Authentic Assessment In Teaching

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Assessment Tool Assessments are an essential element of teaching (“Assessment Techniques,” n.d.). An assessment is “the process of collecting and documenting information on individual student learning” (“Assessment Techniques,” n.d.). They are used to indicate the child’s progress, their perceptions of others and their self, they specify the child’s weaknesses and strengths and they outline behavior patterns (Beaty, 2014, p. 2). There are numerous tools that can be used to conduct assessments. One of these tools is known as authentic assessments. Authentic assessments are performed in a child’s natural setting and can include observations, essays, interviews, performance tasks, portfolios, journals, teacher-created tests, checklists and …show more content…

The course provided checklists that I used to assess one five year old kindergarten boy. I conducted this assessment through a series of interviews and performance tasks to evaluate nine key elements. These elements included a language sample, “social and emotional development”, physical development, cognitive development, letter knowledge, “concepts about books and conventions of print”, phonological awareness, “concepts about books and comprehension”, ‘writing development; mechanics of writing”, and “motivation and attitude” (Morrow, …show more content…

First, the results can be used it to identify what specific areas in language and literacy that the child already knows. By knowing what the child understands and what their language and literacy strengths are, it will allow the teacher to use the child’s knowledge to scaffold new learning material into classroom instruction. Subsequently, this information can be used to identify the child’s weaknesses. When the teacher understands what areas a child does not fully understand, it allows them to adjust their lesson plans and activities accordingly to fit the child’s specific

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