Chapter Four: Three Important Types of Assessment

Chapter four of Fair Isn't Always Equal is about the three most essential types of assessment: portfolios, rubrics, and self-evaluation. Portfolios are an excellent form of testing because they cover multiple ways of assessing. A portfolio can be a tool of differentiation that can be extremely flexible in the content that it assesses and how. Rubrics are always a good form of testing because they are clear and concise with their expectations. Self-evaluation is critical because the student can reflect (via a journal or writing an entry) on how they performed; the student is his or her own critic. Students are more apt to retain concepts if they have assessed themselves adequately. I loved this chapter because it explained many concepts that I was once confused about. For example, I never completely understood the logistics of maintaining a portfolio. I have always been confused by them, but that was because I never fully realized how well they can be implemented in a classroom. I love rubrics- it is an effective assessment tool which always manages to remain direct, literal, and concise. However, self-evaluation is definitely my favorite. I believe that if a student assesses themselves, that they are more apt to learn because they will care more; they are focusing on themselves. By reflecting on what task they've completed, the purpose of the task, what they did like, what they did not like, what challenged them, etc, I am allowing my students to discover themselves and who they are. I will not only notice their strengths and weaknesses, but they will too! I want my students to self-evaluate themselves so that they know themselves and how they learn, which hopefully would inspire the children to dive deeper into the curriculum with enthusiasm.