| One of our school's new goals is to re-evaluate the way we assess learning.
We have been given a model to use to ensure that the way we present
materials and assess learning on a daily and unit basis, truly do help the
kids to prepare for assessments such as what they will encounter on the
PSAE. In other words, if I were coaching basketball, I wouldn't have my
team on the baseball field practicing fielding. We are not going to be
changing the curriculum, just changing how we assess the student's
learning. The model stresses that when determining whether or not a student
is grasping key concepts, educators should assess of learning ane for
learning. In other words, did the kids learn the skills we wanted them to
learn and, along the way, did we teach the way they are going to be assessed?
Since formal assessments and college testing procedures are more skills
based, the students are going to be given more activities, quizzes and tests
that also examine how well they mastered the skills taught and not
necessarily if they can recall specific details about the stories we read.
For example, the ACT won't ask kids to mention who the main character of the
Odyssey was, but will ask them to answer questions about the tone in a
reading passage. In college, a professor won't ask a business student what
a certain management model is but will instead ask the student to compare
two management models and then justify which is the more effective method.
In the end, this new model for assessments will help our students to become
more familiar with the format of the PSAE and should then help them to do
better and be more prepared. Please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions.
I put a handout of the actual model we are now using to create assessments
on my handout page. Enjoy!!!
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