Assessment

 Introduction

I use assessments frequently in class to monitor student performance. I give diagnostic assessments in order to see where students are prior to my teaching, formative assessments throughout the unit to measure student progress, and summative assessments to measure how successful students were at mastering the material. I use a variety of assessment techniques in order for students to fully demonstrate their knowledge, including traditional assessments, computerized assessments, challenging tasks, and informal checks for understanding.

My students keep track of their own mastery and are given adequate opportunities to learn from their mistakes and re-test for mastery. On specific standards, I often provide extra incentives for students to retest and demonstrate mastery of the material. It is important for students to be invested in their own learning and be aware of their own mastery of the material.

The assessments section is broken down as follows:

• Diagnostic Assessment
• Formative Assessment
• Summative Assessment

Conclusion

I use assessments in order to give students the instruction they deserve. Without diagnostic assessments, I would not know where students are prior to teaching them, and therefore would not be able to adequately target instruction to their needs. Without formative assessments, I would not know how successfully students are progressing through the material, nor would I be able to successfully differentiate instruction. Without summative assessments, I would have no objective measure of how well students mastered a given unit. All three modes of assessment serve an important purpose.

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