Ed 3604 Article Review Blog Post

In her article Learning to Love Assessment, Carol Ann Tomlinson describes ten understandings she has gained concerning assessment, particularly informative assessment, throughout her teaching career. She states that early on in her career she did not understand “the role of assessment in a dynamic and success oriented classroom” (Tomlinson, 9). Assessment, to her, was not an important part of student learning and development, but more of an after thought, something that had to be done (9). Unfortunately, I think that assessment takes a back seat in many classrooms, and is often seen as proving student learning rather than facilitating it. Tomlinson describes her thinking as, “shifting from assessment as judging students to assessment as guiding students” (10). It is important for teachers to understand the role of assessment in providing feedback for students to help them improve in their learning, and to help teachers improve their teaching. Tomlinson stresses in her article the importance of using a variety of assessment methods, and using methods that fit with the learning needs of your students (10). It is important to remember that just because a student does not do as well on one assessment does not mean that they are not learning. Just as there are different learning styles, there are different ways to show learning and different methods of assessment. Tomlinson noted that when she “gave students multiple ways to express learning or gave them a say in how they could show what they knew, more students were engaged . . . more students were learning” (10). The assessment should fit the students, not the other way around. I like the fact that she gave them different opportunities. I think that the more opportunities you give students to show what they know, the more successful they will be. This will in turn encourage their self confidence and have a positive affect on their learning. As Tomlinson says, “informative assessment isn’t just about finding weaknesses” and it can be used to “accentuate student positives rather than negatives” (12). It is just as important to know what students can do as what they cannot do. I think this is something that I need to remember – too often as a student I see assessments as a means to discover any areas that need improvement, forgetting that the same assessment also shows me what I know how to do well. I will probably carry this bias with me as I move into a teaching role, and I might need to remind myself to remember the positive side. This helps students feel that they have something to build on, and shows them the strengths that they have (Tomlinson, 11). Two other insights that Tomlinson gained during her career, which I think are important for all teachers to remember, are that “informative assessment isn’t about after” and “informative assessment isn’t an end in itself” (11). Informative assessment plays a role in finding out what your students already know, and can keep you from assuming they have already learned certain skills, concepts, vocabulary, etc. You may even find they know more than you think. Preassessment and diagnostic assessment help teachers know where to start and where to move ahead. Assessment also helps teachers know if they need to go back and try a different method to teach certain material, because students did not grasp the material the first time. Assessment provides important feedback to both students and teachers, which does not always have to come at the end of a unit; it can be “the beginning of better instruction” and better learning (11).

Tomlinson, C. A. (2007). Learning to Love Assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8-13. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete EBSCOhost.