ETEC 524 Reflection #4- Assessment

After reviewing the assigned article, finding a journal prompt related to assessment for learning and writing my review, I placed my focus on the 8th principal: develops learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing.  I truly spend the majority of my teaching day wondering if my students are interpreting my lessons. I spend countless hours grading worksheets, projects, creative tasks, and group presentations. I record my own reflections and have open-ended communication of my overall satisfaction of the completed work to the students, but I can see now how I am not providing an atmosphere to use assessment for learning. In other words, I have led us both into a downword spiral. I feel in order to change my perception and most likely the students lack of perception, I will need to work very hard to implement both self and peer reflection and assessment. If done correctly, this process will fill the gap between content and performance and it will promote understanding across subjects, topics, and grade levels.

I see a great potential for portfolio assessment in many relms of education. Just off the top of my head, I think it could potentially be a guide for the new standardized testing in secondary education.  If each student will be expected to pass an exit exam for content learned throughout the year, what better more unique way to assess the progression of the student than by a portfolio.  I see the ability for a deeper understanding of concepts and performance and the posibility of a stronger suport system between the teacher and student.

I plan to move beyond just the requirements of my ETEC major and  implement my ePortfolio into my classroom and personal growth.  I am intrigued by the fact that I can present who I am and my accomplishments all in one location.  The portfolio is an organized method to share my life experiences to my family and friends, my students and their families, and my employers.  I believe the development will be ongoing and ever-changing based on my own personal growth and experience in education and technology.  I see it as a way to keep myself from getting stagnant; to promote new ideas in hopes of both giving and receiving purpose to my educational focus.