This document discusses assessments and their importance in education. It explains that assessments are used to evaluate students and provide information to teachers, parents, and students on academic performance and learning. Assessments can identify whether a student needs extra help or advanced learning opportunities. While assessments stress some students, they generally benefit learning when followed by targeted instruction. The document also advocates for new types of 21st century assessments that incorporate collaboration, writing, and problem-solving to better evaluate student skills.

1. Assessments
Tara Thomas
SOE 115 Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendall College

2. Assessments
Teachers and students are all very familiar with Assessments. Assessments are used to
evaluate a student. This information can help a teacher, parent, school and student
understand useful information when it comes to planning, placing and grading.
Assessments measure how well a student is doing in a specific area or unit.
Assessments can also show how much a student has learned based on previous
assessments. Many times assessments have the ability to show if a student needs extra
help or should be placed in an enrichment group. Assessments can be done in many
different ways. A few popular assessment types includes Standardized tests, Pre
Assessments and Formative Assessments (Hidden Curriculum, 2014). Assessments are
very important in the academic process.

3. Source #1
This site explains the importance of having assessments in the classroom.
Not standardized tests but actual quizzes, spelling tests and tests. A great
point this source makes is that it does not only benefit teachers and
parents but it benefits the students too. Assessments are for the students
just as much as they are for the teacher. With that being said it is the
teachers job to create meaningful assessments that can help a student
understand the material and prove the best they can be. A statement
made ASCD.com says If assessments provide information for students
and teachers, then they should never mean its the end of learning
(Gusky, 2003). In reality assessments must be followed by corrective
instruction created to help fix any noticed confusion during the
assessment. This statements holds the idea that assessments should not
be the only form of a grade. Assessments should be used to help obtain
the information to achieve the grade. ASCD.com refers to assessments as
a way to improve education.

4. Source #2
• This is one I found interesting based on it specific pros and cons list
along with examples. The list of assessments is long, there are
many type of ways to assess students and it is an argument of
weather or not assessments are the best way to evaluate students.
For most categories such as graded homework, pre-tests, post
tests, papers reports, and projects the cons and pros are very equal
making it difficult for someone to win an argument based on one
side. A very common con seen throughout the site is that
assessments cause anxiety in students which does not allow them
to perform well. Assessments are also very labor intensive for both
students and teachers.(Spurlin, 2006). On the positive sign we see
assessments allowing creativity, reflecting a students resource
access, and showing a more mature knowledge level.

5. Source #3
• This site proves that is it for assessments in a number of ways,
however it also presents ideas for a new way of assessments. An
assessment types that fits the century we are in. In this article we are
shown that standardized states were used in the mid-1930, so much
as changed since then so why wouldn’t our testing? (Wolpert-
Gawron, para 4). Some other ways that this article supports new
assessments is the many idea given throughout. The author
introduces the idea of collaborating with other students, connecting
through writing, more problem solving and critical thinking. I believe
all of these ideas are worth giving a chance because they all have the
ability to prove a child's intelligence and many other things as well.
This article is very encouraging and attempting to chance the way we
assess our students to benefit them.

6. Analysis
• These websites differed in a few ways. The first site really aimed on
sharing why assessments are used and how they are used in the
classroom. This site explained the importance of assessments on
parents, students and teachers. The second website showed the ways
that people disagree and agree when it comes to assessments. I was
able to understand why some people frown upon assessments for
their students and children. The last article I found was a great
addition to my list. This article completely agreed with assessments
but introduced new 21st century ways to do give them.

7. Connections
• Assessments allow teachers to tell him a child has a disability that
may need extra attention or help. They also allow students to reach
their intelligences. Assessments are taken to help measure
intelligences. They have the ability to tell if a child is gifted or talented
as well.
• Assessment have the ability to help children be able to build a
foundation for emergent literacy skills

8. Conclusions
• Overall I am very pleased with the topic I chose to research and
discuss. It seems that most people can conclude that assessments are
a positive and useful portion of academics. My sites were all very
different in the information they gave me. This strategy has proven to
improve development because it allows a child, parents and students
to see areas of improvement and struggles. While there were
negatives that mentioned otherwise the positive effects outweigh
them. Anyone that visits these sites would see how good assessmets
are in every academic career.

9. Communication with
Families
• Families appreciate the use of assessments in their child’s academic
career. It gives them the ability to see how their child is doing in a
certain area or subject. The idea of studying for certain tests may put
stress on the parents because they have no control over the outcome
which may pose as a downside to some parents Parents are kept in
the loop when there are assessments, without assessments it would
be very difficult for parents to understand how their child is grasping
the information being taught to them.

10. References
Educase . Pros and Cons of Assessment Methods on Students Learning.
Gusky, Thomas (2003). How Classroom Assessments Improve Learning. ASCD.
Volume 60, Pages 6-11
Hidden curriculum (2014, August 26). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary of
education reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum
Wolpert-Gawron, Heather (2010). Classroom Assessments for a New Century.
Teacher PD Source Book. Vol. 04, Issue 01, Page 16