Module 4 Assignment 1 Reflection

Evaluating the influences of current or past assessment practice

As a classroom teacher I rely on assessment data to determine important decisions regarding curriculum, classroom management and daily activities. Throughout my teaching career I have adopted the phrase, put forward by Cohen and Cowen (2007)  that “assessment drives instructions” which means that assessment is an integral part of classroom teacher’s responsibility, and that all instructional decisions should be based on careful collection and analysis of information gathered from students. 

While completing the survey and later while working on the assignment, I was able to analyse the various assessment methods and tools which I employ as a teaching practitioner to assess and record my students’ performance and levels of achievement. As I reflected on my my practice I came to the realization that there was a heavy reliance on traditional methods of assessment. This would most definitely change as work is continued on this module. As teachers we must be mindful of the fact that in the assessment process the important driving force behind meaningful assessment is the factor of decision making. In order for assessment to be effective we must engage in this activity frequently and provide continuous feedback to students. In the final analysis both formal and informal assessment should be ongoing, thus guiding teachers to make informed decision about instruction.