With more and more research coming in, it seems pretty clear that authentic assessment is needed in any classroom. One of the most important things I have learned so far in my educational studies is that all students learn and test differently. Using authentic assessment allows students to test what they know in such a way that will help them reach their full potential. When I was searching for articles to add to this collection, I ran across a fantastic resource from an educator I have studied quite a bit in college. Grant Wiggins is one of the leaders in the development of authentic assessment and in his article Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, Wiggins discusses what authentic assessment is, why we need to do it, the cost of changing curriculum, and the community’s reaction to the change. The other thing that I really like that this article has is additional resources for the audience. Wiggins believes that authentic assessments need to be implemented in every classroom and has been doing research to prove it.
http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=2&n=2
One way to guide students in assess them is by using rubrics. Rubrics can be great tools for both teachers and students because, when used effectively, students know exactly what the teacher is looking for when grading an assessment. Along with knowing what the teacher is looking for, a rubric is also a fantastic way for students to self-evaluate their work after the work is done. Self-evaluation is a very underrated aspect for both teachers and students. One of the best ways to continually develop your skills as an educator is by self-evaluation of your daily work. Rubrics do a great job of self-evaluation and are a great guide for teachers as well. The resource that I want to have in this collection is from a great educational website. How to Creat and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading, by Susan Brookhart is found on ascd.org. On this web page Brookhart explains how rubrics can be really effective and how if they aren’t corrected correctly, they will lose their purpose. Brookhart explains the importance of rubrics for students: “Rubrics are important because they clarify for students the qualities their work should have. This point is often expressed in terms of students understanding the learning target and criteria for success. For this reason, rubrics help teachers teach, they help coordinate instruction and assessment, and they help students learn” (Brookhart, 2013).
Tennyson's Methods and Materials Collection for EDUC 426 