Online Portfolio – Developing Authentic Assessments

Outcome 1

Students will discuss and reflect on the importance of the keys for quality classroom assessments and analyze assessments according to these five keys.

Reflection

This discussion made it clear that assessments both positive and negative have lasting impacts on students. We need to be clear in our expectations and why are we doing this assessment. We need to have a plan for learning and that starts with where we are going and then follows having a clear path. The 5 Keys help guide that journey. This discussion made me really think about my assessments and what purpose they serve. Why are we doing and is that why understandable to my students? If not, then I need to work on a clear purpose and effective communication.

Outcome 2

Students will discuss and analyze standardized or high stake assessments to determine their effectiveness and usefulness of results.

Reflection

This discussion gave me valuable insight into the testing culture of schools in the states. This is something I have struggled with because I am so far removed from state testing. It did, however, show that most ever teacher is not for high stake assessments like state tests. It does not answer the first key of a clear purpose. When students ask “Why do I have to take this test?” teachers struggle and rightfully so. It doesn’t serve a purpose but to assess all students against one another. It is an assessment do to students instead of with students. I wonder if we are ever going to get to the point where high stake testing is just one of many tools for assessment and not the only one leaders base decisions on.

Outcome 3

Students will compare and contrast formative and summative assessments and indicate their intent and usage. Students will create and describe examples of formative assessments they use.  

Reflection

This assignment really made me reflect on the purpose of each of my assessment for these outcomes. It made me realize that I do a lot more of one than others and I am not triangulating data from multiple source points. I also found that through concept based learning that I do a lot of assessments that assess multiple outcomes to be more efficient in time and to also help students find deeper meaning and understanding in each outcome. Being a music educator, I use primarily Performance Product assessments and I would like

Outcome 4

Students will demonstrate proper strategies for aligning assessments with intended student learning outcomes in terms of performance verbs and academic content and verify the alignment.

Reflection

I really enjoyed using an Assessment Blueprint to getting an overview of the assessments I’d use for this particular unit. It really showed me the connection between the outcome and the most effective assessment to use. It also helped with aligning the outcomes with the best possible assessment. I now wonder when combining multiple outcomes, how that impacts the assessment tool? Maybe it is multiple assessment tools that the student can use? Maybe it is an assessment that the students create with guidance to help scaffold next steps.

Outcome 5

Students will demonstrate processes for constructing all types of valid and reliable assessments and evaluate the results, checking for alignment and bias.

Reflection

This was a fantastic outcome to explore. Because we operate very heavily in the higher-order thinking skills I rarely assess students’ lower thinking skills. This outcome showed various written tools to assess students’ lower-order thinking skills to gather data on misconceptions early on. I used a Google Form in both the discussion section and Mod 3 Assignment 1 due to having 200 students because it corrects, stores and alphabetizes all submitted work. I used the Blueprint template to assure alignment was achieved between the assessment and the learning targets.

Unit 1 Summative Test – Selected Response

Module 3: Small Group Discussion 1

Outcome 6

Students will construct and evaluate rubrics for assessments used in courses they teach.

Reflection

I found this activity to be the most rewarding in thinking critically on what is the purpose of a rubric and how I can use it to help my students continue to take ownership of their learning by self-assessments and self-reflections. I also found that by using specific wording in the descriptions, it would help students identify for certain where they are within this rubric and what the next steps are to improve their understanding and composition.

Outcome 7

Students will complete the assessment types for an approved course plan and design and evaluate all summative assessments in detail for a unit of study, listing formative assessments.

Reflection

This assignment really made me think of what is important and how can I best assess student understanding in the most efficient and effective possible way. I have really enjoyed the idea of triangulating assessments to capture as much information as possible through the use of various assessments. I really enjoyed this assessment, as well as thinking of new ways to formatively, assess tasks that I do daily.

Outcome 8

Students will evaluate the authentic assessments they created, justify the alignment, and revise as needed.

Reflection

This level of critiquing really pushed me to think as my student when it comes to the wording of a question. It was an insightful way to critique assessments I already use in my classroom to make them better. I used 2 out of 3 assessments during this course and was pleasantly surprised how well my students did knowing what they needed to do.

Outcome 9

Students will investigate different kinds of portfolios and create a plan for a portfolio system in their classrooms.

Reflection

I reviewed several Website platforms including Wix, WordPress, and Weebly for my online portfolio. I decided that due to already having a professional website to include a section of it for my portfolio. I looked at various examples and decided this layout would be the best to show a learning journey from the first outcome to the last.

Outcome 10

Students will select 21st Century Skills to incorporate and assess in a unit of study. 

Reflection

This was a great exercise in finding ways to incorporate these fundamental skills into what I am already doing. I also enjoyed seeing how this might help students in further projects in other studies as well.

Outcome 11

Students will reflect on and explain challenges for determining summary grades.

Reflection

Determining summary grades is a much more lengthy process than I thought before. This reflection made me reflect on my personal and professional opinion on assessment for learning and assessment of learning. That all learning is a journey and a summative is not the X on the treasure map but a pitstop on our learning journey.

Outcome 12

Students will create a final project and reflect on their learning, proposing improvements they could make in the assessments administered to their students.

Reflection

This course has made me thinking critically on my current practice as an educator. It has made me reflect on my current assessment practice and whether or not they align with specific learning targets to support my students learning. I look forward to using my aligned learning targets and assessments next year.