Assessment test Essay Example for Free

Assessment test Essay Assessment is a vast topic that is a continuing process that educators use to observe, gather, and evaluate evidence to determine what students have learned, as well as, making informed, and dependable decisions to enhance student learning. It encompasses a broad range of testing from nationwide accountability tests to everyday classroom observation and quizzes. In order to take control of what appears to be an excess use of testing, assessment should be looked upon as a tool for information. The more information we have about students, the more closely we can look at  instructional strategies that are effective and which ones need to be modified. There are two main types of assessments that I will be discussing, formal and informal. Informal assessments or in other words â€Å"assessment of learning†, are used to evaluate students during the learning process. Formal assessments are conducted as a tool to evaluate student’s completion of work or the final product. There are many advantages and disadvantages to these types of assessments techniques that I will be discussing for measuring student progress. I will begin by discussing two formal assessment types along with its  advantages and disadvantages. The first type of assessment that I would like to address would be the statewide-standardized test under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The statewide standardized test is considered a high-stakes test because of the important consequences it has on passing or failing the test. It mandates yearly testing for grades 3 through 8 and once in high school for reading and math. Science was recently added in the mix to test students at least once in elementary, middle and high school. The underlying principle for this type of testing was intended to reach great  academic achievement for all students, especially those from lower socioeconomic classes. Advantage #1 It ensures that no child—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or status is trapped in a consistently low-performing school. If a school does not make adequate progress towards set standards, parents have the option of sending their children to a better performing school or are provided free tutoring. This assessment helps determine if the student is receiving high-quality education at different grade levels. Advantage #2 Teachers are held accountable. If a student is not advancing with one  method of teaching, the teacher must use a different technique for a more favorable outcome. They must use research-based methods of teaching. This high-stakes test determines how to use assessment results to plan effective instruction. Disadvantage #1 This statewide-standardized test does not recognize student growth. It does not offer a realistic picture of how a student or school is performing as a whole. The extent of what a student actually learned is not known. Students that start out at a disadvantage are not given recognition for progress in achievement. Disadvantage #2 Teaching to the test. The growing concern with this high-stakes test is that it has become the curriculum and instruction has been narrowed to focus on results. Disadvantage #3 States set their own standards and can make tests unusually easy to compensate for inadequate student performance. The second type of formal assessment I would like to discuss is the aptitude test. It is a norm-reference test and is administered under timed testing conditions. It measures a student’s overall performance across a wide range of intellectual capabilities. These test are useful to determine the current level students are at and to adjust classroom curriculum  accordingly. Advantage #1 Aptitude tests are excellent predictors of future learning or performance. Advantage #2 Aptitude tests help students understand their own strengths and weaknesses. Advantage #3 Aptitude tests are useful tools for working with students with special needs because it can help teachers form realistic expectations of the student. Disadvantage #1 Since this is a multiple-choice type test, it does not allow for creativity or an alternative way of thinking. Disadvantage #2 Since this is a norm-reference test, students do not know how well they individually mastered the material. They only know how well they did compared to other students. Informal assessments is an important tool for teachers to use to monitor students’ progress throughout the learning process. The first type of informal assessment I feel is crucial in monitoring student performance is observation. I feel this method would be valuable to use in my classroom because I can observe students immediate reaction to my instruction especially during a pair-share or group setting. As I walk around the classroom, I would document my assessment of students’ performance and then provide feedback. Advantage #1 As I observe and listen, it will allow me to know how many students remembered and processed the information given, as well as using it to solve problems. Advantage #2 As I observe and listen, it can help me to immediately clarify any confusion and address the problem. Disadvantage #1 Not all students may be verbally participating at the time of observation. Disadvantage #2 Some students become nervous when being observed, and their performance may suffer. A second type of informal assessment that I would use in the classroom would be student portfolios. Through the portfolio process,  students develop goal-setting and self-directed learning techniques. It helps students value themselves as learners. It also allows students to compete with themselves rather than with other students. Advantage #1 Students can plan and manage their own time to complete their work. This can benefit the students by teaching them responsibility for their own learning goals. Advantage #2 Students know their own strengths and weaknesses as they assess and analyze their progress. Disadvantage #1 Portfolios take a lot of planning and organization. Gathering all the information can make it difficult to manage. Disadvantage #2 Evaluating and scoring a student’s portfolio evolves a wide range of subjective evaluation procedures, which can limit reliability. A third method of informal assessment is through student oral presentation. This technique provides the student an opportunity to present information through verbal means in lieu of a written form. It allows the student to show their knowledge on a particular subject. To assess this type of method I would use a rating scale to grade student performance. It is very important to use a detailed rating scale for students to know the  aspects of the presentation that are to be considered in the assessment. Advantage #1 This method of assessment is instant and immediate in the transmission of information. Feedback can be given instantly. Advantage #2 Oral presentations provide maximum preparation. This can allow the students to practice to achieve perfection. Disadvantage #1 Some students are timid and more introverted than others. Oral presentations can be very intimidating and nerve-racking. Disadvantage #2 English language learners or those students who have a disability might affect their ability to speak fluently. Disadvantage #3  Students might find it easier to organize information through written communication. The final informal assessment method I would use would be pop quizzes. This type of assessment is usually quick, given without prior warning and can be completed in 15 minutes or less. Teachers can use this method to determine if students have grasped recent information. Advantage #1 Allow students to build on previous information and strengthens concepts which may have been unclear to them. Advantage #2 It is a great way to reinforce material that may be covered on a standardized type assessment test. Disadvantage #1 It does not allow for accommodation for those students who need extended time on examinations, tests and quizzes. It can cause undo stress for those students. Disadvantage #2 It doesn’t really tell the true picture of a student’s level of knowledge. Some students may be lucky enough to guess the majority of the questions correctly. Having a mixture of written and oral types of informal assessments services a wide range of students. It allows the teacher to evaluate and recognize student’s learning needs and determine the appropriate level and pace of workflow. It offers the students the best chance to excel in one or more formats.

