My thoughts on TECHNOLOGY AND ASSESSMENT:

Through taking this class, I was again reminded how important assessment is: when a student’s learning is correctly assessed, one can then determine the best way to instruct the student by addressing the specific knowledge the student is expected to learn. Also, good assessment is not merely achieved through testing - students can learn while they are being assessed. Today's classroom has technology-based assessments to gather data to customize learning.

The class introduced me to a host of informational resources and links such as using handheld devices in the classroom; best WebQuests; a rubric composer; a ranking tool for analyzing and evaluating information; a career exploration tool; a link to improve student writing in the classroom; ideas for using blogs, social-networking sites, and video-sharing sites in school settings; and even a link to learn about computerized testing where the test questions become easier if they are marked incorrectly.  I have these bookmarked for reference.

I was amazed to learn about EAT (Electronic Alignment Tool) and thought it was a tremendous tool for the school districts in the state of Missouri. A school district can sign up for it and use it to align their curriculum with state standards and then have the results analyzed to determine the weaknesses between the learning objectives, activities and assessments.  (I am not currently teaching in Missouri, but if I were, I would want my district to enroll in it and reap the benefits of technology.)

I enjoyed the performance assessment of my deep understanding regarding my own curriculum.  I was able to take a thorough look at my planning with detail and questions I didn’t previously know to ask.  I found my weakest area, “Evaluation/Metacognition”, but also discovered practical ways that I could remedy the situation so that my students had the full benefit of their lessons.

The book we used, Educational Assessment for the Elementary and Middle School Classroom, was very informational and practical in addressing assessment issues.  It spelled out the reasoning for good assessment and included a comprehensive examination of the ways that assessment problems can be overcome.  I will continue using this book for many years to come.

References:

Borich, Gary D., & Tombari, Martin L.(2004).  Educational Assessment for the Elementary and Middle School Classroom, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

	ARTIFACTS
Electronic Portfolio Comparison - .rtf (25 kb)
Online Tools for Assessing Higher Order Thinking - .rtf (8 kb)
Performance Assessment - .rtf (37 kb)