Firstly, thanks for your feedback in regard to my first blog entry. Your interesting and thought provoking comments have certainly given me food for thought! In this blog posting I would like to pick up on the issue regarding the assessment capability of teachers, which also came through from some of your comments.
In order to have 'assessment capable' students, we inevitably need 'assessment capable' teachers. As it states in the DANZ document, "Students will develop assessment capability of the kind we have described only if teachers and school leaders themselves have genuine assessment capability and are appropriately resourced (p. 24). In my experience (in the schools in which I have worked), I have found that the professional development regarding formative and summative assessment has usually been integrated with specific learning areas. This professional development has either been conducted in house or with the involvement of specialists or outside consultants. My current school have just got involved with e-asTTle, but other than that I have not personally been involved in any professional development or Ministry contracts focusing purely on assessment.
Although it is important that assessment is embedded in the learning process as assessment informs future learning, perhaps when it comes to professional learning we should be focusing on 'assessment for assessment's sake'. In the DANZ document it states, "It appears that teachers do not typically 'catch' assessment capability from other professional learning" (p. 27). What are your thoughts on this statement?
I believe that if we want assessment capable students, school leaders need to ensure that appropriate professional learning and resources are provided for teachers to up skill in this area. In order for this to happen more consistently across the country, I believe that the Ministry needs to step up, open their wallet, and provide better professional development on formative assessment that more schools are able to access and in turn more students can benefit from. If we want assessment capable students in the 'genuine' sense, we need teachers who have the knowledge and disposition to make this a reality.
I'd value your feedback or thoughts on this topic...
Thanks
Angela
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I always think the Government should open up their wallet!!! One of the most valuable PD experiences I have had was with Shirley Clarke in 2002. Two full days dedicated to formative assessment with no specific curriculum focus. I have carried the learning from those days with me along my career ever since. In fact I have no other teachings to match what I learned on that day. Instead I find myself reading and trying a bit of this and that but always falling back to the understanding I developed in 2002.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, as teachers we lack true assessment capability. It will not naturally happen, there is a huge difference in the understandings in this area. I have worked alongside tick box freaks and I know that their work looks great and their assessment seems to be valuable, but trully what does a load of ticks tell us? I used to panic and think that that was what I was supposed to be doing...I now understand much more, though as you say it has happened with very little specific guidance.
Come on Mr Key...Show us the money!! Lets get some Assessment PD. What happened to the Assessment Contract? Was it ever any good? I only touched on it when I came to NZ. National testing will in no way solve the assessment issue...though the tick box clan will be very happy.
Hello Angela
ReplyDeleteLike you I have concerns about teachers assessment skills that are needed in order to provide the best learning experiences for students. The profesional development around this area is, in my opinion, entirely lacking in higher education. It is only through doing courses such as the one we are doing that I gain insight, plus through doing my own exploration and an interest in student learning that I have held throughout my teaching career of many years.
However there is plenty of literature about assessment and how teachers can enhance student learning though effective assesment in the higher education arena. I am fortunate in that the students whom I work with are self motivated and understand the place of assessments within the course, although this does not always mean that they are happy with them, a point that I on many occasions agree with. My challenge is to gain acceptance from some colleagues in developing assessments that truly assess learning, building on to knowledge and understanding, rather than simply testing recall, the easiest type of assessment to mark, in time and for expediency's sake.
As stated in the DANZ document when students are able and motivated,3.3) the connection between assessments and learning is clearly evident, however I think that this also depends
on the context of the learning and its applicability.
Good to 'hear' your line of thinking and how lucky you are to be able to have 'time out' to complete your masters :)
chhers, Liz