student :: essays research papers

1 'Taking A Brand Global: Ten Steps To Success'; I. Introduction: The Importance of Being Global A strong global brand is a powerful weapon. These days, however, it may also be an indispensable one, even as the economy challenges our faith in brands to deliver a profit. According to Interbrand's 'World's Most Valuable Brands 2000'; study, for example, although Amazon's share price has declined, its brand value has increased by 233%. On the other hand, international power player Coca-Cola, although still the world's #1 brand, saw its value drop by 13%. And technology brands did quite well— Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Nokia placed second through fifth—not at all foreshadowing the precipitous crash in their stock prices about half a year after the study findings were released. Overall, notes marketing writer Jane Bainbridge in Marketing [20 July 2000], Interbrand's second annual study of this kind reveals not only that global brands are 'stable assets,'; but also that 'the most valuable brands are global.'; In fact, she argues, 'to have a billion-dollar brand, a company has to be global.'; II. Branding As The New 'Universal Language'; Based on a recent survey of more than forty-five thousand people across nineteen countries, Young & Rubicam makes a rather startling claim. In its newest Brand Asset Valuator report, issued in March 2001, the firm asserts that brands have taken on a godlike status: consumers find greater meaning in them and the values they espouse than in religion. As Conor Dignam reports in Ad Age Global [12 March 2001], the study claims that superbrands like Calvin Klein, Gatorade, IKEA, Microsoft, MTV, Nike, Virgin, Sony PlayStation, and Yahoo! can therefore also be called 'belief brands.'; Although Dignam argues against the idea that consumers would treat brands as gods (because they will not be dictated to by them), he does accept the implications of the argument and make a different analogy. Brands, he says, are more like 'best friends,'; in that they are an important part of people's lives, do carry specific meanings for the consumer, and they are respected or rejected based on how well they keep their promises. Yet whether one calls them gods or 'best friends,'; brands have clearly started to take on greater importance in consumers' lives. In fact, they have gone from objects with identity to identities in the guise of objects. The trend has gone so far, in fact, that people are beginning to speak the language of brands and even to market themselves as brands in their own right. There is more than one book in print along the lines of Brand Yourself [Ballantine, 2000] devoted strictly to the notion that the

