Brooke's Portfolio
I have found it to be frustrating in the last few years of teaching, that everything I teach is to the test. This test, specifically the New York State Regents Exam in English, is a two day test, comprised of four essays and 26 multiple choice questions. I know that I need to be teaching my students through experience, but how do I do this in regards to a standardized test? This mini-course will be designed to help other English teachers create lessons to teach for understanding and explore authentic assessments while still involving the state assessment required to graduate from high school.
File:Teaching for Understanding.doc
Objectives
Teachers will understand the importance of continuing to utilize teaching for understanding.
Teachers will be able to use common ideas to apply to their lesson in regards to teaching for understanding.
Teachers will be able to use authentic assessment in his/her classroom to supplement teaching for understanding.
Units:
Unit 1: The need for assessment to evolve: It's not just about pencils, paper and multiple choice questions anymore!
Unit 2: Creating effective Assessment: What do we want our students to learn?
Unit 3: Portfolios or E-Porfolios (I haven't decided what approach I am going to take yet, but probably E-Portfolios because it incorporates technology into the classroom)
Unit 4: The Importance of Rubrics: Choosing the important criteria to assess
Extended Resources: List of my resources as well as links to other pages that address alternative and authentic assessment.
- This has sort of taken on a life of it's own as I have progressed. Because of discussions that were happening at my job, I decided to add in Writer's Workshop and change the way I approached the end of this project.
Unit 1: The need for assessment to evolve: It's not just about pencils, paper and multiple choice questions anymore!
Compare NCLB and Fairtest.org. Does high stakes testing meet the need of our students?
Unit 2: Creating effective Assessment: What do we want our students to learn?
What kind of assessment do you use in your classroom? Choose an authentic assessment method that you don't normally use. Provide a description of the assignment and a description of the chosen method of assessment. What kind of knowledge did the assessment give to the learner?
Unit 3: Writer's Workshop
How does Writer's Workshop relate to authentic assessment? Develop a mini-lesson for Writer's Workshop in your classroom. What do you want your students to learn? How would Writer's Workshop support your quest to achieve success with your students on the state assessment?
Unit 4: Portfolios or E-Porfolios (I haven't decided what approach I am going to take yet, but probably E-Portfolios because it incorporates technology into the classroom)
What traits of authentic assessment does a portfolio contain? Use of a portfolio in the classroom? Specific traits you would include? What is your view in implementing technology to authentic assessment?
Unit 5: The Importance of Rubrics: Choosing the important criteria to assess
Refer back to the mini-lesson. Create a short assignment and then create a rubric for that assignment. What qualities will you focus on?
Resources
Student-Directed Assessment of Knowledge Building Using Electronic Portfolios Jan van Aalst and Carol K. K. Chan Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong THE JOURNAL OF THE LEARNING SCIENCES, 16(2), 175–220 Copyright ©2007, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
"A Five-Dimensional Framwork for Authentic Assessment." Gulikers, J., Bastiaens, T., Kirschner, P. Educational Technology Research and Development v. 52 no. 3 (2004). Wilson Web March 9, 2008
"Choosing Assessments That Matter." Abilock, Debbie. Knowledge Quest v. 35 no. 5 May/June 2007. Wilson Web March 9, 2008
"20 Ways to... USe Authentic Assessment Techniquest to Fulfill the Promise of No Child Left Behind." Layton, Carol A., Lock, Robin H. Intervention in School and Clinic v. 42 no. 3 January 2007. Wilson Web March 9, 2008
"Best Sites for Assessment Tools." Troutner, Joanne. Teacher Librarian v. 33 no. 1 October 2005. Wilson Web March 9, 2008
"Alternative Assessment Strategies for Schools." Madeja, Stanley. Arts Education Policy Review v. 105 no. 5 May/June 2004. Wilson Web March 9, 2008
"A Teacher's Guide to Alternative Assessment: Taking the First Steps." Corcoran, Carol A., Dershimer, E., Tichenor, M. The Clearing House v. 77 no. 5 May/June 2004 Wilson Web March 9, 2008
