My reflection on Lecture 9: "Assessment and Evaluation"

Hey there, everyone!

It’s great to be back! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are feeling energized and motivated to dive into each other’s blogs. 

Today, I'm going to reflect on "Assessment and Evaluation" lecture. At first, when we hear the word “assessment,” we might think of exams or quizzes. But assessments are so much more than that. They’re tools teachers use to figure out how much we've learned, where we're rocking it, and where we might need a little extra help. From traditional tests to creative projects and portfolios, assessments come in all shapes and sizes😀 But what exactly are assessments?

They’re there to help teachers, students, and even parents see how much progress we're making. Some are summative, like final exams, while others are formative, like class discussions or daily assignments that give us ongoing feedback. But here’s the cool part: not all assessments have to involve paper and pen. There are plenty of creative ways to show what we've learned, according to the lecture.

Forget boring multiple-choice questions, how about showing off your skills with:

Performances: By acting out a scene, giving a presentation, or even creating a song

Portfolios: Collecting our best work, like essays, artwork, or videos, and displaying our growth over time.

Projects: Building a model, creating an invention, or write a story. These long-term tasks let us dive deeeep into a topic.

These kinds of assessments are awesome because they let us shine in ways that tests sometimes can’t. Plus, they sound a lot more fun!

But, what makes a good assessment? Experts say a good test should be:

Valid – It measures what it’s supposed to measure.

Reliable – It gives consistent results, no matter when we take it.

Adapted to Language Level – It matches our English ability, especially if we're ELLs (English Language Learners).

The role of technology in assessments

Tech has made assessments more exciting and accessible than ever before. Here are a few ways teachers use it:

E-Portfolios: Imagine uploading our essays, videos, and art into a digital folder for teachers (and even parents) to see. Tools like Google Sites make this super easy.

Interactive Quizzes: Websites like Kahoot and SurveyMonkey turn tests into fun games.

Creative Projects: Recording a podcast, designing a website, or making a video presentation. These tools let us showcase our unique talents in exciting ways.

Let's wrap it up once again!!

When working on multimedia projects, the DDD-E model (Decide, Design, Develop, Evaluate), which we have mentioned on our previous blogs, ensures every step is meaningful and assessed in a fair way:

Decide: We research, brainstorm, and pick a focus. Teachers check if we're asking good questions and gathering the right information.

Design: Creating flowcharts, outlines, or storyboards that show how our ideas connect. Teachers assess how clear and organized our plan is.

Develop: Building our project. This is where we get feedback from peers 

Evaluate: Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned. Teachers, peers, and even us (through self-assessments) evaluate the final product.

Assessments are for growth, not just grades!!

At the end of the day, assessments aren’t about labeling us with a grade, they’re about helping us grow. They highlight our strengths, show where we can improve, and give us the tools to reach your goals. So next time we’re taking a test or working on a project, we have to remember: assessments are there to show off everything we’ve learned and how far we’ve come. We should embrace them as opportunities to shine, learn, and create something amazing😍

Until next week,

Toodless!