Authentic Assessments

1. Authentic Assessments • a.k.a. “alternative assessment” • Embedded tasks that are similar to those performed by professionals as they do their jobs • Usually associated with inquiry, hands-on and performance based activities • Measure knowledge and ability (both)

2. Authentic Assessments • Assess both content and higher order thinking skills • Provide opportunities to demonstrate creativity, problem-solving and decision-making • Reflective of standards

3. So... What are some examples of “authentic assessments”? • Model building • Measurement taking • Oral reports • Written report • Lab report • Debates • Portfolios • Science notebook/journals • Student talk • Active listening • Concept maps • Open-ended questions

4. So... What are some examples of “authentic assessments”? • Lab performance • Interviews • Stand and deliver • Skills check list • ?

5. Assess the student Assess the activity Assessment is a two-sided coin

6. When do you assess Inquiry? • Pre-instruction • During Instruction • Post-instruction

7. When do you assess Inquiry? • Pre-instruction Goal: Assess students’ prior knowledge, ideas, beliefs and attitudes in order to help them construct new knowledge.

8. When do you assess Inquiry? • Pre-instruction Strategies: T-charts, journal writing, drawings, interviews/conversations, surveys, concept maps

9. When do you assess Inquiry? • During instruction Goal: To gain insight into how (or if) students’ knowledge, ideas, beliefs and attitudes are changing.

10. When do you assess Inquiry? • During instruction Strategies: Portfolios, journals, logs, field books, skills assessments (can the students use a balance?), product assessment (videos, websites, audio), tests, quizzes etc.

11. When do you assess Inquiry? • Post-instruction Goal: To evaluate students’ progress and reflect on the effectiveness and quality of instruction.

12. When do you assess Inquiry? • Post-instruction Strategies: Teacher evaluation forms, student interviews, written assignments, standardized tests, performance assessments (problem-solving)

13. Rubric Evaluation • Does it assess what you think it assesses? • Does it really reflect what the students were actually doing? • Is it fair and is it doable? • Do the students know about it ahead of time?

14. When do you assess the Inquiry activity? You never stop!!

15. Assessment Activity Part 1 Using your students’ textbook: • Select the single most important concept in each chapter that you will cover while student teaching. • Devise 2 performance-based activities you could do to teach this concept. • List 3 “authentic” assessments you could use to “grade” student understanding of this concept. • Now, pick one activity and one assessment and write up the grading rubric/checklist/guideline.

16. Assessment Activity Part 2 Using your students’ textbook: • Identify the single most important “skill” in each chapter that you will cover while student teaching. • Devise 2 performance-based activities you could do to teach this skill. • List 3 “authentic” assessments you could use to “grade” your student’s ability to perform this skill. • Now, pick one activity and one assessment and write up the grading rubric/checklist/guideline.

17. End