Week Four

This week had a lot of information. I really enjoyed reading from Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. This reading help me a lot with assessments. The chapter talked about how assessments should be "embedded, ongoing, [and] flexible"and that is what I really need to focus on. We've been on the standardized testing kick for so long, that it important to remember that standardized testing is not the only way to assess a students learning. I have never been a huge fan of standardized testing, but I do realize the usefulness of it. But through my readings I have also realized the usefulness of other types of assessments. Students learn differently, therefore, students will portray their knowledge differently. We need to give students the opportunity to express what they have learned in a way they are comfortable. That is why assessments should be flexible. We need to assess continually as well, whether it is a simple check for understanding during group practice, or an exit ticket at the end of a lesson.