Decluttering Assessment
There is a movement afoot to declutter our homes and our lives. Advice comes from cleaning experts, organizing professionals, prioritizing specialists, and more. Marie Kondo recommends getting rid of things that no longer bring joy or serve their purpose. For generations, Heloise has been telling people how to organize closets, and the International Cleaning Organization holds an annual expo on clutter control. Seriously, their advice can also declutter and improve assessment. Consider these ideas.
SORT: Determine categories that make sense to you such as;
Purpose: What is their function? Summative, formative, common, alternative
Timing: When do you use them? Before, during, after teaching and learning
Practice: How do you choose what to use and when? Traditional (selected choice, essay) Student owned (metacognitive, self/peer review) Products and performance (progress logs, observations)
PRIORITIZE: Decide what is most important and essential in assessment. Is it mutual, informative, or…
Consistent: Does everyone take the same test at the same time in content areas and grade levels?
Flexible: Do strategies and processes vary for subject and students?
Engaging: Is it embedded throughout teaching and learning? Does it involve teachers and students?
Equitable: Is it fair and supportive of all learners? Does it emphasize gains rather than scores?
Technical Qualities: Consider accuracy, consistency, and alignment.
STORE: Manage storage to avoid clutter-whelm
Electronic or paper documentation depends on frequency and purpose of assessments. Most is stored electronically, but for routine reminders keep a notepad app or even real paper handy for those flashes of brilliance or reminders of people and things that need checking, confirming, or questioning. Maximize your student management system for grading, notes, and parent communication in ways that are personally productive and practical.
Helpful organizational technologies include LiveBinders and Remind. Assessments and data can be stored with Kahoot GoFormative, and Quizziz. Use all that Google Classroom has to offer.
Feel The Lightness
