formative vs. summative assessments

I really enjoyed reading this blog (ageoflearning.blogspot.com), but I have never thought of assessments in that way. To make it simple, all formative assessments (Homework, class participation, quizzes, small activities and other forms of student performance) should be considered “feedback” and shouldn’t have grades attached and all summative assessments(Unit tests, major projects, some labs and the final exam) and should have grades attached.

Formative assessments are for growth and should measure student’s progress. Summative assessments are for mastery of content which should be preceded in many formative assessments. If you think about it, teachers have been doing this forever with the exception of assigning grades to formative assessments. Teachers usually give a quiz or test to measure the students’ progress and are suppose to adjust or adapt the material to build on students’ current knowledge or mastered skills, but the actual “feedback” subsides with the perception of student accountability. The teacher typically assumes the student will attend to his/her own need to re-examine unlearned or non-mastered skills. Therefore, the teacher moves on to the next skill with no feedback and/or no re-teaching.

I say, “why not do both.” I believe teachers should give grades as well as feedback as a guide and to enhance students desire to reach their own potential and beyond. I think the combination of the two practices would give the students a visual representation of how much work is needed and a guided direction to go in. I personally want to see the number and proper feedback because I need to know what I’m striving for and how to get their.

ch 5

Knowledge, experience, and motivation often enhances students desire to engage in a variety of texts. However, without the knowing how to read specific text, desire can turn into discourage in an instant. We have heard “never assume” over and over again, and this is a prime example. We can’t assume that any student has the skills needed to read and interpret hard to read text. It is our job to teach skills that instill independence in each student.

The ‘How to Plan’ (page 130) is a great example of how teach students to be successful readers with any type of text. Not only will this teach students to be great readers but good writers as well. It has been my experience that I have learned what kind of teacher I want to be as result of bad teachers as well as good teachers. I learned what I did not want to be or do in my classroom from the “bad teachers” and what I want to implement in my classroom from the “good teachers.” I believe students can “take the good and leave the bad”, so to speak, with difficult texts in any format or any context, and they can develop excellent writing skills in the process with the assistance of a great teacher.