Chapter 14

Before reading the chapter, I don't think I realized there were so many different methods of assessing students.  I feel like when you mention assessment and you grew up in Tennessee, your mind automatically goes to TCAPs. However, that's only one form of assessment (standardized), and that type is not always appropriate for every situation. Looking at the diagram on pg. 505 really got me thinking about all the other forms of assessments and situations in which they would each be useful.

Informal vs. Formal Assessment
Informal assessments will probably be used most often in my classroom. I think they're a great way to quickly get an idea of where your students are and can help guide your instruction. For example, if I'm reading a story aloud and I notice a lot of people with confused faces, I may ask a simple question about the section I just read. If most cannot answer, then I may need to reread and explain that section more in depth. On the other hand, if I want to know if my students understand the entire story I may tell them to read it on their own for homework and be prepared to take a quiz the next day. This gives the students time to prepare and the worksheet results would pinpoint specific parts of the story that they either understood or struggled with.  

Paper-Pencil vs. Performance Assessment
The quiz I suggested above would also be a type of paper-pencil assessment since it would require students to respond to specific questions on paper. However, another beneficial way to asses my students' knowledge of the story would be to have them retell the story in their own words or perhaps act it out in groups. Some students may be better able to respond in this manner, and it may provide me with more feedback compared with only receiving answers for the particular quiz questions chosen.

Traditional vs. Authentic Assessment
When I think about traditional assessment, I automatically think math. Many of the math problems I did as a student felt completely disconnected from the real world.  A traditional assessment in my classroom would be like giving a worksheet that included money addition and subtraction problems. To assess my students knowledge of using money, I think I'd rather use an authentic assessment and have them "buy" products from their classmates at a fake store. Money is something that is used everyday, so I think it's more useful to see if they would know how to transfer their knowledge to a real-world situation.

Standardized Test vs. Teacher-Developed Assessment
I think teacher-developed assessments are best used the majority of the time. Teachers can create tests based on what their students have learned up to that point. Every class and child is different, so a standardized test may not always be the best route. As a teacher, you may not be as far into the material that a standardized test thinks you should be, so you're students may not even understand some of the test  items. By making my own tests, I can design it specifically for my students and to assess the specific concepts I want to see if my students understand. For example, if I want to see if my students understand the concept of story sequence, I can create a test that specifically asks sequence questions. However, I think standardized tests are good when you want to compare your class to others in your school, school system, or the country.

Criterion-Referenced vs. Norm-Referenced Assessment
When it comes to disadvantages, I think norm-referenced assessments have the most. I don't think it promotes growth by comparing a students performance to that of another; instead it promotes competition. While competition can create motivation which is great, I worry that it can also stifle progress. Students may simply focus on beating their peers instead of helping them when they can. Also, the amount of effort it takes to surpass their peers may be less than what they're actually capable of. However, I do think at times it helps to see where each child stands compared to the entire class, so that you have a basic idea of who might need individualized instruction. I think criterion-referenced assessment has the most advantages because it puts students on an equal playing field. It is based on their personal performance, so as long as they put in their best effort they will be rewarded.