Assessment Versus Testing

In my college courses from day one, I have been hammered with the idea that the best way to evaluate student learning - that is, if they are actually learning, progressing, and understanding, is by verifying that they are actually able to use that new knowledge and understanding in practical, creative and innovative ways. Then, ironically, these same colleges gave us a multiple choice test to be sure we got that.  LOL!  Seriously though, in the last 2 years of my undergraduate studies and during my current 2 years of graduate studies, the bulk of my grades - almost exclusively - have been based on projects (often collaborative) and papers, not tests.

Now I'm not saying that teachers in K-12 schools don't know this, or don't use this knowledge of what is best for children, not at all! But what I am saying is the increased focus on making sure students pass standardized tests if forcing the hand of many teachers, schools and districts.  With only so many hours in a day and their very jobs on the line, guiding 25-30 kids through a multidisciplinary integrated and comprehensive unit that culminates in collaborative final projects is not going to be a viable option.  There just isn't time.

Further, many of the unit, mid-term and final tests that we all love and remember well from our own school days... and used to use to verify what we just taught are being eliminated because with the state testing, and the preparation for the state testing, and the beta-testing of the state tests, schools/districts/teachers had to decide just how much of their year is spent testing their kids - many sadly felt compelled to to give the state tests priority over their own.

And just what do these tests tell us?  I'm not going to say - see what you can find out on your own.  See if the 45-90 minutes of pure torture is worth the "pay-out".  Decide for yourself if a previously enthusiastic and inquisitive kid decides they are stupid and now hates school now because they took a test that measured (purposely) things they didn't know - ask yourself if that is worth whatever results come out.  And speaking of test results, who gets them?  And what are they used for?

There are so many great ways to check to see if the kids "get" what you are trying to teach them and these are ways that are far more accurate, ways that build the spirit of that beautiful soul, not crush it.  Ways that don't limit the use of all that new knowledge and understanding to a simple answer on a ridiculous test. But these are not "efficient" ways.  These are not ways that are easily data-mined and converted to graphs and charts.  There is a degree of art and nuance to both the teaching process as well as the evaluation/assessment process and when done 'right', they are one in the same. 

#evaluatethat

Jeanne 

Today's musings were brought to you by the following video:

http://youtu.be/-1rJXTtDBPA