Intel Teach Program: Module 5

The ability to create student-centered assessment is an important ability for any educator, but especially the educator using project-based learning. A great deal of reflection goes into creating a type of assessment that is student-centered. Teachers should always take a step back and put themselves in the students' position in order to set goals for assessment that are obtainable and also answer CFQ's and other goals of the project.

Student involvement was one of the more interesting suggestions made by this module. Letting students become involved int he assessment process will create a challenge for students who ar used to the traditional model of teacher assessment. Students, however, can be giving the chance to help create and use checklists and rubrics. Students can also be involved in ongoing reflection of their own learning and progress on the project. Student reflection can also be beneficial for the teacher, as it provides regularly updated chances for a teacher to see if the unit goals are achievable. There are a large number of skills students can learn by being their own assessors. The most important, however, is how to give and receive feedback, a skill that is essential in any "real world" situation. One of the major benefits of student involvement in assessment is accountability and engagement - as teachers we all know how important it is for a student to feel that a learning experience is "theirs." What better way than through assessing their own progress?

While I still have a great deal to learn about creating assessment, I feel that my rubric for my current student sample is a comprehensive one with achievable goals for my students to work from. This module has given me a number of different ideas for assessment that I typically wouldn't consider.