Sarah Lanier: Blog
#4: Routman: Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner
The key concept from this chapter, in my opinion, is that “Assessments
should bring about benefits for children, or data should not be collected at
all.” While this may seem like a
no-brainer, I don’t feel it is commonly practiced in the classroom. Often times, I feel that we assess just to
assess, meaning nothing is done with the data other than compiling it in our
gradebook. Honestly, though, what’s the
point? Other than knowing how many
passed and failed, what do we do with that information? If it is not used to guide our instruction
and move ALL students forward, why waste the time and unravel the students’
nerves? The information collected must
be analyzed and strategically used to guide instruction. That doesn’t mean we have to always use
formal assessments. Conversations with our
students is a great way to informally assess them. Not only that, but it also shows the students
that we are genuinely interested in them and care about them. It’s not just about reading, math, science,
or social studies. It’s about the child
as an individual, where they are and where they need to be, and how we are
going to get them there!
Here, here! Data collection with out application is a total waste of time! Yet as you say, we can assess our students and target our instruction simply by talking to them, listening to them, and truly knowing them as an individual. Why does that seem so elusive? Are we caught up in unnecessary things? Do we do things because we are told to but don't follow through because they are not valued? At the beginning and end of all of this, we should focus on the students. If we can do that much, we should be on the road to using data in simple, meaningful ways that help our students and guide our instruction.
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