Week 7 Discussion 1 - An Introduction to Comprehensive Assessment

I was very inspired by the video and in music am constantly looking for new and creative ways to assess student progress.  I loved the idea of role playing and feel this would be very effective in the lesson involving learning to play a song on a pitched percussion instrument. I would have the student’s role play as a composer and also the teacher to help assess their knowledge of playing and note reading.  Preparing for this assessment would involve teaching students how to role play and give them opportunities to practice this so they feel comfortable.

Do you believe this assessment will be a valid measure of your students' learning?

I believe role playing would help measure what the students have learned about the composers of the songs by seeing how they act out the composer’s actions and music.  I also feel like allowing them to role play as the music teacher will show whether or not they have achieved mastery level of note and rhythm reading and proper instrument position and etiquette.

How has this video motivated you to look at other assessments that you may not have tried before and as a principal, challenge your staff to do the same?

I hope to challenge teachers to think “outside of the box” and move away from using tests and essays as the main assessment tool.  The video discussed how as adults the jobs students perform will not require them to choose from a multiple-choice problem. The importance of teaching children leadership, problem solving, and self-reflection are vital to their future success.