TASK 5

For my blog, article, and video I focused on domain 4b which focuses on maintaining accurate records. This is not only in the realm of IEP keeping which is my biggest area of concern, but also in using assessments, different assessments and the importance of keeping accurate records for all of your students. Keeping accurate records helps you, as a teacher, know where your students are and how far they have come. Below I will write about all 3 of the above (article, blog, video) and post a link where you can view these as well.
1. BLOG:
http://www.edutopia.org/authentic-assessment-measure-student-performance
by: Anthony Cody
• Cody begins by stating that although we have to work towards standardized testing, teachers must also find ways to assess student learning. One form of assessment suggested on this blog are digitial portfolios. Although I like this idea it would not be relevant for my students so I am not going to divulge further information on this topic. The second idea for measuring student learning that is suggested is exhibition. This is “schools and support organizations across the country made their exhibition work public and advocated for the use of exhibitions in their local contexts.”
This would be a great way to show what students are learning, and to have a permanent product database of work your students have done and what they are learning at a certain time in the year.
The best thing about this blog is it gives links to other websites and blogs that would be helpful. For example I went to the Authentic Assessment Toolbox that was put together by Jonathon Mueller (http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm) where I found definitions of assessment, what assessment looks like, examples of rubrics, ect.
I also went to the 2nd link posted on Cody’s blog which was put together by the University of Wisconsin at Stout (http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/assess.shtml) which puts together a list of authentic assessment resources for teachers.
Although there is a lot of information on here that is not relevant to the students I teacher, there are parts of each blog or page that will help me design assessments for my students in rubric form, exhibition form, etc. This blog was very helpful.

2. VIDEO: http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-overview-video
• This video was very interesting. It relates to assessment in some way but the way it relates to the domain I am looking at is that in domain 4, one of the main issues is maintaining accurate records. Throughout alternative portfolios I have to maintain accurate records. When one of the speakers on the video starts discussing he says that beyond the SAT students have to problem solve, and think for themselves. On the alternative portfolios this is what my students get to do. It is called the level of complexity that they get scored on. However to accurately portray the level of complexity and their problem solving skills I have to have better record keeping or their responses will not show how intelligent they are.
• It also discusses how students may not have the best ACT scores but show different attributes (i.e. from hands on experience or problem solving) I think this is very important because it shows that if teachers keep accurate records we can know what students really know and what they have really learned by using a data sheet when they do a hands on activity instead of relying on an ACT score. They say that measuring a students progress of projects are more beneficial. This is what I do daily. I measure students progress – however once again this is where my downfall is in that all of my record keeping is not as accurate as it could or should be.
• One other thing that I enjoyed is when they had students read a book and then go discuss it with a stranger which helped them assess if the student was ready to go on to college work. This just shows that people are using Performance Based Testing and that it is beneficial. My students are measured on performance on a daily basis so I felt that I understood and related to this video.

3. ARTICLE: http://www.edutopia.org/assessment-research
• This article discusses authentic assessment (often referred to as performance based assessment) and how teachers who use it routinely are shown to increase their students scores on tests. What I am going to pull out of this article because I feel it is most relevant to me is that students should not be tested based on pencil and paper tests or writings especially when they are beginning to use computers more. My students are learning to use computers because they do not have writing skills, and when I look at it I don’t think writing skills are something that a lot of students can be assessed on anymore because we do everything on a computer. I for one can type a lot faster than I could ever write. If I was assessed on my writing it would not be good, however my typing is a lot better and more efficient.
• Also in the article it discusses portfolios because in the development of portfolios “had several positive educational outcomes: Students and teachers were more enthusiastic and had a more positive attitude about learning, teachers devoted "substantially more attention" to problem solving and communication (two areas represented by portfolios), students spent more time working in small groups or in pairs, and teachers felt the portfolios afforded them a new perspective on student work.” All of my students do portfolios but in a different manner. We use portfolios for alternative assessment and also to keep their work so we can see where they were at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. I felt this article was very informative.
After reading all of the above or watching all of the above, I believe that for my inquiry plan I am going to look more into assessment and student record keeping. I am going to look at (for now this may change) taking a couple of my students, designing the best assessment and keeping a portfolio over a few weeks to see how well that works in helping me keep accurate records and data.