Bill of Rights
[for educational assessments]
As a person who spent most of my educational career suffering in some classes and loving others, I could have used an Assessment BIll of Rights. Few of my teachers ever had more than one acceptable way to show mastery of a subject. That usually included reading and then writing about what was read. It would have been nice to have a conversation, defend an argument or create a public service announcement instead of writing a paper, making sure it included the requisite number of words. The effect Grant Wiggins Bill of Rights might have on a learning environment could be staggering. The fear and anxiety often existing in classes around grading would be reduced. No surprises means everyone can prepare. I remember the first day of a history class when the professor wrote the final test question on the board. A weight was lifted. Having student engaged with "real-world" problems mean that they feel respected enough that you won't waist their time and belittle their. As a firm believer in timely feedback, I would have the students access each other and self access. The students can learn and correct their mistake as they have discussion. with one-another. While some would object to openness of test questions and other materials, mastery is about so much more than having the "right " answer. As Grant Wiggins' puts it, we could start with the end "What do we want the students to be able to do and know because we examined this topic? How well do they transfer this knowledge to other situation and into the future?