3 Quick Thoughts on Assessment

"...grading should be directly linked to an explicitly defined set of instructional goals."
                                                                                       - Marzano, 2000, 22
                                                                                           citing Terwilliger

Assessment and grading in the world of interactive learning is difficult. The days of teacher speaks, children read, teacher speaks, children read, teacher gives exam, students write exam, teacher gives grade, rinse and repeat, are over! Grading was simple then. Mark the test, give a grade. Again, thankfully this is not the case anymore.

This said, I still believe it is entirely possible for students to be assessed and graded while maintaining a clear link to curriculum. As a budding educator I have a long way to go to be proficient in this process; however, a few things stand-out as important to attain to in my quest to becoming an excellent educator:

1. Don't simply read the Program of Studies (POS) but study and synthesize it.
2. Be an adept student of project-based learning (PBL), understanding by design (UBD), integrating curriculum, and the like, and
3. Discover the myriad world of assessment and understand when to apply which and what.

The POS is the foundation for what a teacher teaches. It is important to not simply read it, but to understand the intent of each curricular outcome - in order to apply it to the classroom correctly. I have spent a lot of time in my previous job as an income tax auditor doing this with the income tax act, so I can be confident in my ability to do this!

As we move deeper and deeper into the waters of interactive delivery of curriculum, PBL, UBD, integration of curricular areas thematically, and the like, will be at the forefront. It is essential to be a continuous learner of such tools of curriculum delivery and how to assess appropriately using these tools.

Finally, the world of assessment is complex and changing. It is alive and hungry for adaptation. I need to discover how to adapt it and use it appropriately.

These are not easy tasks, but I didn't get into teaching because it is easy. That is why I left my last job!