Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Morgan & Watson: Assessment of students'...Issues of Equity
I approached the reading of this article with hopes of discovering information to help improve my assessment practices. I have felt, like others have mentioned, as if I will have had to explain my assessment/teaching practices one day since I have chosen not to “teach to the test”, but allow for creativity and logical understanding. This has left me on my own in my department and open to much comparison this year. Since reading the articles (Suurtamm as well) my conclusion is that I can only continue what I am doing, unless I find colleagues to do moderated marking with, and to keep a continual awareness that there are "possible alternative perceptions and interpretations" (p.102) and that there is not only one correct way of assessing my students’ work. If I am able to get the opportunity to dialogue and incorporate moderated marking with colleagues that would be an improvement, but until then I can only keep in mind, and possibly quote, “reliability is not a concept that can be applied simplistically to assessments of students’ mathematics. …tighter specification of criteria will lead to stereotyped responses from both teachers and students –in opposition to the value ascribed to creativity, openness and authenticity within ‘reform’ discourse” (p.103). With this in mind I can have improved confidence that what I am doing is the best I can do if I am going to continue my attempt at reform pedagogy.
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It's hard when one feels alone with what they are doing. Many teachers using innovative practices feel isolated in their schools. It's important to try to network with others - maybe through some PD initiative across the board, if not in your own school.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I thought some might appreciate one of my more recent articles that focuses on classroom assessment, as this seems to be at the heart of many of the discussions. It's based on research with Ontario teachers. Here's the reference: Suurtamm, C., Koch, M., & Arden, A. (2010). Teachers’ emerging assessment practices in mathematics: Classrooms in the context of reform. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, and Practice, 17(4), 399-417.
Chris