Assessment Practices

If these latest chapters from Teaching Adolescent Writers could be summed up in a few words they would be model everything and practice, practice, and more practice.

I can admit to being one of the “once and done” kind of writers. I've found that it is difficult to go back and edit my work, and not just because of the additional effort and time that it requires. I think that for some people, it is hard to edit their work because of the personal nature of writing. I’m very meticulous when I write and sometimes feel that criticism is a kind of attack upon me, even though that isn't true. I can’t imagine how criticism, even constructive criticism, must feel for less confident writers.

Because of this, I really liked the examples Gallagher gave for modeling. Well, modeling done right. I can remember being shown a “Grecian urn,” being told that this was what was expected of me, and just wanting to give up right then and there. But I can also remember the first time a teacher modeled the editing process. He gave us an essay that I, with all my tact back then, characterized as “atrocious.” After letting us tear into the essay, my teacher revealed that it was his, a college paper he’d written at the last minute. I was shocked (and extremely embarrassed about what I’d said.) But the lesson about never letting the first draft be the final draft has never been forgotten. Turning the idea of assessment on its head, where students give feedback on a teacher’s work, is definitely an effective tool, and one that needs to be used more often.

With that being said, I found Gallagher’s 4:1 grading philosophy a little off-putting at first. However, when I started to think about it, it made sense. Students are already feel scrutinized enough by the red pen. This approach lets them have a chance to practice getting their thought and opinions onto the paper; they also can write without fearing that their work will be judged by another (audience) or that their work will be judged for a certain value (grades). I’m definitely thinking about using this grading approach for writing assignments.

Speaking of assessments, I found the authentic/objective assessment assignment for this week especially challenging. I dislike traditional tests to begin with, as I feel that they don’t fit the nature of literary study. Reading and writing is intensely subjective, and an objective assessment is the exact opposite of that. I also struggled because, when I read, I try to search for relevance beyond what just the text says. I like to make connections to current events, to history, to society, to anything really. How can a multiple choice test assess all that?

Part of my problem with the objective assessment might’ve been that my short story, “If I Forget Thee, O Earth,” was so short—only 3 pages. I chose the text because I thought it was written concisely and well, but also because I thought that it would spur on thoughtful discussion and that could connect to a variety of texts. Like in a text satellite, come to think….

However, I think that my difficulty with creating a multiple choice assessment was because it ran so contrary to everything that I think of when trying to create a unit. That’s why I’m enjoying reading and learning about alternative and more creative ways to assess students. Plus, I think that alternative assessments are much more fun (albeit more time-consuming) to grade than running Scantron sheets.