Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning

          Devising assessment methods for secondary students is quite far-reaching in this era of “teaching to the test,” and no easy task for Literature.  Getting students prepared for “test” time, and making sure the entire school is “assessed” properly can make falling into the trap of facts and knowledge acquisition pretty easy.  Teacher candidates are told frequently that the assessments need to square with the Learning Objectives on the lesson plan.  The lesson plan also asks for rationale in the classroom instruction.  Assessing and Evaluating Student Learning gives teachers plenty of rationale for the many potential assessment across literature. 

            The amount of reading in Literature is voluminous.  Most students are likely to read just to obtain the facts and acquire the knowledge necessary to pass a test, as in the rest of their classes, but that won’t demonstrate knowledge of a piece of literature.  An adequate assessment should include an ability to infer a theme or a hypothesis, an ability to elaborate on a retelling of events, interpret a reading using pieces out of the book to explain, as well as counter-interpret a classmate’s interpretation.  The good news here in Literature is there is more than one correct answer to a test question.  Literature is also very writing intensive.  A student must prove their worth come assessment time with an “essay,” a four letter word for many students.  I really like the idea of providing templates for students to focus their writing on a “specific criteria unique to writing in a particular from or genre (pg 230).”  I see this as being very helpful for getting struggling writers a way to start.  It can take away from the stress of having to write a whole, flawless paper from the get go. 

            The idea on a writing assessment is not to answer a question on coma usage, or the difference between a metaphor and a simile, but to demonstrate developing one’s own ideas throughout the unit.  A journal, or a blog can go a long way in this regard.  Portfolios are a great idea, too.  I can envision students doing very well with the eportfolio.  The idea in all of this writing and literature is for a student to find their own voice, verify their belief systems rather than perceive themselves to be in the “below average,” “less abled” half of the class.