Chapter 10

Abstract:
This chapter was about using MI to assess your students. The chapter stated that the most important prerequisites to authentic assessment is observation. The next most important component in implementing authentic assessment is the documentation of student products. The chapter gives many alternatives to standardized testing and tools that will help you learn what is the best way to assess your individual students. Authentic assessments allow students to show what they have learned in an environment in which they would expect to show that learning in real life. Standardized tests, like multiple choice, really only test what the students "don't know." Standardized assessments test students in an unfamiliar environment and assess the knowledge that is far from the real world situation and only is able to show students at one skill level. With authentic assessment, we are able to see what the students know and how they can demonstrate that knowledge.

Reflection:
For the most part, our group talked about the use of portfolios in the classrooms. While some of us believed that standardized tests are still necissary in the classroom every so often, we all felt it was important to use other authentic assessments that allowed the students to show what they've learned. As an alternative way to assess, we thought the portfolios was a great way to bring everything in the course together and show what the students have learned over the course of the semester or unit. A test can be compared to a "snapshot" of what students can demonstrate, but a portfolio offers more of a photo album and shows a multitude of their skills and knowledge in a variety of intelligences. Other group members felt strongly that by catering to our students specific intelligences all the time wasn't helpful either. As teachers, it is our responsibility to help our students develop their other area of intelligences. In the real world, most people excel in one area, but its important to have a balance in the other areas.

Posted by Katie ;)