Blog Post #1
Growing up as a
student in my elementary school years, the word assessment scared me. Whenever
my teacher would say the word assessment or during my assessment period I would
often feel very anxious. During assessment periods at school, the room was
often very quiet without much communication from students. It was often a
period where students got very competitive, but it was also a time where
students were made fun of. Students would often make fun of other students who
didn’t do as well as them on their final test or book report. As a child, I viewed
assessment as being right or wrong, smart or dumb because as kids like myself
who weren't really taught the true meaning of assessment and the potential
benefits for it.
Growing up as a student in my secondary school years
changed my views and opinions regarding assessment. I learned to understand the
components of assessment and why teachers/profs/teaching assistance assesses
students. At this age teachers began to explain the importance of assessment
and the benefits it has to student learning. During my secondary school years
that competitive nature was still present. Students competed for higher marks
and often discriminated others who didn’t do as well on assignments and
tests.
Growing up as a student with multiple levels and forms of
assessment I have been able to reflect and build off these experiences to help
me understand the ways I will assess my students in my teaching career. When I
think about my own definition of ‘meaningful assessment,’ I think that the
evaluation (test, paper, or presentation) must meet certain requirements. As
teachers we need to offer a wide variety of methods or tools that we can use to
evaluate, measure and document the academic, learning process and skill
achievement of our students. Assessments are also used to identify student’s
strengths and areas of need so that educators can provide students with
specialized academic support, educational programming or curriculum
modifications if needed. As future teachers I think we need to remove the
stigma surrounding assessment and create an atmosphere where students feel
confortable and confident to participate in these different forms of
assessment. Educating on the real need for assessment and why they happen in
our educational careers is important for students to understand. It is crucial
for students to have a positive and memorable assessment experience so that
they can feel self-assured in their educational journey.
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