When I first
thought about the concept of assessment, I believed that it was a vital part of
the education process to determine what the student has learnt. Personally, I felt that assessment contained
a great deal of stress, and test. Now,
my view on assessment has been altered because of the discussions held during
my last Practicum class. I am aware that
times have changed and the needs of the learners have changed. Therefore, educators need to use new
strategies to assess their learners and meet their needs.
Formative
assessment is employed by the teacher during the teaching period. It can be both formal and informal
assessments ranging from as simple as questioning the students while teaching or
observing them during an activity conducted during a lesson.
As a teacher,
I have understood that this is applied to evaluate the needs of the students
immediately. For example what was
understood or what concepts need to be reviewed. Moreover, detailed information on the
students is gathered to improve teaching instructions and student learning
while it is happening.
Summative
assessment is an evaluation of the students’ learning progress and achievement at
the conclusion of a specific instruction period. It is basically an assessment of learning at
a particular time.
As a teacher,
I have understood that this is applied traditionally at the end of a school
term to determine if the long term goals of the subject were met.
With regards
to, the levels of flexibility and adaptability I believe that I will have to stand
for what I believe in as an educator and meet the needs of my learners
effectively and efficiently. As a
teacher I will have to engage more in assessment for learning and less in
assessment of learning to address the immediate needs of my learners and
reflect critically on my practice for the benefit of my learners.
My strategies
may need to change because I will want to encourage more questioning and class
discussions during my lessons. I may
also want to include assignments that are interesting and exciting for the
learners such as drawing or even singing.
The immediate
challenges that I can identify are concerns of parents, administrators, colleagues
and supervisors. These concerned parties
may feel as though that I am not offering the learners quality education
because it is not what they are accustomed to.
The road ahead
is not going to be well paved when I consider past and present experiences with
administrators, as well as the contemporary education system.
If I had to
resolve some of these issues, I would suggest to the leaders in the Ministry of
Education to review the National Curriculum to accommodate the immediate needs
of learners and allow for assessment for learning to be incorporated fully into
the schools’ curriculum.
