Assessment Articles

Getting Started with Open-Ended Assessment

This article is addressing some different ways of assessing math in the classroom. The articles focused on the difference between multiple choice and performance based assessment and how performance based assessment is better. It talks about using open-ended problems to assess math students' work. I like this idea, because with the many possible solutions to the problem, students may think outside the box to find a strategy to solve the problem. Open-ended problems allow teachers to see the students thinking process and allows them to help the students where they struggle.

Sbord of Assessment Options

The article is addressing problem solving. Problem solving is a huge part of the math curriculum. It also talks about the different ways math can be assessed. This is often referred to as the menu choice. This article mentions how even though multiple choice may be an okay assessment, performance assessments with accurate rubrics are a much better tool to assess whether or not a student is able to apply the information in a real life situation.

Understanding Student to Open-Ended Tasks

This article is addressing how open-ended questions can work in a math classroom. I really like this because I believe that it allows students to really vocalize their thought process for the math concept. This also allows the teacher to feel like they are better able to understand and student’s understanding.  The teacher in the article had students explain what area was in their own words. This allowed the teacher to see what each student was thinking and how they were able to think or reason throughout the problem based on what the student wrote.

Assessing Students' Understanding through Conversation

This article is addressing the importance of conversation in the math classroom. The article is addressing how based on conversations in the classroom the teacher might need to change the plans for the day. For example, this teacher was able to realize that her students were struggling with some of the properties of a rectangle, so instead of moving on she created a small mini-lesson on the spot to help improve her students’ understandings of the topic. I really like the idea of assessing the conversations that take place in a classroom I believe that it allows for the teacher to reflect on her teaching methods based on how well the students are speaking about the topic they just learned. I believe that this is allows for the teacher to create stronger lessons and for the students to speak up about their understandings. 

An Experiment in Using Portfolios in the Middle School Classroom

This article was talking about a teacher who decided to implement portfolios as a way of assessment in her math classroom. Portfolios are an important tool that allow teachers as well as students and parents to see the mathematical growth of the child. I love this idea of having a folder where the student can reflect back on their work. I also liked how this teacher used a certain criteria to assess the portfolio so that this was a project that encouraged the students in mathematics, instead of discouraging them. She allowed the students to pick the materials they felt should be in the portfolio and then they had to so some sort of reflection with them.