SOLSC Day 29

I’m thinking about assessment:

My thoughts were triggered by an English assignment my 8th grade nephew shared with me. He had to create eight different response products to the novel Animal Farm. The teacher actually gave them nine options, and they had to choose eight, all to be completed outside of class for homework. They had 2 weeks to do them, but this assignment was in addition to their other English homework. This morning, he only had three of the eight done. He had found a working windmill and researched its history and then written a one-page summary of it. He’d chosen a political speech to summarize and analyzed it for effectiveness of message, and he’d chosen a person who sought leadership and had written a one page essay on the impact this person had on the world. Five more to go by Monday, but he’ll get it done; he’s a smart guy and a capable student.

The quarter ends on Friday, though, and I have a feeling that the teacher’s never going to get all those things graded by the time grades are due. I also wonder what the objectives of the assignment are; they don’t seem immediately clear to me, an experienced educator in the same discipline, in the same district. I note the lack of any formative assessment or guidance of any kind in the way of process, and I find it frustrating to see my nephew have to spend so much time on something that will never be properly assessed or even appreciated. I asked him, jokingly, if he wanted me to do one or two of the assignments—I would have been interested to see what grade I got.

I’ve been grappling with the issue of assessment for a while, now. I want to figure out a way to use it more effectively in my program, so that I may better instruct the students, but I also want to convince other teachers that mine is a sound approach. It all comes down to product versus process, which is a false dichotomy, of course. The other key distinction is the difference between grading and assessing. Right now, I grade the process and assess the product, but I admit that I spend more time on the grading part. I think that is upside-down, but I want to emphasize the process over the product. At the same time, I want to use the assessment to drive my instruction, but logistically, that piece often gets lost in the time I spend on the paperwork of grading.

I’m doing a mini “Take a Stand” unit with my students where they identify an issue of concern to them, describe it carefully, and then create an action plan to address the problem. One of the things I am emphasizing with them is to examine the issue thoroughly before rushing to solutions. That almost seems counter to human nature—most of us want to rush in and offer answers, to fix things quickly and move on—but I’m trying to convince my students to take their time, so that’s what I’m doing with my assessment issue, too.