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Edgar Allen Poe is considered the father of the modern mystery novel as well as a premier short story writer and poet. While it may not be â€Å"CSI†, his novella â€Å"Murders in the Rue Morgue† also discussed rudimentary forensics with detectives discovering that hair left on the murder victims is not human. Not bad for a guy born almost 200 years ago. Poe was the son of an actress, born in Boston in 1809. He attended the University of Virginia after being raised by the Allen family after his mother dies.In his short life, Poe developed a drinking and drug habit (Wilson) and his love to disease. Poe lived only 40 years, but was prolific, writing some of the best-known horror short stories of all time. Most children grow up shivering to the tales of â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† and as adults, the equally chilling tales of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"Hop-Frog† inspire horror. His gothic writing s tyle created horror and love with a deep atmosphere, with poems like â€Å"Annabelle Lee†.And, stories like â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† are both social and historical commentary on the plight of the plague victims. His poem â€Å"The Conqueror Worm† also talks about the struggle of good versus evil. Part of the appeal of the works of Poe is that he is so diverse. Though best known for the poem â€Å"The Raven†, stories like â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue† show the diversity of his abilities. The ability to write mystery stories and horror is not a given and his works gave rise to ideas that would later become the industry standard.For example, the idea of hiding in plain sight developed out of the short story â€Å"The Purloined Letter†. The very concept of forensics was introduced in the â€Å"Rue Morgue† and Poe was also a major force in the development of the detective novel. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Poeâ €™s life and works was that his life was marred by tragedy. His lover, a cousin, died within two years of their marriage and his mother died while he was young. His dark and tragic life is blamed and credited for his genius.Whether his poetry can be put down to the fleeting fantasy of laudanum induced hallucinations or the words of a tortured soul, no one can say. What we can say is that Poe is one of the first truly great American writers. WORKS CITED Girando, Robert. â€Å"Welcome to PoeStories. Com† http://www. poemuseum. org/, October 29, 2007. â€Å"Poe Museum† , October 29, 2007. Wilson, James Southall. â€Å"Poe’s Life† http://www. poemuseum. org/poes_life/index. html, October 29, 2007.

Comparison Of Aldous Huxley And Thomas Mores Utopia

How did Aldous Huxley and Thomas Moore approach the perfect society in their writings? They each created a society vastly different from the prevailing one of their times. Thomas More coined the word utopia from 2 Greek words ou meaning no or not and topos which mean no place for his novel Utopia (Miriam-Webster 2017). His novel Utopia written in 1516 was essay of current 16th century English society. Each author is a product of their times. Thomas Moore lived during the Renaissance at a time just after the New World was discovered and the printing press was invented. The world was alight with new ideas and Thomas More thought these new ideas could lift the masses of Europe out of abject poverty. People whose only wrongdoing was†¦show more content†¦One defining characteristic of the Utopian genre is that the societies require their citizens to give up personal freedoms in exchange for economic and physical security. In Utopia all people are equal and people voluntarily gave up those freedoms. Draconian laws protect a benevolent state and therefore the population at large. People can be killed or enslaved for breaking the rules. Utopi a was ruled by a hierarchy of elected phylarchs within this classless society. The author Thomas More contrasts the Utopia classless society with entrenched European class system which is based on largely on heredity. In Brave New World the world is ruled by a supposed benevolent ruling class. The population is subjugated through the Bokanovsky Process, Podsnap Technique and Hypnopaedia. These processes condition people to be happy with their lot in life. Both Authors define the common good from different perspectives. Both societies provide the basics of the common good. People were fed, clothed and educated by society. They had easy access to medical care and housing. To Thomas Moore the common good also meant to nourish the mind. He believed in a society populated by an enlightened, happy and productive people. This intelligent population was civically involved and helped rule the land. People used the free time