Portfolio Piece # 1

Portfolio Piece Number One (1)

5 key ideas regarding quality assessment and the Scherer article

Whilst recording and judging a student's knowledge is required to form education standards, many experts would agree that the purpose of assessment is to assist educators with measuring how students learn and in turn perform over time. The Tests that won't go Away (Scherer 2009) highlights key research from educators that believe assessments are much more than tests aimed at reducing the achievement gap. They are for learning, not just of learning. (Scherer 2009)

Analysis forms an important role in the beginning of assessments allowing the educator to make decisions based on the student's current performance and apply goals that will assist the student's learning growth. An effective educator should possess the skills to analyze the students' pre instruction, during instruction and post instruction. The analysis forms part of an ongoing plan or intervention if you like, to assist the student with progressing their learning further by the use of methods or multiple methods.

A key tool in assessment is the use of different instructing methods to achieve the same outcome. Students tend to find repetitive tasks less motivating than those which have a variance. For example teaching numeracy with young children learning to read could be done with reading cards, match games or even hidden objects. Students also need interaction not just dictation. Scherer mentions the self experience of Kari Smith (p.26) where she gets the students involved in all processes of making a test from the design and wording of the test and the grading itself. This is a very useful tool for educators to take on and also educate the students about self discipline to further their learning.