Notes from Millie D

From Wikipedia, assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Personal Note:  If this is what NCLB was measuring, great, but NCLB looks at specific evaluations not assessments.

In a technology-rich classroom assessment moves closer towards reality because of how Web 2.0 tools can show the process of documenting knowledge and skills.   When I stop to think about the power of wikis and blogs it really talks about assessment.  Assessment looks more at the development of knowledge and/or skills rather than a snapshot within the journey like evaluations often show.  

One of the first times I listened to someone explain to me the difference between assessment and evaluation they talked about the difference between a portfolio and a chapter test.  Portfolios show the knowledge and skills over time and chapter tests showcase student responses to specific questions or topics in that moment.  Another way to look at that made sense to me was assessment is whole entire movie and evaluation would be 30 second trailer the studio wants you to see in order to make an impression of their movie.  Classrooms which utilize technology like blogs and wikis can show the knowledge over time by examining comments within entries or the history on wiki pages.  Web 2.0 tools becomes the basis for ePortfolio assessment work.  Using RSS feeds the portfolio can be a living document instead of a static product.  I think in the next few years, thanks to projects in NH and other places, ePortfolios based on Web 2.0 technologies taking off and becoming a teacher’s dream as far as management goes.

Using this type of technology changes how students learn and how teachers teach.  The technology should change the tools we use to assess!