What is “authentic” about “authentic assessment”? Why are authentic assessments a more valid measure of student learning? Describe any authentic assessments employed or discussed by your host teacher or another teacher at your school.
First, authentic assessment is the most practical type of assessment. It is similar to how a contractor can do years of book work, but without experiencing trial and error while using different tools to build or construct different types of projects the information they received until that point is useless. Authentic assessment is the use of utilizing the information gathered and using and practicing it in daily situations.
Second, the measurement of authentic assessment is a larger scale that leaves room for improvement. On the typical multiple choice, true or false, or even fill-in-the-blanks tests all have answers that are correct or incorrect. In an authentic assessment, students are on a scale between “needs practice” and “efficient”. This leaves more room for growth and healthier practice.
Lastly, my host teacher and I have not intentionally looked for authentic assessments, but it is something we have talked about and are interested in drafting possibilities. We both believe that a student who can’t apply the material to their own life will be less likely to receive the information. We are looking towards a speech-like format while discussing persuasive essays and effective argumentation.
