"Authentic assessments transform classrooms into spaces where students apply knowledge to solve real-world challenges." by Dr. Angela Nagel

dranagel921 — 2024-11-18 14:16:47 UTC

What examples of authentic assessments can you think of for your content area?
How do performance tasks engage students in deeper learning?
What challenges might arise when designing authentic assessments, and how could you address them?

2024-11-18 20:58:18 UTC

The first authentic assessment that came to mind for my high school English classroom was college-entry essays or resumes. Both of these are real-world challenges that these students will be facing soon after they leave my class and I think it is super beneficial for them to have practiced these skills several times in a controlled environment before they have to try them on their own.

Performance tasks help students to see the "why" behind everything they have been learning in school. Understanding the real-world implications of academics can encourage students to be more engaged in the classroom and willing to learn.

The challenges can be just figuring out how to adapt your subject for the outside world. Subjects like English can seem very brainy and wordy and students often don't see how they fit into the rest of their lives. However, writing skills are vital to lots of different jobs throughout the market, from writing professional emails to progress reports. I would want to show my students the value of writing and provide lots of assignemnts that help prove my point.

2024-11-19 08:44:37 UTC

A authentic assessment I might use as an elementary school teacher could be solving a math problem using physical objects like the colored teddy bears. With this they might be doing 5+3 where they would get five teddy bears and then add three to the pile to get a total of eight.
I believe performance tasks are one of the best ways to learn because they allow the students to actively engage in their learning in whatever means it is. Being able to see exactly what your learning about is a lot more beneficial then reading about it or seeing it in a photo.
Sometimes performance tasks can be harder for teachers to grade equally for all students. For example, if a class is writing a paper on all different topics where the teacher is familiar with some topics but not others it can become unfair. This is why it is so important for teachers to come out with rubrics that assess the same no matter what. Another struggle might be how much time it takes, if students are making a poster board they have to present to the class and each presentation is 5 minutes it could take awhile to get through the whole class. I remember in elementary school we would have a "fair" where we would all present at once to different teachers, parents, and students. Another solution could be to do a few presentations a day.

2024-11-19 19:42:48 UTC

The examples of authentic assessments for middle school history include developing timelines for events and first person essays/oral presentations on historic figures.
Performance tasks engage students in deeper learning because they have to first understand the concept and then apply it. By constructing a timeline or acting as a historic character, students learn at a deeper level than just rote memorization.
One challenge of authentic assessments is that the grading could be more subjective. A clearly defined rubric could make help level the playing field.

2024-11-20 17:38:48 UTC

Casey Caraher

As a High School social studies teacher, some authentic assessments I can use are oral presentations on certain figures and having in-class debates.
Performance tasks allow students to actively engage in their learning. When students are able to apply the knowledge they learn, they are way more likely to remember the information.
I believe the biggest challenge would be grading these assignments because there are not clear right or wrong answers. In order to combat this, I would make sure that the rubrics I make clearly defined what success looks like for the assignments.

2024-11-20 19:09:22 UTC

Emily Jones

As an elementary teacher, an example of an authentic assessment I could use is having students to count money in math class. It's a skill they will need in the real world, but it's also helping to assess their counting skills.
Performance tasks allow students to get engaged beyond showing how well they can do answering multiple choice questions. While there is certainly a time and place for different types of tasks, performance tasks encourage students to get creative and think outside the box while demonstrating what they know.
One challenge could be creating questions that are specific, clear, and leave no room for confusion. If questions are not clear for students, then it may not accurately measure what a student knows.

2024-11-20 19:36:24 UTC

Lerin Moreland

As an elementary teacher examples of an authentic assessment would be having them read a story and answer questions about it to see if they understood what the story was talking about.
Performance tasks encourage students to think outside of the box, when they think outside of the box they are really trying to understand the content. When they activity engage then you know they will process the information better.
You could have the students try and figure out the challenge or you can try and hit their ZPD with it and help them without helping them to ensure the fully grasp the information. I won't just tell them the answer to the problems, I will give them little hints.

2024-11-27 01:10:06 UTC

Carolyn Conley

An authentic assessment of elementary education would be multiplication facts, 2D and 3D shape assessments, and telling time on a clock.
Performance tasks engage students on a deeper level because every one learns differently. This is hands on, social and more interesting than doing paperwork.
When designing authentic assessments it can be time consuming. There could be students that need modifications also. It's important to plan ahead and also use the Special Education teachers as a task source as well.