GED 616 - Assigning and Assessing Student Work That Matters

Schools do not provide sufficient time for teachers to process the implications of the many kinds of classroom assessments they are required to implement. Teachers feel overwhelmed by the weight and structure of these demands. In this course, practicing teachers will have the opportunity to make sense of what is worthwhile to assign our students and how we can assess their work so it matters more to them, to us and to their communities. We will examine the tasks that we ask students to do and how we can give them more authentic and formative feedback. Engaging in collegial dialogue, inquiry and reflective practice, participants will design learning opportunities using a variety of assessment procedures and examine what assessment does and can mean for how well students learn. Teachers will leave the course with a personal understanding of how to make assessment more effective and purposeful as well as a portfolio of specific tasks and tools to use in their practice.

Credits: 3 cr.