Blog #6 Assesment Thoughts

BLOG Topic 6 Beattie Chapters:

I have a lot of mixed feelings when the word assessment comes up.  It depends who is mentioning it and what the intention behind assessment is.  

I view educational process much like the process of “growing up”  We all have our own developmental pace.  Do we expect infants to all eat solids at the same age?  Do we expect them to walk, start talking, potty train all at the same age?  Ironically, our society does seem to put more and more pressure on this process, mothers wondering if there child is not as smart or falling behind if they dont meet specific mile stones inline with their peers. It goes against nature for me.

Traditional assessment is a set up . We all learn in different ways, at different rates, and sometimes, for different reasons.  So how can a single form of assessment measure this? There is an thread on Linkedin right now on this very topic and it just raises such frustration for me. Especially because the need seems to be generated by people who dont work with kids.

In my own classroom, assessment happens with in the context of relationship.  A process oriented project is in and of itself a measuring tool.  The discussion that takes place about the development of the idea, and how the use of materials evolves over time.  It happens with in the community, as a less experienced student observes a more experienced student and observing the point when the role changes and that student has the confidence and knowledges to guide another. Its a complex relationship that self sustains.

In my classroom there are no grades.  There is only effort.  If a student tries, that is good.  If a student gets frustrated, that is good, they are out of their comfort zone and they grow because they are supported in that frustration.  Frustration is good.  

Assessment is life based, experience based.  Not standards based. How can someone possibly know what my students need or are ready for? Often, what is being addressed in my classroom exceeds many standards, but some are left unaddressed.  These choices are made through decisions I make based on my relationship with my students.

Where I agree in the reading are the statements “Assessment is criterion referenced and compares students performances to past performances”, as well as it is “responsive to collaborative and collective learning”.  This is where relationship and dialogical learning can play a huge role. 

The articles offer many different strategies, many of which are good when students require a framework to operate with in. Many of these I use to a degree in my literature classes when students are managing multiple expectations simultaneously.  However, when the framework is encompassed in a cultural norm for learning and expectations, such things as check lists, tallies and numbers are secondary to the primary experience of dialogue. Especially in art where the subject is so much more fluid in nature and the only anticipated outcome is an expresseds exploration of idea and material.

Critique is definitely a wonderful integrative way to “assess’ progress with in the context of the community's process of creating.  Again, it comes back to dialogue and relating.  Interviews are also wonderful.  VTS again finds it way into the process as a assesment critique tool.  I can  see it being used as a spring board for summative assessment in that a student can use the feedback and conversation to evaluate the clairity of the message they were trying to express. A honing tool.  
     Assessment  should just be an integrated part of the process in my personal opinion, not something that happens separately, and certainly not something that feels like a judgement on success.  If a student is working, success is inherent. Growth will occur naturally and gracefully.