Learning about assessments and evidence of learning, I had sought to understand what makes tests or activities valid and reliable. I was pleasantly surprised that assessments are more than this. Particularly, the assessment cycle signifies all things ideal in the evolution of teaching. It basically proves that education should be learner centered, and flexible enough to adjust based on the needs of the learner and its time.
I think most educators are only starting the realize the importance of multiple measures. Many of the students have abilities that only come out after they have well left schooling. It is also why many students believe the clichés of how they might only reach their potentials after being freed from the confines of a traditional school. They will spout examples of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, people who after dropping out of school proceeded to make a successful career for themselves based on their untapped potentials.
What these students fail to realize is that these people are exceptions to the rule, they are geniuses. Regular individuals need school in order to navigate through society and through life. And these students must be encouraged to do so.
The encouragement we educators can offer is not to confine their abilities to what has been traditionally established. Thoughts of multiple intelligence are buzzing around the education industry and practices to accommodate different types learning styles are also popping up. The phrase “different strokes for different folks” certainly is being brought to light especially with the advancement of technology. Learners now have access to a multitude of information and skills that we educators were not exposed to. A student can be quiet and distant in the classroom, but may be a famous game live-streamer. These new skills and opportunities can either be a springboard for their learning or become a deterrent if we do not utilize it as a strategy.
When I was a student, I enjoyed the classes where I excelled in. Since I hated to take examinations, most academic subjects were off my list (lunch and recess were very popular with me). But high school had more activities for me. There were different projects where I got to indulge my creative side, some that allowed me to act, write a poem/song/novel/script, and some that allowed me to venture out of my comfort zone. The best part of it all was that as I labored to do well in these activities, the learning and skills stayed with me even well after schooling, and at the time that I was doing it, not once did I think about the quantifiable grade. I was merely enjoying myself.
As an educator now, I can borrow from my high school self to understand and know my students better. Would I want a written exam if I can very well perform the task instead to show you how well I can demonstrate my learning? Would I want a written test if I can just write you a long letter, telling you how much I’ve reflected on my learning for this unit? All these things give us a myriad of possibilities for student activities. Ultimately, we as teachers need to believe and prove that these methods are still valid assessments so that we can pitch them to the stakeholders and trail-blaze our way to change.
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