Like doth quit like, and Measure for Measure

This quote from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure comes near the end of the play.  Here, both Duke Vincentio and the audience learn that treating the world in black and white terms and absolutes doesn't really work.

I see assessments in a similar way.  My own personal philosophy on assessment would run something like this.  I believe that not all assessments are equal.  In fact, I think that we have paid far too much attention to summative assessments and the grades developed from those practices.  I agree with Dr. Kohn, though it may be hard to implement his ideas, that grades actually get in the way of authentic learning.  The importance of feedback and mastery of objectives is far more important that receiving a grade.  Some people, such as Alife Kohn, have suggested that we should abandon grades all together.  His article on Springboard even shows how a school district can overcome opposition to moving from letter and number grades to feedback based assessments.

"Teaching" by Daniel R. Blue is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

So, if teachers do not have to spend all of this time recording grades and devising grading schema, where should their time be spent?  In my mind, it would be in developing good formative assessments.  Mr. Kinkoph shows well how information from assessments is important (don't confuse abandoning grades with abandoning assessments).  His introduction to the Learning Cycle, showing the relationship between standards, pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments.  Formative assessments should target 1 or 2 SLOs (Student Learning Outcomes) and only have a few questions about each SLO.

Similarly, Rick Wormeli' provided information about formative assessments. Students can learn without grades.  Teachers should spend the same amount of time crafting formative assessments.   There is a need to provide descriptive feedback.  Help students discover objective, where is the student now, and how can the student close the gap.  Formal and informal formative assessment can be used in a classroom.  How did formative assessment influence a decision you made today should be a question that any teacher could answer on the spot.

Even in places where informal assessment may seem difficult, teachers can make it an important part of classroom learning.  Battelle for Kids  shows how assessment can work in a music classroom.  Involving students in self-assessment and peer review.  Students critique assessments that the teacher has made. Not just about the right buttons but also breath support.

"Learning is Hanging Out" by Alan Levine licensed under CC BY 2.0.

So, what are some of the ways that technology can help teachers in this process of communication about how students are progressing on learning objectives?  In some of my own coursework here at Akron, I have seen Poll Everywhere used effectively both to make presentations more interactive and as a form of formative assessment. I have seen Kahoot used very effectively as a formative assessment and preparation for a summative assessment in a 6th grade classroom.  The absolutely easy and information rich platform of Socrative allows for formative assessments to exist embedded in a lecture or presentation.  Even grading platform such as  Mastery Connect can help teachers mark progress toward learning outcomes instead of grades.

We need to keep pushing our classrooms to support better learning.