After reading the article'
Assessment Through the Student's Eyes' we really have to rethink how our assessments affect our students. My school district seemed to always be test driving different types of assessments, some that I approved and excelled at, others that I did not enjoy. I was one of the students who was on a winning streak. I nearly always excelled at the standard assessments of tests and quizzes, but I found other means of assessments nearly pointless. I thought that if I could demonstrate my knowledge through an exam, why should I need to demonstrate it through a paper write-up or class activity? These seemed to slow me down from the winning streak I was on, not down to a losing streak, but I did feel that I was being limited. There were, however, students who were not as apt at the standard assessments as I was who often did benefit from those class activities.
I did appreciate that we were helping our fellow students learn the material and grow from their mistakes. But it almost seemed that those of us who were naturally gifted in learning the material, that we were being limited. However, there were classes where I greatly benefited from the class activities and those who struggled in other classes excelled. Perhaps I was limiting them in those classes.
I think the question becomes, how do we enable those who are already on a winning to fully embrace it and excel even further, but also enable those on a losing streak to turn their game around?
I think this article does a good job at addressing the latter half of the question of turning a losing streak into a winning streak. The ideas are certainly good and focus on developing a true, ongoing learning for the students. This allows the students to develop their own streak. If they desire to win, they have the capability to do so. But, I think the article does a rather poor job at addressing the first half of my proposed question. It doesn't take into account that by helping up those who are losing, we may actually be damaging those who are winning. For example, since the no child left behind policy has been enforced, our school has needed to develop its lower achieving students. However, in the national mandate to do this, the classes became easier, to the point where I wasn't challenged to grow or excel.
Also, the goal seemed to be to develop our image under no child left behind and we did this by teaching our students how to test well. We didn't teach them how to do math well or how to read well, only how to do well on a formalized assessment. So, even though our school was 'improving' in the eyes of the state, it is my opinion that the true learning was actually decreasing.
Needless to say, the assessment through the eyes of the state is flawed. But how do we, as educators, bring in student friendly assessments that allow student to grow from nothing if that is the case, or to excel to magnificence if they have the capability.
