What should be the role of assessment in elementary (K-9) education ?
In order to properly answer the above question, I knew that I first needed to complete my very first, three-week-long, elementary practicum. Throughout those weeks, I tried my best to keep this question in the back of my mind, rolling it around and tossing it back and forth as I watched my coaching teacher teach and make my very own lesson plans. I can now truthfully and confidently say that the role of assessment in elementary education is still something that I’m trying to figure out the best approach to.
Prior to my first practicum, I held the belief that the role of assessment in elementary education should remain consistent across all grade levels. I didn’t see why it should be, or for that matter, need be different, I was not yet fully aware of what exactly children needed to learn and grow. However, now I have since come to understand that each individual learner has their own unique needs and abilities and that in order to help these students bloom we need to tailor their support.
I now recognize that the role of assessment in elementary education should be oriented toward addressing the individual student’s abilities and requirements, looking not only at the areas they need improvement in, but also in areas where they excel. I believe that assessments need to be well-rounded and diverse, including a wide range of techniques and fields to properly assess an individual student’s progress in their learning journey. As well, I also think that the knowledge obtained from doing assessments should be shared with the students themselves so that they can be active players in their education experience. Likewise, I believe that by sharing what’s learned from assessments with the students themselves it helps to grow a positive and open learning environment, showing children that they are the most important part of their own learning.
While the above reflects my current perspective on assessment in elementary education, it remains subject to evolution as I continue to learn and progress along my teaching journey.