Week 1 Reflection

During Week 1, we focused on different types of assessments that exist in the classroom. I came into the class, knowing of the generic types, but after the first week, I learned about many more. When you hear the word assessment, you think of a test, but it goes deeper than that. Assessment is observing and taking note of the work and progress of a student through standardized testing, portfolios, self-assessments, etc. These types of assessments stem from the main assessments that are given in a classroom, which are diagnostic, formative, summative, norm-referenced, and criterion-referenced assessments. Included in these listed assessments are the main branch types which are formal and informal. Formal is a standardized test, while informal is more of an observation on the performance of a student.

In my classroom I would use a diagnostic assessment in a way that my students do not know they are being tested. At the beginning of the year, I may have a group discussion about the main topics they will be learning. I would make it interactive, and also have the students share stories they may have about learning a specific topic, if they have ever learned about it prior.

When giving a formative assessment in my classroom, it would depend on the material being taught that would make it either graded or not graded. When I give short quizzes to the students, they would be graded, but I would also have the students possibly write a reflection on a topic and turn it in to me. I would not grade these, but I would use them to see how a student feels about the material and their progress. The reflections would be done when a new topic has been learned.

In my classroom, the summative assessments are always graded. I would only give them to my students about three times a year, once in the beginning, middle, and end. During lessons I may give short quizzes to track my students progress, but at the end of every unit we cover, I would give my students a test that covers that unit.

When giving a norm-referenced assessment in my classroom, I would give all of the students a test, and then grade it on a bell-curve. This type of assessment is very short and specific, so there is not much else to do in a classroom.

When giving a criterion-referenced assessment in my classroom, I would give a classroom assessment, and compare the students' scores with the standard/goal they should be meeting. I would take their scores and use them to see how I should be moving forward with that specific student.