Assessment: In Class and Standardized

As the issue of assessment is one that is constant in today's classrooms, I am constantly reminded of its importance. I feel that I have gained SO much knowledge through this year of studies, and it is imperative that I carry that with me into my future classroom. In Dr. Risko's class, we learned of all of the assessment tools and programs that are not proven to be effective, and yet they are still sufficient for school districts to use to gauge their students' progress. As we learn about new tools and programs that have the research to back them up, it is our responsibility to make them known to our schools.

In my practicum, I have learned about the importance of informal assessments throughout the lesson. I spent the last few weeks observing after I finished teaching my lessons, and it is so obvious just how many students leave the lessons still confused. That is one of the clear dangers of planning too far ahead; there is not enough room to make adjustments, especially when three teachers are sharing teaching one subject. There is bound to be a problem with overlap or gaps in general.

Assessments are crucial to monitor progress, but they should not be the only ways that a student's knowledge is measured. There needs to be a thorough balance of authentic assessments with formalized assessments in order for a teacher to be sure that he or she understands all that a student knows.