The following text appears in Gayle Mindes, Assessing Young Children, Copyright 2011, pp.6. Assessment are a formal and informal process for gathering information. Assessment are also a decision- making tool, for individual or group “information gathered through informed observation and other methods”. Performance-based assessment is considered as Authentic assessment and must be integrated into the curriculum and instructions. performance-based assessment is systematic, multidisciplinary and based on the everyday tasks of childhood and yields information about all the developmental areas: motoric, temperament , linguistic, cognitive, and social/ emotional. “A comprehensive assessment system must consider...:The child as an individual and …show more content…
The different types of assessments are Formative assessment; which is data gathered while teaching or program implementation is occurring; changes to instruction and programs are made while they are in process (pp. 17). The advantages of Formative assessment are the link to appropriate curriculum during a learning activity to improve learning and The disadvantages of Formative assessment are that the teacher is evaluating students according to the same criteria.
Authentic assessment is determining developmental progress of children through a variety of means, including observation and special problems or situations (pp. 19). The advantages of Authentic assessment are intellectual accomplishments to student learning and achievement. The disadvantages of Authentic assessment are having to create the curriculum to follow from the assessment.
Performance based assessments are used to gather a demonstration of the range of knowledge a child has on each subject instead of just testing the accuracy of their responses . The advantages of Performance based assessment are that children are able to obtain content knowledge, acquire skills, and develop work habits. It engages the children and teacher daily. The disadvantages of Performance based assessment are that there are
Elwood, J. (2006). Formative assessment: possibilities, boundaries and limitations. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 215-232, doi:10.1080/09695940600708653
A pre-assessment will not only inform me on what students know but also help me differentiate instruction for my students. This can be conducted through discussions, graphic organizers, and journals. These activities allow me to gauge what students know. Students might produce or participate in a performance-based assessment to show what they've learned. Performance-based assessments assess students' understanding on a deeper level by showing what students internalized and by applying the knowledge they've learned through authentic situations.
Research carried out by Ofsted (2011) shows that, assessment improved a practitioner’s awareness of a child’s strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently, this had a positive influence on their planning, as they were able to differentiate and offer adequate support for children. Ofsted believes it to be the best way to improve pupil’s attainment (Ofsted, 2011).
I have always had a keen interest in observing children as they play and learn and using the observations to support the child’s growth. This is partly based on my past professional experiences and observations of my own children. I believe that my other strength in assessment is in analyzing data and using the data to make decisions. While I feel, this area is a strength, my exposure to the vast array of assessment tools used to support student learning has been
Puckett, M., & Black, J. (2008). Meaningful assessments of the young child. (3th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Snow, C. E. (2008). Early childhood assessment why, what, and how. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Performance-Based Assessment: What is it? Students can exhibit their knowledge and
Assessment, in the context of education, was defined by Lambert, D (2000, pag 4) as the processs of gathering, recording and using information about pupils' responses to educational tasks. Despite some can consider that assessment is separated from the learning process, assessment is, in fact, an essential part of the learning proccess. Maguire, M. and Dillon, J. (2007, pag 213) pointed out that assessment is intrincately bound-up in the teaching-learning cycle.
Formative assessments inform instructional practices. If used correctly formative assessments can be an advantage that allows students to know what areas they should study further and what areas they are competent in. It also teachers valuable information that will help them in lesson planning. Again, they key use to use data from the formative assessments effectively. If teachers merely assign an exit ticket with three questions at the end of every class, but they never check them for understanding or use the information to guide instruction, then it is not truly a formative assessment.
Assessments are according to Edglossary.org (2014), “the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning process, and skill acquisition of students”. Assessments can be used to identify several important aspects of learning and development. First, they can be used to distinguish a child’s strengths and weaknesses as well as measure specific knowledge and skills. Assessments can also be used to demonstrate what a child has learned and what they understand (“Assessment,” 2014). My opinion of assessment has not changed; however, now I understand how to use assessments that will help ensure that I am providing the most benefits for my students.
Although somewhat vague compared to summative assessment, several key features help frame formative assessment. First, formative assessment happens while learning is taking place as opposed to at the end of content delivery. Rather, this is considered “assessment for learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). The format is formal or informal, but the outcome in its use is an in-progress check of what students know and what students do not know. Chappuis, Stiggins, Chappuis, and Arter (2012) define formative assessment as, “Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning,” (pg. 24). Second, this type of assessment is used to make instructional strategy adjustments. If student learning did not happen via one instructional method, the teacher must make the necessary accommodations to reteach the concept or skill. Next, it is not only used by teachers for feedback on instruction, but formative assessment is also used for providing timely, descriptive feedback to students and extends to allow for student self-assessment (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012; Popham, 2008). Formative assessment provides opportunity to provide specific feedback to students on where they are currently in their learning, and where they should be headed.
It is important that teachers give children a fair chance to show their knowledge when assessing. “The purpose of assessment is to provide feedback that can be used to improve student performance” (Orange 2000). Teachers assess children to ensure that they are understanding the material, and to make sure they are learning. For young children, tests should never be the only criteria for assessment. Instructors should always make sure that their assessment is fair.
Assessments to Inform and Monitor Instruction (Section 3) The ultimate purpose of assessment in early childhood programs would be to support a young child’s growth, learning, and development. Assessments aid in gathering information about daily learning, supports teaching, and informs teachers of potential areas of concern. The primary purpose for instructional assessments are to identify where individual children are developmentally and academically, along with to monitor progress overtime.
Assessment is a tool used in the classroom every day. It is used to measure a student’s mastery of a skill or knowledge of a given subject. It is also what demonstrates to the teacher what the students have learned. Educators use that information to determine if they need to re-teach to a specific student, group, or the entire class. They can also use that information to determine the rate of their teaching. Assessments are important because, as teachers, we need to know what difficulties our students have and what needs to be refined for them. While I do believe in assessment and feel that it is one of the key components of teaching, I am more concerned with a child’s process of learning rather than the overall product that comes from it. This is where grades come in for me. Grades determine the students’ level of mastery on a subject, nothing more. Grades should not be the exclusive indicators that a student has learned the information that is presented to them. It is the things a student learns along the way that truly matter and sometimes cannot be measured.
As I reflect on my past assessment process, I realized how much my assessments have changed over the years. In my early years, I used tests for informational recall as my assessments. I felt these were appropriate guidelines in which I needed to follow in order to substantiate a student’s grade. Every assignment or tests was given a point value and then based on the amount of points, a grade was given. Every student’s assessment was exactly the same, and the assessments did not contain any subjectivity. I felt confident in giving the grade based on a valid point system. However reflecting back, I see that I did not include any performance-based assessments or individual learning styles in my early assessment. I also did not take into consideration the individual needs of my students. My assessment approach was awful. I am embarrassed that I use to assess students in this manner.