Chapter 4 Assessments Response

Assessment should be varied, ongoing and guide instruction. A fearsome threesome I shall not soon forget due to the tenacity of Dr. Marilyn Foxworth. She practically seared those three components in my brain forever. By using assessment information, teachers can better know how to instruct students based on their interests, strengths and weaknesses. By taking into account all aspects of a student’s life, the teacher provides a better opportunity for student involvement, motivation and success.
Throughout the chapter, the phrase, “Do not rely on results from any one test” is reiterated. So many times so much focus is placed on one test that the outcome is somewhat clouded. Some students do excellent on standardizdized test but are not actually successful students in the classroom, and vice versa. The standardized tests should only be used as supplemental tool in determining student success, not the final verdict. However, many times, major decisions are hinged on a students score on these types of tests, when should be an overall view of the students work in the classroom along with the standardized test. By using all aspects of a student’s career, teachers can better grasp the level of learning the student is actually at, not how well they can take a test to suit some preconceived idea of where students should be.
The most interesting part of the chapter for me was the mention of portfolios. In my opinion, portfolios allow students a great deal of artistic freedom to express themselves. All the teacher needs to do is give students a guideline to follow, and then let the students go in any direction that feels right to them, as long as they cover the necessary material in the final product. In addition, student involvement will be much more prevalent because they are given a say in what is taking place in their curriculum. By allowing students ownership of an assignment, teachers get a chance to see the real student, not the one they are expected to be. I agree completely with what the chapter says, “Portfolios present the greatest variety of chances to represent a student’s personal identity, literacy skill, content knowledge and ways of knowing, communication and motivation, and knowledge and skill in content area literacy.” I most definitely favor portfolio assessments as opposed to other types because they provide a small window into the student’s life that might otherwise be closed to teacher eyes.