Alisha McFadyen

William Buggie

Evaluation and Assessment

Philosophy of Assessment

March. 2nd 2018

Assessment - what do us teachers do? One of the ongoing, controversial topics of today's

teaching styles, philosophies, and strategies, is based on assessment and whether or not it is

something that should be had it the classroom, and if it is, how it is used. I believe assessment, as

controversial as it may be, serves as a measurable purpose within the classroom. However, my

belief in this is solely based on the standing that the assessment taking place is done right. The

next question follows through as just that, what is “right” in means of assessment? For me, as a

future teacher, “right” means creating assessment that is collaborative, having a wide range of

assessment strategies, and using both formative and summative assessment in a purposeful way

that is ultimately beneficial to students.

The first thing I want to implement within my classroom is creating a collaborative

environment for my students. This means allowing them to work together, help with decision

making, and have a say in classroom rules. Another way that I want to use this collaboration is in

terms of assessment, by allowing the students to have a voice. My strategy for this is, instead of

assessment being sprung apon students, is to allow them chances to create assessment tools,

deciding between options, and help in listing the things that they, as students, feel is important to

be marked on, or beneficial for their future learning and achievement. I want my students in my

classroom to know that I have their best interest in mind, wanting nothing but success for them

throughout their year, and ultimately, for the years that follow. This follows what is said within
the book Classroom Assessment that Works, written by Anne Davis, when it is stated that:

“When students are involved from the beginning, they are more ready to learn” (p. 5).

Another way that assessment can be a great tool in the classroom is by having a wide

range of assessment strategies. Unfortunately, some forms of assessment can create and prompt

stress and anxiety among students, which is turn leads down a path of not doing well when it

comes time to be assessed. This not only becomes discouraging for the students, but it also

becomes and inaccurate result of the students work on account of their apprehensiveness towards

the assessment itself. On the other hand, however, assessment does not have to be something that

causes students this unease and nervousness, but can actually be something that students enjoy.

This idea of having assessment strategies that lead down a path of student enjoyment means

taking into account the different learning styles, making sure that students can pursue their

strengths in areas they thrive, while also learning and building on areas they may struggle. For

this to be achieved, I plan to have a wide range of assessment strategies through tools such as:

journals, creative projects, exit slips, learning centers, and peer teaching. Grading, Reporting,

and Professional Judgments in Elementary Classrooms, written by Anne Davis and Sandra

Herbst, this idea into words when saying “We can’t just tell students what they need to learn and

what their learning needs to look like. Just as teachers need to know what students know, are

able to do, and can articulate, students also need to know for themselves what they know, are

able to do, and can articulate” (page 33).

Using these different areas of assessment means making formative assessment a useful

tool in the classroom. Through these diverse assessment tools I would be able to assess in

different ways, specifically formatively, providing opportunity to give consistent, meaningful,

and valuable feedback to help improve student achievement, while being able to meet the needs
of all my students. Through formative assessment, my students would be constantly assessed in a

relaxed environment, creating more ease with each assignment that is done. I believe that this

constant use of assessment creates valuable data on each student, seeing their growth within all

areas of each subject, confirming both strengths and areas of improvement on a wide range scale.

Along with formative assessment, the final way I plan to use assessment within my

classroom is through summative assessment. The way that I would use this type of assessment is

through end of unit projects and creative assignments. I would allow students to have choice with

where they would like to take the final assignment (relating to the subject/unit that was taught),

encouraging students to thrive in areas they enjoy and potentially already excel in. My goal for

this is for students to use their confidence in particular areas to improve their learning, while also

showing their classmates a little bit more about themselves and what their strengths are. I love

the quote that Davis uses when explaining the positivity that this sharing can have on students

when stating that: “Celebrating our accomplishments by sharing our work with others is part of

the learning process” (p. 8).

Assessment - there are ways to use it in the classroom that promote learning, creativity,

and a collaborative class environment. Whether its having the students have say in what the

assessment expectations are, having a wide variety of assessment tools that explore

differentiation among students, or having choice for final assignments that allow students to

shine, there are many ways that assessment can be done in a student friendly and stress-free way.

I believe that showing the students that the assessment being done is solely for their benefit is

key for the success of the assessment being done, and consequently, for the students success in

their journey of life.

References:

Davis, A. (2011). Making Classroom Assessment Work (Third ed.). Courtenay:

Connect2learning.

Davis, A., & Herbst, S. (2016). Grading, Reporting, and Professional Judgment in Elementary
Classrooms. Courtenay: Connect2learning