Philosophy of Assessment

After learning about numerous assessments, I have realized that they can all offer something to the classroom. When choosing an assessment, I first consider what kind of learning I would like to assess. For example, if I want to see how well students work in the lab, I would not choose to give a written test or an essay because it would not accurately measure their abilities. Instead, I would use a performance lab activity and observe students to see if they can properly use things such as the microscope and pipettes. Using this kind of thinking, I will use tests, exit tickets, oral presentations, and other assessments in the classroom based on what the learning criteria entails.

Just as I will use assessments to help students learn better, I will also use assessments to help me teach better. I will statistically analyze the results of tests and other assessments to determine which questions should be rewritten or omitted. I will also use exit tickets to help me determine if there is something I am not teaching effectively. For example, if an exit ticket shows me that the majority of the class is confused about a certain topic, I will readdress the topic to the class and make a note in my lesson plans to teach it differently in future classes. Finally, I will use student surveys to help me determine what I can improve upon. The survey questions will address how helpful certain class activities and teaching methods were and a section will allow students to include their own comments.

Along with becoming more effective in teaching certain subjects, part of becoming a better teacher includes fairness. If rubrics are elusive or subjective, there is room for favoritism in the grading. I will be a fair grader by creating structured rubrics to avoid any personal bias. I will consult with other teachers to make sure my assessments and rubrics are effective and fair. I will also assure that my assessments do not discriminate against different abilities by making sure student learning is measured rather than students’ innate abilities.

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I believe technology can benefit my classroom to a certain degree. In my classroom observations, students were supplied with an iPad and are expected to take notes and stay on topic. However, this classroom tool has led to immense distractions as I’ve noticed students in the back of the classroom playing with different apps. To avoid these kind of distractions, I will use educational games such as Kahoot or Quizalize at select times in the classroom rather than allowing students to use their electronic device throughout the entire class period.

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Throughout this class, I really resonated with McMillian’s (2008) textbook. The textbook straightforwardly showed me everything I need to know about classroom assessments. I also resonated with Black and William’s theory that formative assessment improves learning (Kingston & Nash, 2011). Rather than just measuring students’ knowledge with summative assessments, I will try to help my students learn with formative assessments. The theory that I resonated the most with was the importance of affective assessment (Hall, 2011). I believe that addressing and helping a student develop a positive affect towards learning can have lasting, profound effects on that student’s life.

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As of now, I have developed my personal philosophy based on what I learned in textbooks and classroom observations. I have no doubt that my personal philosophy is subject to change in the future when I actually start teaching. Although I still have much to learn from my mentors and from my mistakes, I can proudly say that I am moving in a positive direction. Thank you for reading!

References

Hall, R.A. (2011). Affective assessment: The missing piece of the educational reform puzzle. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators, 77(2), 7.

Kingston, N., & Nash, B. (2011). Formative assessment: A meta-analysis and a call for research. Education Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30(4), p. 28-37.

McMillian, J.H. (2008). Assessment essentials for standards-based education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.