Chapter 10 : Assessments and Clickers.

          Assessment activities are used as part of a an assessment system to improve performance and learning. We execute this assessment system by observing the learners' performance through performance assessments. Performance assessments are tasks that allow a student to exercise the learned skills. We use these methods because they are tried and proven to be successful at helping students.

          E-Portfolios exist to showcase a students efforts, progress of knowledge, and abilities achieved through previous activities stored as samples of writing, videos, pictures, or similar items. It is the electronic version of what use to be an actual binder that falls into three different classifications: working , standards-based, and external evaluation portfolios. For teachers, they are useful for assessing different learning outcomes and actually encourage useful learning outcomes. Computer based tests are tests taken on the computer that are used to simplify the process of grading by giving an instant score to teachers. Unfortunately, this has not be the best way to go about testing unless it is a test that can adapts to each learner. If this is the case, being that it can adapt and it is constructed appropriately without rushing due to simplicity of its creation, the validity and reliability of the test will remain in good standing.

         The use of technology to create such things as e-portfolios and carefully crafted computer based tests will continue to be as useful as they are now and more so as we learn how to tweak them to be their best. Throughout my future career as a teacher, I see assessment activities evolving, becoming better and better, for teachers and students alike. Looking back on this chapter, all I can saw is wow. Being new to all of this, I had never heard of portfolios like this before. Same goes for clicker technology. I can only think back and imagine how much fun it would have been to use such a tool back in elementary, middle, or even high school. I would have been fully engaged for the single fact of thinking the class was a game show! I only hope that I work at a school that has such things when it comes time for me to find a job. 

Works Used:


Johnson, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2007). Meaningful Learning With Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.