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<\/p>\nBeing a science teacher comes with all sorts of challenges, details, and oversights. We all know that. How we approach these challenges, however, is what defines us as teachers.<\/p>\n
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One such challenge comes up routinely: How to assess.<\/p>\n
Out With Tradition<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to assessing students, teacher’s often think an exam or general test even quiz is the way to go. I’m here to say no to tests! Tests are the easy way out and have a flawed caliber on rating your students’ grasp of knowledge. Also, your students are going to be getting enough practice with tests and exams through standardized ones. why add to the mundane test-taking culture when you can take a more creative, impact-ful approach?<\/p>\n In With Ambition<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Contrary to prior belief, there are TONs of alternate assessments or creative projects that could be used to assess students in science classrooms. Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\n – Sculptures-<\/strong><\/p>\n Sculptures or models are a great way for a student to develop a tangible understanding such as atomic structure!<\/p>\n -Collages-<\/strong><\/p>\n Collages are another great visual for a student to connect perhaps real world and classroom content to make something constructed from what they know!<\/p>\n -Flipped Class:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Have the students take the reigns of a class lesson so they are teaching a lesson is another way you can gauge your students’ level of understanding based on how comfortable they are teaching it to their peers.<\/p>\n -Advertising:<\/strong><\/p>\n Crafting some form of advertising project work in gaining student interest on many different levels such as real world pertinence, creative outlet, and even building up to developing a commercial or a debate! This works great with any topic that has benefits that can be spun in advertising prowess!<\/p>\n Measuring The Assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n Tests are the easy way out in terms of assessing. I say this because they have a built in scale of what is right and wrong. Posing an alternate or creative style of assessment calls for a more in-depth way of grading.<\/p>\n Rubrics are important for these measurements of learning. Most sculptures, speeches,\u00a0 literature works, etc. aren’t going to have an outlined exact answer key. Utilizing a rubric ensures leaving the creative outlet open while also setting specific parameters to ensure they have learned the material.<\/p>\n Here is an example of a rubric that could be used for the flipped classroom example:<\/p>\n If I were to use this in my own classroom, I would incorporate a peer-review portion in order to accommodate perhaps an ELL student who maybe wasn’t the most vocal during the presentation but still contributed to the presentation in other ways. Another accommodation I would make is to have a video alternative assignment if a I have a student with a physical disability as to not make them be in the front of the class should they not want it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/WyattBischoff\/status\/1114991643432767488<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2007\/06_02\/schoolexamREX_468x360.jpg\")
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