The Perfect School!

http://www.edutopia.org/building-bridge-knowledge-every-child

I found this website while working on my final project for my Elem Cirr. night class. Don't you wish all schools were ran like this imaginary one??! I put it on here bc I liked what they said about assessment and how students assess themselves and their peers!

Test Formats!

Multiple choice or essay???

This is kind of a hard call to make! Tests need to be switched up so that they can meet the needs of the students. Some students are better at essays and some are better at multiple choice/matching/fill in the blank. It all depends on the subject being assessed. For example, if your testing a student on nouns and verbs, a multiple choice test with examples might be a better choice. But if you want to throw in other things and get more out of it, then an essay where the student has to identify the nouns and verbs may work better. It is important to know your students so you know what type of assessment will work best. No matter what the format of a test is, the most important thing is to make sure your assessing the students knowledge, NOT the test itself!

Portfolios

I think portfolios are great to have in every classroom. However, I have to agree that many times teachers make the mistake of picking out what goes in a students' portfolio. The students should definately be able to have the most say as to what goes into their individual portfolios. That way its a way for students to assess themselves at the same time and also allow students to be proud of their work. Portfolios are also a good way to track the progress that students make in a particular subject. For example, at the end of the year students can look back at their portfolios and see how much their writing and spelling has improved. They are also good to be periodically sent home so that the parents know what their children have been doing in school and what they chose for their portfolio. Teachers who keep portfolios for their students have to be organized and keep up with putting things in it, otherwise it becomes more of a hassle then a helpful tool!