our students would never pass to the next grade level. The problem with tests is that they are designed around the premise of equality versus the reality of fairness. These tests are supposed to be the same across the board in order to create equality, but the reality is that our students are not. A way to design assessments that create a level (or fair) playing field is to use a variety of assessment in order to develop a complete picture of a student’s skills and progress.

 

I believe it is safe to say that if our students require diversity in instruction. Since that is the case, then they need diversity when it comes to assessing their academic progress too. Students can be assessed using various methods. For example: group projects which focus on working with others to complete a task, teacher observation which allows the teacher to see and monitor what their student is doing in the everyday classroom setting, portfolios which allow a teacher and the student to see the academic progress they have made over a period of time, and self-evaluations which allow students to assess their own progress and give them the ability to determine the areas they need to improve. There are many other forms of student assessments and teachers need only search the internet or other sources to find them.

Tests are not inherently bad, nor are they useless in the classroom. Tests have their time and place in assessment just like all other assessments, but they need to be used in conjunction with some other forms of student assessment. We already know that we don’t all learn in the same manner; because of this, there should be some flexibility when it comes to assessing student progress. Tests are not and should not be the only objective or reliable source when it comes to assessing a student’s academic progress.

 

 

The Technology Infused Classroom

Technology in The Classroom - Infuse Learning EdModo from Daniel Ledezma on Vimeo.

Daniel isn't the only one who is working to infuse technology into his classroom. All across the world teachers are learning new technology in order to incorporate this new wave of useful tools into their daily classroom instruction. Sometimes the intensity of trying to keep up with the ever widening market of instructional technology and teachers must learn to keep this topic in focus. Measuring the effectiveness of incorporating ever-changing technology into the classroom against the cost in time, money, and confusion (not to mention the Hawthorne Effect of something new working just because it's new!). My vision of a technology infused classroom doesn't necessarily have all the latest, but it certainly has the greatest and the most relevant technology in order to make sure that the investment is returned in learning gains, engagement, and useful real-world skills.

Exploring new technologies can be fun and engaging for learners, but not every new program, gadget, or device is worth the investment. Sometimes less is more.

Keeping in mind that the tools we teach our students to use in school should be the ones that will provide the most effective skills for their future. When a teacher is working through a selection of programs, games, and devices for use in their classroom, they should always keep this goal in mind.

Sticking to the basics of word processing, some main online sites with which you have confidence in use and effectiveness, a well maintained set of class computers with internet access and a projection program can be enough to provide full  technology skills to students if they are used effectively. This isn't to say that becoming familiar with new technologies and trends in instructional technology isn't beneficial for a classroom, but it is not always necessary to bring everything into your classroom. It is worth saying twice that when it comes to technology in the classroom, sometimes less is more.