Ask Me Anything Live Event Recap: How Do We Assess for Learning?
On April 26, 2022, GOA held an online panel discussion as part of the Ask Me Anything live event series. Facilitated by Sara Tahir, Associate Director of Professional Learning, the event featured an educator panel from GOA’s network that discussed shifts that can be made in assessment practices to better support student learning outcomes. Joining Sara on the panel included Meg Griswold, Middle School Humanities and Journalism Teacher at Graded - The American School of São Paulo; Kurt Prescott, GOA Faculty and Humanities Instructor/Institutional Research Apprentice at Maret School; and Elizabeth Rossini, Director of Teaching and Learning at The Nueva School.
Panelists - Ask Me Anything Event: How Do We Assess for Learning?
Sara opened the discussion by saying, “The purpose of assessment is to gather relevant information about student learning. At times, we sometimes lose sight of this purpose or conflate assessment with other elements of our teaching practice, including grading and reporting. How do we shift away from a mindset of using assessment as a way to produce grades into a meaningful and empowering learning experience for all students?”
The conversation commenced with the panelists sharing their experiences and insights on assessment practices. The panelists covered the following questions:
- How has your approach and your school’s approach to assessment shifted over time? Where do we begin with assessing for learning?
- How do we shift away from a mindset of using assessment as a way to produce grades into a meaningful and empowering learning experience for all students?
- How can we design assessment that continuously make visible to us and to our students that they are learning?
At the end of the discussion, the panelists provided starting points and ideas for individual teachers who are looking to apply to assess for learning in their class.
Watch the full event recording here.
Discussion Highlights
Feedback works best when given in a manageable form, Kurt Prescott
Use a body of evidence collected over time, Elizabeth Rossini
Using descriptors in the feedback process, Meg Griswold
Continue the conversation with colleagues at your school about assessing for learning by checking out these GOA blog posts:
Are you interested in learning more about student-centered assessment? The GOA team has launched a new self-paced course for teachers - Assess for Learning: Essentials.