assessment

[ginlindzey]

I am bad at assessment.

Ok, that's not entirely true.  I'm boring at assessment.

We've been studying these curriculum outlines that the core subjects put together at school. We're supposed to be...well, I dunno, analyzing them, looking for areas where we overlap, anything.  We were looking at Math this morning and realizing, among other things, that we in foreign language/LOTE were glad we didn't have ours posted yet.  First of all, when we all started putting our stuff together, there was no idea that everyone else would be looking at them nor what for.  We're supposed to, for instance, look for technology being used.  Sometimes there's nothing written down, but it doesn't mean it isn't being used.

Anyway, someone made a comment today about how repetetive and unimaginative quizzes and tests were for assessment.  Yup.  I totally agree.  And yet....and yet for the most part that's all I'm doing.

And I know that's bad.  I know that's wrong.  I just feel strapped.  Trapped.  Cornered.  By time constraints, by conventions, by the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few or the one.

Ok, with that said, my quizzes and tests aren't ...hmmm...fluff.  And I'm not trying to dis multiple choice quizzes and tests.  You can make tough quizzes that way, but sometimes it's just not enough.  I mean, if I wanted to make my life EASIER and didn't care--really care (perhaps too much?) about students learning, I'd make everything I do multiple choice scantron.  Easy to grade, no mess.  But I don't.

For instance, my current tests now follow this format:

1) unseen passage with short answer reading comp questions in Latin and English (hand written short answers)
2) grammar questions over the passage (multiple choice)
3) written translation of a small selection from stories we've read in the stages/chapters covered on the test.  (about 25 words)
4) grammar questions in context (multiple choice)
5) culture questions (multiple choice or true false).

Numbers 1 and 3 take time to grade.  HOW EASY my life would be if I did only scantron tests!  But here's why I don't:

1) I need to see what they can do with an unseen passage where recognizing the right answer isn't an option
2) I need to train students to a) be able to write a good translation when needed (for AP!) and b) to reread stories.

I guess part of it isn't assessment; part of it is training the student to be a better student. <sigh> (but is it working?)   

I wish I had time for more.  I do.  I would have essays or special translation assignments.  More creative things.  I would love to do something like once a grading period (or twice?) pick a story from the text and do something with it. In fact, at one point I did write up more or less and outline of what I'd like the project to be like, but I never had time to work up a rubric or anything and frankly  I'm terrified to assign projects because I saw what happened with such beasts when I taught English.  They became very little about learning what you were TRYING to get the student to learn and more about those who finish projects and those who don't.  But, if memory serves, I had this idea that one 9 week students would do an oral performance--memorizing and reciting a story, another 9 weeks it would be an illustration of a story, another 9 weeks it would be a PowerPoint of a story, and another 9 weeks it would be writing a new ending to a story.

But those things take time, and guidance in class, etc.

But I digress.

You cannot tell on my tests what all I assess nor what I'm doing with them.  But they are a major assessment grade.  And vocab quizzes.  And very little else.

I don't look like a good teacher on paper at all.  Just average. 

I have more rambling thoughts on this but I'm needed elsewhere. Maybe later.