Kelsey, Petah

EDUG 507
PRQ#4
February 19, 2015
How do you like to be tested?
The word test was a very frightening word for me to hear when
I was a student because I had no idea what was on the test and I would
have to suffer the consequences if I did poorly. I experienced the more
traditional styles, when a teacher took information that he or she liked
in the unit and created a high-stakes test. I want to include the
students in the assessment process to feel like they have input on their
own education. Rick Stiggins (2007) reveals, Rather than sorting
students into winners and losers, assessment for learning can put all
students on a winning streak (p. 22). I want my students to always
feel like they are on a winning streak and be successful in all that
they do. I can enlarge and enhance student learning, by building
rubrics with my students, giving students choices in assessments, and
having students analyze both self and peer work.
Rubrics are an important tool to have for students to know the
expectations. Burden and Byrd (2013) describes rubrics as a type of
rating scale used to judge students performance on a continuum
(p.293). There are many ways in which to design a rubric and having
student input is vital to the process. Andrea Guillaume (2008)
describes including the students in this process as not only
1

fundamental to the growth of self-assessors, but for their voices to be

heard and to claim responsibility for learning.
Guillaumes (2008) article continues and says, Costa and Kallick argue
that only when they are effective self-evaluators will students be
autonomous individuals who can analyze their own progress, motivate
their own learning and action, and renew themselves as people. A
rubric is a way to include students so they know what is expected of
them and they have input on what will be assessed. For example, if we
are learning about missions, the students will assist me in creating the
rubric by setting parameters on how they will be graded. I will show
them different main themes such as: creativeness, details, and
organization. From there we will put it into a three-point scale and
decide together the expectations of each performance level. Having
the students analyze what deserves a three-point versus a two or one
point will be invaluable to them when creating their own project. The
best part of building the rubric together is them being able to mold the
grading portion into their project choice.
Giving student choice in assessments is another important tool
that I want to include in my classroom. I want to students to decide
how they wish to express themselves while still including the rubric
into their thought pattern. TPE4.4 states, To meet students academic
learning needs, candidates explain content clearly and reinforce
content in multiple ways, such as the use of written and oral

presentation, manipulatives, physical models, visual and performing

arts, diagrams, non-verbal communication, and use of media and other
technology (Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), (2013).
Examples of assessments could be: building a replica of the mission,
drawing or painting a picture of the mission, creating a Power Point
presentation. The decision that they make will enhance the project to
them; thus, enforcing learning by showing what they have learned.
Having students analyze both self and peer work is equally
important when it comes to enhancing and enlarging students
assessments. By the students critiquing each other and themselves
they can learn the skills they will need for the future. Vygotsky (1978)
writes, The zone of proximal development defines those functions that
have not yet matured but are in the process of maturation, functions
that will mature tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic state (p.
86). It is my job to take my students out of this embryonic state and
equip them with the abilities to self analyze their work so they can
improve. After the missions projects have been submitted, we would
take the rubric that we designed and analyze each others works. I
would factor in their evaluations about others into the final grade.
Giving the students ownership over their peers and their own grades
will be powerful because they were able to be set up for success
through a rubric.

Creating a rubric to know the expectations of the assessment;

having the flexibility to choose how I wanted to express my knowledge
and being able to engage with other students work would have been a
tremendous comfort to me as a student. With having that say in my
own education, I know that my test anxiety would have been
diminished or may have nonexistent. Stiggins (2007) said, Highquality assessments encourage further learning; low-quality
assessments hinder learning. Understanding the emotional dynamics
of the assessment experience from the students perspective is crucial
to the effective use of assessments to improve schools (p. 26). My
goal in the classroom is to strive for high-quality assessments that will
push my students further and force ownership onto my students. So
that my students will have confidence and motivation when they hear
the word test.

References
Burden, P.R., & Byrd, D.M. (2013). Methods for effective teaching (6th
ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2013). California teaching

performance
expectations. Retrieved from
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA-files/TPEs-FullVersion.pdf

Guillaume, A.M. (2008). K-12 classroom teaching: a primer for new

professionals (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.

Stiggins, R. (2007). Through the students eyes, Educational

Leadership (may)(22-26).

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Interaction between learning and development.

In Mind in

society: The development of higher psychological

processes (p. 79-91). Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press.