“Whad’Ya Know?”
At the beginning of each episode of Michael Feldman’s NPR show, “Whad’Ya Know?” he asks this question and in unison the audience replies “Not Much, You?” It’s a brilliant illustration of effective pre-assessment that begins by identifying learning outcomes and what students need to know about them. Think for a moment about what is really important in teaching, learning, and assessing. Is it proficiency on the standardized test, content knowledge in biology and civics, or mastery of skills for success such as problem solving, creativity, and social-emotional intelligence? The work of teaching and learning should start with that question: “What’Ya Want” learners to know and do at the end of the day, the unit, the grade, the school level, and beyond.
Once we identify what is important to know and do and then utilize strategies to engage, guide, and support learners, it is time to determine and substantiate learning outcomes. Multiple measures and multiple ways to demonstrate proficiency provide opportunities for all learners to be successful. Chad may excel at selected choice tests while Tessa may succeed with a “show what you know” assessment. The essential element here is that the assessment aligns with the visible learning targets. So, while Chad takes a test, Tessa create a Prezi in which they each show that they can define, explain, and sequence photosynthesis.
As Yogi Berra said “It’s not over till it’s over”, so it goes with assessment. After we assess student learning outcomes, decisions need to be made about how many are expected to show mastery, at what level, and what to do about those who don’t. It is not realistic to expect every student to earn a perfect score but it is realistic for the majority to achieve a pre-determined set point in relation to the learning targets. Then, decisions need to be made about what to reteach, how to reteach, and how to enrich for those who have achieved. “Whad’Ya Know?” The cycle is endless and I hope you know more than when you started out.
You can learn more at
http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-introduction
and
http://www.studentsatthecenter.org/topics/assessing-learning
and
https://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL_Institutional_Testing_Program/ELLM2002.pdf
3 Comments
Greta
June 26, 2015at 3:01 pmI really like the idea that teaching, and learning, is a continuous cycle. Not only must we have valid and reliable assessments, but we have to decide what constitutes mastery of the learning objectives, and what and how to reteach or enrich for those students who fall outside of the set-point, either below or above. Keeping the focus on the learner, and the learning, is what it’s all about. And it’s important to remember that, just like Chad and Tessa above, students can show mastery of an objective in all different kinds of ways.
Rachel Patten
June 27, 2015at 10:08 pmWhen developing assessments, you need to always have the objectives and outcomes in mind. Many times I see students completing worksheets or poorly worded quizzes. It pains me when I feel confused on a multiple choice question that may be for third graders! While it can be easy to find pre-made tests, worksheets, and quizzes online they may not be the most accurate way to assess students.
Attention to the final goal of a student’s performance, as well as an accurate, valid assessment of his/her knowledge is essential. Additionally, knowing how best to assess each student will help teacher’s to understand how well he/she has taught the intended subject.
Jamie Jaconetta
June 30, 2015at 10:47 amRight now, if I was asked, “Whad’ya know?” I would absolutely answer, “Not much, you?” If I have learned anything in the past year, it is that you never stop learning how to teach. Even when I think I have mastered a certain element of my craft, whether it be assessment, classroom management, or otherwise, there is always something new to try or some change that forces me to adapt. While our class gave me several new ideas for assessment, I must also keep an open mind to new ideas or changes in order to be a truly effective teacher.
I look forward to trying a number of different assessment techniques in student teaching and beyond. I am a big proponent of playing to the strengths of each individual student to give them the best chance to demonstrate what they have learned. In class, we explored the idea of performance tasks, in which students my choose the medium they present their findings. Formal assessments, on the other hand, can be as informal as simply asking the students as a class if they understand or not.